MARINA EXPANSION AT SUNTEX PORT OF KIMBERLING

“Our Customers Deserve It”: Kilgore on Port of Kimberling Marina Expansion

Wendy Larimer

The story of the Kimberling Marina expansion is really a story about listening. Listening to loyal boaters, to community expectations, and to the evolving needs of a full-service marina at one of Missouri’s most popular inland lakes. As the Port of Kimberling Marina continues its ambitious growth under the Suntex Marinas umbrella, General Manager Andrew Kilgore offers a look behind the scenes at what’s driving the changes—and why they matter to guests who return season after season.

MariCorp’s longstanding involvement with their marina expansion makes this story especially meaningful. From transient dock builds and floating restrooms to platform construction and a brand-new ship’s store, the partnership has helped Port of Kimberling deliver consistent upgrades that reflect the marina’s commitment to quality and customer care.

Whether you’re planning infrastructure improvements of your own or just looking for inspiration from a top-performing operation, this conversation with Kilgore offers a candid, Missouri-made perspective on smart growth, staff-focused design, and the value of local collaboration.

Customers know a good thing when they’ve found it, which is why Port of Kimberling Marina in Missouri has been wildly popular since it opened its doors in the 1970s. It is also why the owners of the marina have called on MariCorp to see them through multiple renovation and expansion projects.

The facility opened as a simple gas dock and store and has since transformed into a 1400-slip marina complete with dry and wet slips, a rental fleet, a floating restaurant, and a boat club. According to general manager, Andrew Kilgore, the renovations aren’t over yet. Following the marina’s acquisition by Suntex Marinas just over two years ago, Kilgore says there is a concerted effort to ensure Port of Kimberling Marina’s amenities and facilities make it a top choice for boaters on Table Rock Lake.

The many marina expansion projects are driven by customers who come from St. Louis, Kansas City, and parts of Iowa and Kansas to motor their tritoons, ski boats, cruisers, and houseboats around the lake.

To support the boaters, the marina first turned to MariCorp in 2018 to construct a 24-slip transient dock, leveraging funding from the Federal Boating Infrastructure Grant. In a simultaneous project, MariCorp provided a foundation and walkway for a floating restroom and made improvements to the existing gangway to create an accessible route from shore.

In 2020, the owners rebuilt the site’s iconic floating restaurant, which had been destroyed by fire. MariCorp was hired to construct the platform serving as the structural base for the building and the adjacent floating dock that enables customers to dock right at the restaurant’s doors.

Port of Kimberling Marina Expansion Gallery

Port of Kimberling Marina Expansion on Table Rock Lake, Kimberling City, MO

To expand customer service capabilities, MariCorp was contracted again in 2024 to build a new floating retail dock and a building to house the marina’s ship’s store, named What’s Up Dock. The project also featured an improved and expanded fuel and pumpout dock. MariCorp provided a turnkey solution by building the dock and the ship’s store building, allowing the owners to rely on a single contractor to deliver the project on time and on budget. Kilgore said one of the most important additions to the new ship’s store has been a breakroom for the employees.

The 2025 project proved to be the marina’s most challenging as they tried to get the project completed by the start of the boating season. “We knew our customers wanted it. Our customers deserved it. The community deserved it. So we made it happen. It took MariCorp’s help and my team to quickly get up and running,” Kilgore said.

The Port of Kimberling’s extensive history with MariCorp is because, as Kilgore explained, they only offer the highest quality products. But the choice of MariCorp goes beyond product. “MariCorp takes our advice and understands what we want and expect, and then they conform to the requests we have,” he said. With its long history, the Port of Kimberling has tried and true processes that they know through trial and error work best, and MariCorp is always willing to customize and adjust to meet those processes.

Kilgore adds that as a native of Missouri, he finds it great to work with locals. “We’re comfortable with them (MariCorp). We speak the same language. We have trust,” he states.

As the marina continues to grow and evolve, Kilgore’s vision remains clear: serve the customer first, and let that guide every decision. From transient slips to fuel dock improvements to a redesigned ship’s store, each phase of the marina expansion has been shaped by the needs of real boaters and the values of a close-knit team. It’s not just about adding square footage or amenities—it’s about building a better experience season after season, with partners who understand the mission and the momentum behind it. For marinas considering their next steps, Port of Kimberling’s approach to thoughtful, customer-driven expansion offers a model worth watching.

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About MariCorp

Maricorp is one of the largest floating boat dock manufacturing and construction companies in the United States, specializing in galvanized steel floating docks and boat lift systems. With projects spanning coast-to-coast, Maricorp provides marina consultation and design, marine construction, marina repair and renovation, and boat dock disaster response and demolition.