May 17, 2004
MiBizWest


MUSKEGON — Torresen Marine Inc. President Gordon Torresen is the Muskegon Area Chamber of Commerce 2004 Entrepreneur of the Year.

Torresen began his business in 1969 after working for Brunswick Corp. Working out of his garage, he used his love of sailing and his engineering talent to help the company live up to its nickname — The Sailboat Specialists.

In the late ‘90s the company pioneered Internet marketing and has now known by sailors worldwide because of its Web presence. Customers from over 100 countries are served by Torresen, which now operates several sailing-related Web sites including five online stores that will be stocking over one million products by the end of the year.

Today Torresen Marine employs 25 people year round and has sales in excess of $3.5 million. It recently expanded its Lakeshore Drive operation into the historic Norge manufacturing facility next door.

Torresen was inducted into the Michigan Boating Industry Association Boating Hall of Fame in 2003 and this year was named as one of West Michigan’s 10 most influential enterprise leaders by The Muskegon Chronicle.

A special chamber selection committee chose Torresen as entrepreneur of the year. He was one of three nominees. The others were Jack E. Carlston, president and CEO of Custom Coatings Inc. and Great Lakes Polymers Inc. and Bill Cooper, president and owner of Omni Fitness Club, Great Lakes Jet and Sotto Grille.

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This article appeared in the May 17, 2004 issue of MiBiz, read by upper management executives in West and Southwest Michigan. Print subscriptions are free to qualified individuals who do business in West and Southwest Michigan. For further information about MiBiz Network, visit www.mibiz.com.