Freedom Boat Club accelerates growth in Upper Midwest
Freedom Boat Club, which is said to operate the largest fleet of recreational boats in the world, has announced that it is adding five new corporate club locations in Wisconsin during summer 2022. These additions support the company’s growth plans in the Upper Midwest giving members 13 locations to choose from in Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa.
Since 2020, Freedom, which is a division of Brunswick Corporation, has opened new locations in Chicago, Fox Lake, Milwaukee, and has a franchise location in Northern Iowa, and is exploring plans for continued expansion in these boating markets.
Freedom’s first location in Wisconsin is in McKinley Harbor in Milwaukee, but throughout the summer, club locations will be added in Racine, Green Lake, Oshkosh, Madison, as well as additional locations in Milwaukee.
“We are thrilled to announce our growth in Wisconsin, one of the premier freshwater boating locations in the United States,” says Scott Ward, Freedom Boat Club vice president and general manager. “These announcements support our strategic vision of growth in the Upper Midwest, providing boaters in Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa the opportunity to experience Freedom Boat Club.”
According to the National Marine Manufacturers Association, boating in Wisconsin has a $4 billion annual economic impact and there are more than 600,000 registered boats in the state, which provides an opportunity for Freedom to expand its boat-sharing concept within a community already keen for the on-water lifestyle.
The Wisconsin expansion follows Freedom’s announcements that it had welcomed its first club location in Scandinavia and acquired the Freedom Boat Club of Tampa Bay franchise operation and territory.
Since the company’s acquisition by Brunswick in May 2019, Freedom has more than doubled the number of locations in its network. Over the past three years, Freedom has added 180 new locations, executing on its strategic plan to expand boating participation through convenient, shared-access models.
