Harborwalk Marina Case Study

Chris Carroll is the manager of the Harborwalk Marina. Some information about this marina is it is part of a larger company called the Evening Post Industries. The Evening Post Industries bought the Harborwalk Marina in 1989. Originally, this Marina was a whole different company called the Gulf Auto Marina. The Harborwalk Marina is located in downtown Georgetown, SC. This is a very popular marina because it is on Front Street. This marina is the closest marina to all the businesses and restaurants in downtown Georgetown. Many people travel to Georgetown because there is so much history in this small town. To get to the Harborwalk Marina, you have to travel down the Intercostal Waterway in the Sampit River (Harborwalkmarina.com). The Harborwalk …show more content…
Because so many people travel to the Harborwalk Marina, Chris has to know how to deal with all sorts of personalities. He mentioned that the culture is a mix between races, sex, and wealth (Carroll). His ethical believe is to treat all customers equally, no matter the culture or net worth they come from. The environment of this company is outdoors year round. This company is also filled with friendly and welcoming employees. The Harborwalk Marina has a steady clientele of returning customers, but also a continued growth in new clientele. So much so, they sometimes get overfilled and have to turn boaters away. Chris teaches his employees to always be nice because it is very important to keep his customers happy. Chris often listens to suggestions made by his employees. He also discusses future plans and decisions involving the company with them. This is part of his management style. Chris’ management style is known as consultative management. Consultative management is where managers consult other team members before arriving at a decision (Casestudyinc.com). Chris told me he tries to include his employees on as many decisions as he can to make it a good working environment for everyone (Carroll). During this interview, I learned a lot of information on the expansion of the Harborwalk Marina. I also learned more of what Chris does with the financial aspect of the Harborwalk Marina. It is harder than I thought to manage a company. There is a lot of time and effort that goes into managing a company. With all the responsibilities, Chris and his employees always make sure the customers are satisfied. In closing, Chris is very pleased with the way the marina is progressing and looks forward to the future outcome of the Harborwalk Marina