Three Young Leader Award Winners Set Out to Advance the Marina Industry

Three Marina Dock Age Young Leader Award winners are working together to advance the marina industry in landlocked Oklahoma.

At Dock and Marina Services in McAlester, Oklahoma, business is booming. It’s in no small part thanks to these young leaders who operate in three different departments: Kyle Morley, CEO and a 2021 Young Leader recipient; Jeremy Otis, engineering manager and 2022 Young Leader winner; and Brittany Joslin, senior administrative officer and 2023 Young Leader.

“We like to joke that Oklahoma is the middle of everywhere,” Otis said. “We view this as an advantage because it allows us to extend our sales from coast to coast without getting too far from our base of operations. With boating season lasting roughly 10 months out of the year in the South, there is always a need for marina expansion and renovation. Additionally, we are extremely close to the ever-growing Texas market.”

Experience Matters
Morley got his start in the marine industry as a high schooler under the tutelage of his father, Ralph Morley, a 35-year veteran in the industry. He earned a BBA in Energy Management at the University of Oklahoma, then began his career at Dock and Marina Services, gaining experience in manufacturing, assembling and installing dock components. In addition to his position as CEO, he is active as project manager, cost estimator and material procurer. For good measure, he obtained an Advanced Open Water Dive Certification. Being named as a Marina Dock Age Young Leader encouraged him to continue to learn and improve.

Otis began working in the marine construction industry in nearby Eufaula, Oklahoma, at Marine Development Inc. (MDI), which was founded by his grandfather and great uncle Steve and Roger Otis. There, Otis advanced his knowledge by moving through various departments including manufacturing, assembling and shipping and receiving, working his way up the ranks to senior design engineer. He joined Dock and Marina Services in 2023 and plays an active role in project scope, costing and scheduling, design, engineering and manufacturing. He studied Biosystem Engineering at Oklahoma State University with a minor in Soil Sciences. After being named a Young Leader by Marina Dock Age, he began to focus on creating innovative designs to advance the marina industry.

Joslin began her marine career at MEECO Sullivan in 2016. She brought years of experience to Dock and Marina Services in cost analysis for projects, financial project auditing, managing human resources and all financial aspects of operations. She has two bachelor’s degrees and a master’s in business administration from the University of Oklahoma and is getting another master’s degree in finance. When named a Young Leader by Marina Dock Age, she realized the importance of a professional network and building relationships.

Preparing for the Future
The collective experience of these three is helping to establish long-term goals for the company. “The three of us have implemented many procedures revolving around efficiency in production,” Joslin said. “We like to do case studies and experiments to see if there are better ways to do things. Just because something has always been done a certain way doesn’t mean that it is the best way. Every company has its own strengths and weaknesses, and it is important to know what those are and how to maximize them.”

Each award winner brings special skills to any given project, but working together, they ensure the smooth planning and implementation of long-range goals. Morley has a focus on scalability and profitability; Otis focuses on the physical design and scheduling; and Joslin focuses on feasibility and manpower allocation.

As seasoned veterans of the marina industry, each of the Young Leaders has intentionally worked to grow their skills and knowledge. In step with their desire to keep Dock and Marina Services moving forward, they have an eye toward the future while drawing on their valuable experiences from the industry. Topics they keep abreast of include the shift from small family-owned marinas to corporate or private equity marinas; shared boating options that will make the industry more accessible; environmental and utility considerations; and the increase of electric boating and how that will affect marina infrastructure.

“We have impromptu innovation meetings at least once a week to discuss these big topics and also ways that we can become more efficient or improve our overall workflow,” Morley said. “When the three of us work together on something, we tend to cover it from all angles to see what the pros and cons are while understanding all the finer details that go into the project. The three of us mesh well together.”