Today we’d like to introduce you to David Piersall.
David, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
All my adult life I have wanted to own a successful business and be my own boss, and I always thought it was just out of reach. I even took a stab at it when I was 18 opening my own janitorial business which was short lived mostly due to a lack of maturity at the time. I had been in outside sales and marketing for most of my professional career. I started as a door to door Electrolux vacuum cleaner salesman, what some called a very tough sales job but I loved it!. I loved the challenge and being out meeting new people.
My journey took me to the copier sales industry where I spent 13 years, most of that as a subsidiary of Xerox Corporation. That too was a challenge and gave me the opportunity to hone my skills and get some sales management experience. A couple of years prior to starting at Xerox I got involved in the boating world when I obtained my first boat, “a Fixer upper”. I worked on that boat night and day for almost a year each day after work and loved seeing the old forgotten boat come back to life again.
While all of this was happening and as the company I worked for grew, the politics and the way they viewed what was important changed, and I found myself looking for a change of scenery. After some well-placed motivation, I decided to leave my job at Xerox and venture back into the land of entrepreneurs and on March of 2012 Crystal Lake Marine was born in a 2,700 sf. gavel floor pole barn. It was not a pretty site but it met our needs in the moment and gave us a great launching pad for success. Now I am not saying running your own business is easy but it sure did meet my need for challenge. We were at that first facility for a year when we outgrew it because we were growing at a rate of 200% a year in annual revenues.
Today, 5 years later, we occupy a 60,000 sf facility, on 7 acres, Sell new and used boats, And have added RV Sales and Service to the list of abilities too. Sometimes I look around wondering how the hell I got here. The answer is 100% commitment to success, Always maintaining a positive attitude, The ability to delegate and trust my employees, AND there’s a little luck in there too for good measure! Today I am in control of my own destiny and would not change a thing. If you’re ever in Woodstock, IL stop in and check us out, you’re always welcome!
Has it been a smooth road?
We started the business with a budget of less than $2,000.00. My friend’s all told me I was crazy and would never succeed, a High School drop out cant do this. We have had to move 4 times in the last 6 years on our road to success, one due to zoning real estate missteps, and the other due to such a massive growth pattern that we ran out of space too quickly,
We have run into financial issues on more than one occasion along the road and I never believed we would not succeed for one moment. I had 2 partner relationships that did not work out, not to mention a stress on my marital relationship too in the early years. My advice is to keep pushing, Stay positive and keep your head in the stressful times. Do that and you’ll always end up on top. Be a good boss, that means always being fair, firm, and consistent.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go to the Lake Marine & RV story. Tell us more about the business.
Lake Marine & RV sells and services new and used boats, and we are a full-service RV repair shop too. We have an onsite upholstery shop, do gel coat repairs on boats and RV’s and even do structural repairs to boat floors, transoms, and hulls.
We have a 5,400 sf ship store where you will find all your boating and RV needs and be greeted with a friendly smile. Need a place to store your boat or RV? We are your source for that too both inside and outdoor storage options are available. Stop by and see us today!
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I believe we will have a line of new RV’s and add to our offerings in the pleasure and fishing boat line as well. I believe in the next 2 years we will have a second location concentrating solely on RV sales and service as well as storage for those products during summer and winter months.
Pricing:
- Inside climate controlled storage starting at $89.95 per month
- Winterizing specials starting at $129.95
Contact Info:
- Address: 2050 S Eastwood Dr
Woodstock, IL 60098 - Website: www.LakeMarine.com
- Phone: 8156795300
- Email: Dave@LakeMarine.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrystalLakeMarineServices/?ref=bookmarks
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/lake-marine-and-rv-woodstock
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