by Wagner Dotto
One thing you notice as you leave on a boat in Brewerton on Oneida Lake heading east toward Sylvan Beach is the huge structure on the left. That structure is 43 North Marina. The size of the building is overwhelming, especially seen from a little pontoon boat.
So, when we decided to write a story about Oneida Lake, we had to check out the business. It turns out that Kevin Walma, the entrepreneur who acquired the property in 2019, literally transformed the place, creating what he calls “a premier marine destination in all of Central New York.”
Indeed, the 36,000-square-foot facility offers just about everything related to boating. It sells new and used boats, provides technical and mechanical assistance to its clients, stores boats and provides a wide range of services for boaters.
Walma tells writer Stefan Yablonski that some of the key elements to the business success is his passion for boating. He absolutely loves what he does. In this issue he shares that he has been around water from as long as he can remember. At one point he made a boat trip all the way to the Caribbean — from Brewerton — and very often goes up and down on the East Coast.
When Walma bought the business, it was actually two separate marinas, Trade-a-Yacht and Tri-bridge. There were some abandoned camps between the properties.
From there, he built the renovated facility that includes a showroom, storage and even five tiled bathrooms with showers for customers. One of his future plans is to build a restaurant at the place.
Business has been good. “We’re absolutely full,” he says referring to the 178 deep water slips he has in the facility.
He certainly is in a good spot.
The smaller body of water (compated to Lake Ontario), Oneida Lake is about 21 miles long and at its widest point is 5 miles wide.
Area residents are quick to boast that boaters can travel anywhere in the world from their small waterway through the barge canal and its extensive lock system. Besides freely bragging about the access the lake offers, area residents are proud to point out the number of restaurants and bars alongside the lake and the variety of fish available.
Oneida Lake has long been known as the premier walleye and yellow perch fishery in New York state. Fishing generates close to $50 million in economic impact, according to the Oneida Lake Association.
I recently rediscovered Oneida Lake. Last summer I rented a pontoon boat at Brewerton Boat Yard marina and took family members who were visiting from Sao Paulo, Brazil, on a trip around the lake. It was a great idea. People loved it, the lake was calm, the weather was nice. The pontoon boat we got at Brewerton Boat Yard was like brand new, which made a big difference.
That was my first time on the lake and my relatives and I truly enjoyed the experience. (You don’t realize how huge it is until you’re in the middle of it.)
With the development of Micron and the expected influx of more people into the area, business around the lake should expect a big bump. Call it the “Micron bump.” And it’s coming sooner than we think.
The story about 43 North Marina starts on page 59. Several other stories complete the tourism package we prepared for this issue.
Hope you enjoy it. But, wait, there is more to this issue. We also have great stories related to small businesses — we talked to five owners who started their companies within the last two years —and healthcare, where we explore robotic surgeries and other issues.
Wagner Dotto is the editor and publisher of Oswego County Business Magazine.
