Whilton Marina acquires Venetian Marina
Venetian Marina on the Shropshire Union Canal – photo: Waterway Images
INLAND WATERWAYS: Whilton Marina, one of the longest established marina companies on the Grand Union, has acquired Venetian Marina, one of the earliest to be built on the Shropshire Union network, writes Harry Arnold.
The founder of Venetian Marina, John Dean, retired in December. The 250 berth marina has a chandlery, workshops tea rooms and a gift shop and is located just below Cholmondeston Lock on the Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal near Nantwich: a very busy section of the Four Counties ring of waterways and close to the popular Llangollen Canal.
Like Whilton it also has an extensive boat brokerage business which it is planned to link to that at the Grand Union site. Over the next two years, the company plans to invest up to £500,000 on improving the Venetian Marina infrastructure.
Proposed improvements include fitting new piers, re-piling the water’s edge, electricity to all piers, a new water system and wi-fi access to mooring customers.
“The two businesses have much in common,” said Robert Steele, a director of Whilton Marina. “Both were founded as family run enterprises and both celebrated their 40th anniversaries in 2010, making us pioneers of the modern-day boating industry.”
We have a lot of respect for the successful business that we’re taking on and will stay true to the founding family ethos, he added. We’re proud to keep the existing team, which has served the business for years.
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