Freedom Boat Club Acquires Savannah and Hilton Head Franchise Operations and Territories; Accelerating Growth and Establishing Southeast Coastal Corporate Territory

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VENICE, Fla. – November 17, 2023 – Today, Freedom Boat Club, the world’s largest boat club operator and a Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC) brand, announced the acquisition of its Savannah and Hilton Head franchise operations and territories. Together, these acquisitions represent five locations spanning Savannah and Hilton Head, as well as the rights to build new club locations throughout these premium boating markets.

These acquisitions combined with the existing company-owned and operated Freedom Boat Club of Greater Charleston Club and its three locations will unlock operational efficiencies and provide members with additional boating destinations, as the Company plans for continued expansion across the Southeast Coastal region.

“The acquisitions of the Savannah and Hilton Head clubs solidify our position in attractive year-round boating communities, they establish a platform for accelerated growth and strengthen synergies within the Brunswick family of brands,” said Cecil Cohn, Freedom Boat Club Network’s president.  “We look forward to building on the strong foundation set in place by each of the former franchise owners and welcoming our members on the docks to continue delivering remarkable experiences.”

Tom McCarthy launched the Savannah operation in 2005 and Cassius Mullen and Gayle Schaffner led the Hilton Head club since 2015. All are long-time partners to Freedom and successfully scaled the business with top-tier talent, enabling them to build loyal membership bases passionate about the on-water lifestyle.

This announcement represents the 22nd and 23rd global company-owned territories for Freedom that span major metropolitan areas, such as Florida, New York, Illinois, Georgia, the United Kingdom, Spain and Australia. In total, Freedom has 400+ global locations, of which more than 30 percent are company-owned.

 About Freedom Boat Club

Freedom Boat Club, a business of Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC) and headquartered in Venice, FL., is the world’s oldest and largest boat club with more than 400 locations comprising of both Freedom and Fanautic locations in 35 U.S. States as well as in Canada, UK, Europe, and Australia.  More information about Freedom Boat Club and membership opportunities can be found at FreedomBoatClub.com and franchise opportunities at FreedomBoatClubFranchise.com.   

About Brunswick

Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC) is the global leader in marine recreation, delivering innovation that transforms experiences on the water and beyond.  Our unique, technology-driven solutions are informed and inspired by deep consumer insights and powered by our belief that “Next Never Rests™”. Brunswick is dedicated to industry leadership, to being the best and most trusted partner to our many customers, and to building synergies and ecosystems that enable us to challenge convention and define the future. Brunswick is home to more than 60 industry-leading brands. In the category of Marine Propulsion, these brands include, Mercury Marine, Mercury Racing and MerCruiser. Brunswick’s comprehensive collection of parts, accessories, distribution, and technology brands includes Mercury Parts & Accessories, Land ‘N’ Sea, Flite, Lowrance, Simrad, B&G, Mastervolt, RELiON, Attwood and Whale. Our boat brands are some of the best known in the world, including Boston Whaler, Lund, Sea Ray, Bayliner, Harris Pontoons, Princecraft and Quicksilver. Our service, digital and shared-access businesses include Freedom Boat Club, Boateka and a range of financing, insurance, and extended warranty businesses. While focused primarily on the marine industry, Brunswick also successfully leverages its portfolio of advanced technologies to deliver an exceptional suite of solutions in mobile and industrial applications.  Headquartered in Mettawa, IL, Brunswick has more than 18,000 employees operating in 27 countries. In 2022, Brunswick was named by Forbes as a World’s Best Employer and as one of America’s Most Responsible Companies by Newsweek, both for the third consecutive year. For more information, visit brunswick.com.

Released November 17, 2023