Address: 2195 W 175N, Angola

At a glance: Dry Dock Marine Center sells boats and accessories. Customers can lease self-storage space during the boating season. The business also services boats and stores them for winter.

Employees: 15, including co-owners Terry Archbold, president; and sons Cory, general manager; and Chris, sales

Annual revenue: About $3 million in 2009

When was the company founded: 1987 by Terry Archbold

Biggest accomplishment in the past 12 months: Being named to Boating Industry magazine’s Top 100 Boat Dealers in North America list for the third straight year. Dry Dock also received one of three editor’s choice awards. The competition is based on “overall business operations, customer service, professionalism and all the characteristics that go along with them,” according to the industry publication’s website.

What was your biggest mistake so far in operating this business: “There have been times where growth has gone too fast,” Cory Archbold said. The last time, about a year ago, rapid growth led to some chaos in the business, he said. The company is trying to slow down and control its growth.

What are the key challenges facing your business or industry: The boating industry was hit hard by the recession. Cory Archbold has heard that more than half of marine dealers that existed two years ago are now out of business. As the economy has picked back up this year, dealers are experiencing a “massive rebound.”

The new problem is getting inventory to meet customer demand. Boat makers and suppliers cut back production during the downturn, making some items hard to find. It takes about six to eight weeks to get an outboard motor for a pontoon boat, for example. Dry Dock “lucked out” a bit because it stocked up on some items in the spring.

What is your strategy for staying ahead of your competition: Being “100 percent focused on servicing the customer,” Cory Archbold said. “The better you take care of someone, the more likely they are to refer you to someone else. It’s not just the sale, it’s after the sale.”

What resources have you found most helpful in running a business: Belonging to a “20 Group,” a group of 20 similar companies from across the country that work with a business consultant and share ideas and advice. The groups, which are popular in the automotive industry, never include direct competitors.

Participants visit each boat dealership three times a year for a review and critique. The results have been so positive in the industry that some boat manufacturers push for new dealers to sign up for a 20 Group.

What are your growth projections for the next five years: The company posted revenue of more than $4million in 2007. Cory Archbold hopes the economic rebound will allow Dry Dock to be at least at $5 million in revenue within five years. The Archbolds are also looking at ways to diversify the company. They launched an antique-boat restoration business and are looking for other related services and products to offer.

What is one thing about your business that people might not be aware of: The company sells much more than big boats. Also in the inventory: Kayaks, WaveRunners, clothing, wake boards, beachfront furniture, wooden lake art, and maintenance items including lubes and oils.

Dry Dock, which doubled the size of its showroom 18 months ago to 24,000 square feet, said it is also the largest Hewitt-brand dock and boatlift dealer in the state.

If you weren’t running this business, what would you be doing: Cory Archbold said he’d probably be working with computers and networking, an area he dabbles in for Dry Dock.