West Marine Announces Grand Opening of Flagship Store in Fort Myers

June 13, 2012 - PRLog -- West Marine , announced today the grand opening of its Fort Myers flagship store, the fifth flagship store in the state. Located at 7070 College Parkway, Suite 102 at the intersection of College Parkway and U.S. 41 / Tamiami Trail, this will be the biggest West Marine store in Southwest Florida. A weekend of special events is planned for the Grand Opening on Thursday, July 19 through Sunday, July 22, 2012.

Thursday evening from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. “Cruising for a Cause” Charity Event will be hosted by West Marine to support local marine-based non-profits. Guests will enjoy music, delicious appetizers from Pinchers Crab Shack, drinks, raffle prizes and a live auction including a fishing trip for four with Edgar Hansen, Deckboss and Chief Engineer of the F/V Northwestern, featured on “Deadliest Catch.” Edgar will be on hand to greet guests and meet the lucky winner. Tickets are $10 and available at the door or through the following charities: Edison Sailing Center; Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation; Snook & Gamefish Foundation; and the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust. All proceeds from the evening will directly support participating non-profits.

The Grand Opening celebration takes place Friday and Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Guests will enjoy a free boat show and high tech electronics demonstrations by Raymarine, Garmin, Standard Horizon, Intellian and Navico, among others. Special deals, raffle prizes, and tips from experts will continue all weekend and renowned artist Tony Ludovico (http://www.tonyludovico.com/) will be on site to sign autographs on Saturday.  Discovery’s “Deadliest Catch” star Edgar Hansen, Deckboss and Engineer of the Northwestern (http://fvnorthwestern.com/), will attend on Saturday to sign autographs and take photos with fans.

This brand-new store is approximately 25,000 square feet and was created to serve both the needs of local residents and those travelling through to enjoy other parts of the Gulf Coast. There is an enormous assortment of saltwater fishing gear, with experienced anglers on staff, and an extensive selection of marine electronics with nearly 100 products to touch and test.  Kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, inflatable boats and outboard motors accompany a full engine parts counter staffed by specialists.  Plus, there’s a huge selection of sailing gear, boating supplies, casual and technical apparel, shoes, sunglasses and accessories, all designed for your life on the water.

Store Manager Dusty Felts, a Southwest Florida resident, has been with West Marine for over 5 years and has boated and fished in the area for the last 18 years. He owns an 18 foot Hewes Redfisher, and when he’s not at the Store, he’s often out fishing between Boca Grande and Wiggins Pass.

"The entire staff of the Fort Myers West Marine store is eager to serve the needs of Gulf Coast area boaters and anglers and this new, larger store will enable us to do that," commented Store Manager Dusty Felts. "We are passionate about the incredible region we live in and will ensure the Fort Myers Store is stocked with the best marine gear available to help our local customers, as well as those passing through, enjoy great times on the water.”

About West Marine
West Marine  the largest specialty retailer of boating supplies and accessories, has more than 310 company-owned stores located in 38 states, Puerto Rico and Canada and three franchised stores located in Turkey. Our call center and Internet channels offer Customers over 75,000 products plus the convenience of exchanging catalog and Internet purchases at our Store locations.  Our Port Supply division is one of the largest wholesale distributors of marine equipment serving boat manufacturers, marine services, commercial vessel operators and government agencies. For more information on West Marine's products and store locations, or to start shopping, visit http://www.westmarine.com or call 1-800-BOATING (1-800-262-8464).