Hoffmanns of Naples acquire Star Line Mackinac Island Ferry Co.

Phoebe Wall Howard | Detroit Free Press

The Hoffmanns gobbled up the second of two ferry services that shuttle visitors to Mackinac Island from the mainland of Michigan.

The Naples-based Hoffmann Family of Companies closed on the deal with Star Line Mackinac Island Ferry Company near midnight on Friday.

It follows the family’s purchase of competitor Shepler’s Ferry two years ago.

Billionaire David Hoffmann, a Naples resident and the company’s founder, came from humble beginnings. He has shared stories of working as a child with his father, a milkman who made early morning deliveries door-to-door in tiny Washington, Missouri.

Employees of Star Line learned of the sale Saturday morning.

It will be business as usual for the company, and the jobs of all 200 employees are secure, said Jenny Gezella, president of Hoffmann Marine, which includes Shepler’s and Sip n’ Sail Cruises on Mackinac Island, as well as marine operations in Naples and elsewhere in the country.

“All employees are staying on,” she said. “We’re looking forward to ensuring a first-class and efficient ride to and from the island. All pricing is under a licensing agreement. All the pricing will stay the same.”

Read the full article on naplesnews.com.