Markley Marine-Home

Lambrecht Marina, formerly Markley Marine, has a long history. Jeff and Jim Lambrecht are the current owners, but their father was their inspiration. Bob Lambrecht and his wife Ginny loved boating on the Great Lakes, especially Lake St. Clair, moving through the years to ever larger boats. Their first boat was a 23-foot Chris Craft Lancer, and Jim and Jeff learned to tie knots and the terminology of boating at an early age. The origins of the marina, however, go all the way back to 1901, when a man named Edgar N. Kalthoff was born. Edgar was the son of Robert and Mathilda Kalthoff, who owned Kalthoff Hardware Company in Detroit. In 1935, while Edgar was working as a Sears Roebuck store manager in Battle Creek, his son, Edgar W., was born. In 1950, the elder Edgar was named president of the Michigan Retail Hardware Association. At age 59 in 1960, Edgar opened Kalthoff Marine, and it was operated by his son, Edgar W. Kalthoff. The oldest buildings at Lambrecht Marina – the marina office and the “Carpenter Shop” where Blue Water Marine is today – date from 1958.Into the picture comes William J. Markley, the long-time namesake of the marina, and a colorful character. Born in 1934, Bill grew to love both cars and boats. A collector of antique and classic cars, Bill eventually owned Bill Markley Chevrolet at 6250 Woodward in Detroit from 1967 to 1973. Markley parlayed his success in the business world into the marina industry. In 1974, he bought out the Kalthoff family, and renamed the property Markley Marine. The elder Edgar died in 1987, and the younger Edgar moved up north to Roscommon, where he passed away in 2021.