Since 1912 Stander Marine has been a community staple for boat enthusiasts along the Leland River — 113 years.
Last week, the Stander family announced that they were selling the marine business to the McCahill family, which owns On The Narrows Marina and Glen Craft Marina on Big Glen Lake.
“A big thank you to the community. Four generations of Standers have been here,” Andy Stander said. His sister Terri added “It’s been fun watching kids grow up. It’ll be sad, but a relief. Kind of a double-edged sword.”
Terri and Andy Stander represent the fourth generation to operate the marina. Still, they are happy to announce they will be retiring.
“We’ve done everything we can, and we found someone who will continue that and grow it,” Andy said. “We love our dad, but we don’t want to be here until we are 80. We’d like to enjoy a little bit of retirement at some point ... We wanted to sell to someone that was going to continue it and make it grow and do the things that Terri and I aren’t able to do.”
Andy and Terri took over ownership of the marina after their father, Charlie, retired. He has since passed in 2022. Charlie’s father, William Stander and his brother, started the marine over a century ago.
The McCahill family bought Glen Craft Marina from Kathy Alysworth in March 2022. They purchased On The Narrows Marin, their first marina, in 2008.
Connor McCahill, originally from Denver, heard through the rumor mill that Terri and Andy were looking to transition to retirement.
“I had just reached out and contacted them, and when we started the conversation,” McCahill said. “It was a lot of relief, obviously. Terri, Andy, and I have been talking for quite a while. So it was fun. It was nice to get to the finish line,” he said.
Andy and Terri both grew up in the area and remember working at the marina when they were 12 or 13 years old.
“There are a lot of memories here. The people we’ve grown up with and seen us growing up I think the hardest thing we would miss is probably the people, but we’ll be around,” Andy said.
Excitement has greeted the new team. Boating season is here and going fast and furious, as patrons itch to get out on pristine Lake Leelanau.
“We cut it close on the timing. We’re right into the boating season here, so it’s a quick transition as we’re already getting boats out and ready for the summer,” McCahill said. “There are no real immediate changes or plans. We will bring some of our different programs from Glen Craft up this way. So we have some exciting new stuff we’re looking to roll out, but there won’t be any immediate.”
The Standers are both staying on for the season.
“The whole staff is sticking on here. We pride ourselves on trying to continue their family legacy. We’re a family on business. They’re a family on business. So we’re trying to keep some continuity with the staff, which we were successful in doing down at Glen Craft as well,” McCahill said.
The marina will continue with the Stander family name, with no rebranding and a few new changes as it gets going. It will be mostly business as usual.
“Luckily, (McCahill) has experience already. So he kind of knows what’s going to happen,” Andy said. “Everyone who’s come in so far has been gracious.”
In terms of challenges, besides seasonal and cyclical operations, housing will continue to be difficult. The McCahills have a property in Glen Arbor that provides some relief.
“Hiring summer seasonal staff, we haven’t had much of a challenge down in the Glen Arbor area, but I know it’s a challenge everywhere, just the housing. Unless you’ve got family in the area, bringing people up to work for a summer job. You basically have to provide housing as an employer, and that’s a challenge,” he said.
In terms of business, this summer, Andy says if people have a boat, they are usually looking to use it no matter the economic outlook.
“They might not travel as far north. There are so many boats on this lake, I don’t see it affecting it that bad,” he said.
Andy and Terri admit that not having the marina will be different, but they have confidence in the new leadership.
“It will be strange next year. I’m just kind of keeping that in the back of my head this year, but I’ve got all the faith in the world in this guy here,” Andy said.
As the story goes, back in the 1920s the marina was not supporting two families between his grandfather William and brother, so they flipped a coin to see who got the marina.
The rest is history as a new chapter of Stander Marine emerges.
