By: BoatBlurb Staff
The Freedom Boat Club, purchased by industry leading Brunswick Corporation in 2019, announced it has doubled in size it was acquired three years ago.
At the time of the purchase by Brunswick, the Freedom Boat Club was already recognized as the operator of the largest fleet of recreational boats in the world, with locations across the globe, including in all major boating hotbeds in North America and Europe. The company already boasted over 20,000 members, 2200 boats in its fleet, and 170 franchises across 30 U.S. states, Canada, and Europe.
By 2020, FBC has already upped its franchise number to 250 locations and announced record growth in terms of operational revenue, fleet size, and profit. The company announced a 61% increase in membership in 2020, as well as acquisitions in Chicago, New York, and Charleston, South Carolina. They also added 23 locations in Europe that same year.
Now after 3 years from the original purchase, FBC has officially doubled in size, marking an incredible period of growth over a relatively short span. The company released a public statement denoting the opening of their 350th location, which includes the total addition of 180 new clubs since 2019.
“We are thrilled to celebrate this incredible milestone of 350 locations, as well as the continued successful execution of the growth plans we established when Brunswick acquired Freedom in 2019,” said Brenna Preisser, Brunswick Corporation Chief Strategy Office and President, Business Acceleration. “It’s particularly fitting that our 350th location coincides with our first location in Scandinavia, underscoring our intention to become the global leader in boat clubs by providing a vast network of on-water locations and a superior customer experience. We are on a mission to democratize boating and strengthen the future of the industry by not only providing access and training to new boaters, but also keeping boaters on the water longer. We continue to see significant potential to grow Freedom worldwide.”
Over the past 12 months, the company has also added locations in Delaware, South New Jersey, Maryland, and Washington, D.C, and Atlanta, among others.
The premise behind the company is to offer a membership-based access to boating without the associated operational costs of ownership. Members are able to reserve boats in advance to use at their leisure, and the club itself monitors maintenance, upkeep, and day-to-day ownership obligations
Watch the video below for a full breakdown:
You can read the full press release below:
"VENICE, Fla. – April 27, 2022 – Freedom Boat Club, operator of the largest fleet of recreational boats in the world, and a division of Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC), today announced its 350th location, representing another major milestone in its rapid growth and a more than doubling of the number of locations in the Freedom network since the company was acquired by Brunswick in May 2019. Over the past three years, Freedom has added 180 new locations, executing on its strategic plan to expand boating participation through convenient, shared-access models.
The 350th location will be in Silkeborg, Denmark – Freedom’s first club location in Scandinavia and a further demonstration of Freedom’s successful European growth strategy. In less than a year, Freedom has increased its European presence from three locations in France to more than 28 locations (including Fanautic Boat Club) across the United Kingdom, France, Spain, and now Scandinavia.
“We are thrilled to celebrate this incredible milestone of 350 locations, as well as the continued successful execution of the growth plans we established when Brunswick acquired Freedom in 2019,” said Brenna Preisser, Brunswick Corporation Chief Strategy Office and President, Business Acceleration. “It’s particularly fitting that our 350th location coincides with our first location in Scandinavia, underscoring our intention to become the global leader in boat clubs by providing a vast network of on-water locations and a superior customer experience. We are on a mission to democratize boating and strengthen the future of the industry by not only providing access and training to new boaters, but also keeping boaters on the water longer. We continue to see significant potential to grow Freedom worldwide.”
Freedom’s rapid growth is supported by both corporate and franchise expansion across North America, Canada, and Europe. Over the past 12 months, Freedom has acquired six corporate locations generating operational efficiencies across four newly formed “super territories” in some of the most desirable boating locations worldwide, such as Chicago; New York; Spain; and most recently, Atlanta.
Freedom has also experienced unprecedented interest from franchise operators adding a significant number of new territories represented across the U.S., Canada, and Europe over the past 12 months. Additionally, many of Freedom’s experienced franchise owners are expanding their current territories, responding to strong consumer demand, and adding new locations and boats to their fleet in territories such as Delaware, South New Jersey, Maryland, and Washington D.C. among others.
“The Freedom brand has experienced tremendous success over the past three years building on an already strong foundation. We’re inspired by the strong momentum – both of our franchise operations and our corporate territories, both of which are rapidly expanding and attracting new boaters at a record pace,” said Cecil Cohn, President, Freedom Boat Club Network. “We are excited to continue delivering remarkable member experiences at unrivaled scale.”
Recently Freedom was recognized and honored with numerous national awards, including be named to the Entrepreneur Magazine Franchise 500 list, as well as the Franchise Business Review Top 200 Franchises to Buy in 2021 list.
To learn more about Freedom Boat Club and the franchise opportunities available, visit: freedomboatclubfranchise.com."
