MarineMax has opened its second location in Chattanooga at Lakeshore Marina, said salesman Russell Fulmer.
With two locations, the company can concentrate on selling yachts at the downtown location and stock sport boats for the lake crowd, Fulmer said.
The $400,000 expansion comes as company revenue for the Clearwater, Fla.-based parent company has fallen from $885 million in 2008 to $450 million in 2010 amid slumping sales.
But in Chattanooga, demand is up.
"We've done very well the last two weeks; we've done great," said Kenny Hixson, dockmaster for MarineMax's Chattanooga location. "If that's any indication toward the economy, maybe it's taking a turn."
The company is leasing space at Lakeshore Marina, where a different company sold boats in 2008 but quit for lack of sales during the recession.
"It was costing us more money to sell them than we were bringing in," said Michael Porter, general manager at the Lakeshore Marina.
Boats at the second location, which will compliment the downtown riverfront store, can cost from $21,000 to $58,000 and include both entry-level and luxury options, said Hixson.
He'll celebrate the opening by putting 10 boats in the water this weekend for customers to test out, he said.