To create the premier marine detailing and yacht management company in the country which reflects our passion for excellence in business creation, service execution and customer service.
Ship Shape began as a one man detailing operation in northern Michigan. A neat freak at heart, Larry Cappel recognized a growing need to offer comprehensive marine detailing services at a level unknown to the northern Michigan boating community. Working tirelessly, and managing two careers simultaneously, Larry built the company to become greater Michigan's premier marine detailer with 50 employees operating in 4 states.
First, Larry recognized that no one was treating marine detailing as a true business. Services were haphazardly marketed and preformed. The local "two boys and a bucket" operations existed in every market throughout Michigan; however, they were often unreliable and the quality was average at best. The major service yards that were offering detailing service treated the service as secondary. The market seemed ripe to introduce a superior product. Larry set out to offer a professional, first-class service program that out-preformed its competition and gave service yards a competitive alternative to providing sub-standard, "in-house", detailing service.
As a newcomer to the market place, Larry developed a business model predicated on superior salesmanship and marketing, incomparable service execution, first-class customer service, and lean operational infrastructure. Ship Shape is a bright and shining example of successfully executing this plan.
Larry saw great opportunity in creating a service company that existed as a complement to the full-service marine facilities in the Ship Shape marketplace. By recognizing that the full-service marinas didn’t treat marine detailing as part of their core business, a simple promise to the owners of each service firm was born – "Ship Shape will only focus on our core business of cleaning and detailing, so long as you give us access to your clients. We will help you build your business." Mutually beneficial relationships have been fostered with this simple promise. Companies that use Ship Shape have experienced increases in both revenue and customer satisfaction.
Ship Shape can only be as strong as its weakest link. Choosing the right team is critical to our success. Over the last twelve years, we have retained numerous employees for 6 to 10 years. We have employed multiple family members simultaneously and multiple generations of employees from the same family. Our employees are hard working, attractive, well-educated young men and women from all over the Midwest. The first two questions that are asked during the Ship Shape seasonal interview process are, "Where are you going to school?" and "Who is paying for it?" The Ship Shape employee is a self-motivated, well-spoken individual who recognizes the value of a job well done and exactly how his/her performance translates to earning power.
The full-time Ship Shape team shares a love for boating and quality service. The management team shares Larry's entrepreneurial spirit and interest in creating a business that dominates every market it enters. Ship Shape team members consistently go the extra mile to ensure that our promise of first-class service is maintained. The employee relationships are carefully developed through honest, proper training, positive reinforcement, and love. When you work for Ship Shape, you're family. And, the Ship Shape family takes care of its own.
