Our History
Contact UsA Passion for Boats Begins
Shifting Gears
Making Dreams a Reality
On to a Bigger and Better Space
The Great Recession that Shocked the Boating Industry
A Place to Call Home, For Good
The Big Move
Giving Detail Some Space
The Covid Boom
Where Are We Storing All These Boats?
An Award Winning Year
What The Future Looks Like
1978
A Passion for Boats Begins
Randell’s boating journey began early, stepping into his father’s dealership at just 15 years old. Spending his days in the shop, he built both the skills and passion that would shape a lifelong career in the industry. Over the years, his role evolved from mechanic work and boat rigging to the parts department, before ultimately transitioning into sales, remaining with the dealership until it closed in the early 1990s.
1997
Shifting Gears
After the closing of his father’s business, Randell knew he wasn’t ready to leave the boating industry behind. He joined another local boat dealership in the Flathead Valley as a salesman, where he quickly found success and fulfillment. During his time there, his dedication and performance earned him national recognition as one of the Top 20 Salesmen in the country from Cobalt Boats.This is where he confirmed what he’d already begun to suspect: owning his own boat dealership was the dream he wanted to pursue. Planning for bigger and better things began.
2003
Making Dreams a Reality
Captain’s Marine began with a 2,000 sq ft space and a tight-knit team of three. Randell, his wife Bronlyn, and longtime friend Mike Lopez laid the foundation of the dealership, proving that determination and vision matter far more than square footage. In the early days, everyone pitched in. Bronlyn took on countless roles, including hand-creating the dealership’s first sign (pictured), Mike played the role of mechanic, service advisor, and even janitor, while Randell balanced sales, operations, and a vision that extended well beyond those early walls. Shortly after opening, more crew was added and the full team really started coming together. Randell started the dealership with MasterCraft, Lund, and Monterey - brands they still carry today.
2005
On to a Bigger and Better Space
Driven by a commitment to continual growth, Randell seized the opportunity to move into a new space - an entire building of their own, just across the street from them. With the expansion came even more employees, more boat brands, and a wider range of offerings, marking an exciting new chapter for Captain’s Marine. The future was looking bigger and brighter each day.
2009
The Great Recession that Shocked the Boating Industry
When the 2008 recession sent shockwaves through the boating industry, Captain’s Marine pushed through with resilience and determination.Making it through those challenging years proved that Randell had built something special - something worth protecting, growing, and carrying confidently into the future. 2008 was the year Captain’s Marine brought on MY2009 Cobalt Boats for the first time, an incredibly exciting addition to the lineup Randell started with. With this strong lineup of incredible boats, and the realization that he could weather any storm, the hunt for a new, bigger, better home for Captain’s Marine began.
2014
A Place to Call Home, For Good
Sometimes, finding the perfect space means realizing you need to start from scratch - and that’s exactly what Randell did. Just down the highway from where it all began, he purchased the land that would become a brand-new Dealership with enough space to accommodate AND grow - a bold step toward the future he had always dreamed of.
2016
The Big Move
After a long and eagerly awaited build, the Captain’s Marine dealership we know and love today was finally complete. It was a chilly day in March when it was finally time to move in. This was a monumental day, where years of vision and hard work blossomed into something truly remarkable.
2019
Giving Detail Some Space
With more space and a growing team came the need to reorganize. The detail department moved into its own building, freeing up a bay for a fourth full-time technician. This shift allowed Captain’s Marine to expand service offerings, work on more boats, detail more boats, and ultimately serve even more boaters across the Flathead Valley.
2020
The Covid Boom
In March 2020, Captain’s Marine temporarily closed its doors in compliance with mandated orders. But once given the ok to return, operations resumed just a short 3 weeks later. With travel plans cancelled and Flathead families looking for safe, local ways to enjoy their time, the boating industry saw an unexpected surge - and suddenly, Captain’s Marine had more customers than boats. What began as a worrying moment in history became an incredible period of growth and connection. It took years for inventory levels to return to pre-covid levels.
2021
Where Are We Storing All These Boats?
As more customers joined the Captain’s Marine family (especially after the boom), the demand for winter boat storage in Montana grew right along with them. In 2021, land was purchased and storage buildings were added to accommodate more customer boats. Shortly after in 2023, our “Boat Port” was built, which gave us a sheltered place for clean boats coming out of detail to wait for customer pick ups and deliveries.
2025
An Award Winning Year
2025 was a standout year of recognition for Randell and the entire Captain’s Marine team. They kicked off the summer by being named “Best Boat Dealership” in the Best of Flathead Awards for the second consecutive year. In the fall, Captain’s Marine earned the MRAA’s “Great Dealership to Work For” Award after achieving a 90 percent or higher score on our Employee Satisfaction Surveys. To close out the year on a high note, Randell was honored with the MRAA Trailblazer Award, recognizing an individual whose vision, leadership, and willingness to challenge the status quo are helping shape the future of the marine industry. It was a year of meaningful milestones and well-earned recognition.
2026 & Beyond
What The Future Looks Like
An exciting and rewarding 2025 gave Captain’s Marine fresh perspective and a renewed drive to continue serving the Flathead Valley. At the beginning of 2026, just ahead of the Boat Show, Captain’s Marine unveiled a completely new logo, bringing a well-loved logo designed in 2003 by Bronlyn herself, to the close of an era - and guiding the brand confidently into a modern digital landscape. Alongside the new logo came a brand-new website, thoughtfully designed for ease of use, trust, and education, with one clear goal: to help customers find exactly what they’re looking for, quickly. Building on these upgrades, Captain’s Marine also introduced its new Concierge Service, offering unique, high-level experiences tailored specifically for Flathead Valley boaters. 2026 has only just begun, but Captain’s Marine remains focused on what’s ahead - striving for continuous improvement, and focused on the goal of boating being the stress-free experience people deserve. As for what’s next… Only time will tell!