In 1958, Norm Saum, an experienced salesman, began a one-man sales agency. It was one-dimensional, working only with distributors, not OEMs or retail businesses. Until 1977, he exclusively covered territories including Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio. To grow the business further, Saum brought on a partner with after-market expertise, Fred Gottschalk, a vice president of sales for Vita-Plate Battery Inc.

In 1983, they realized the need to develop the OEM side of their business and hired Jim Loughman, a manufacturer’s representative for Eastern Marketing Associates (EMA) covering OEM sales in the states of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Kentucky. Loughman added a second dimension to the agency - selling to OEMs.

Warren Hannig, a national sales manager of Spartan Plastics International, joined a year later. Gottschalk soon retired, and Loughman and Hannig brought on Michael Douglass, a national sales manager of Nautical Rubber, Inc., as partner. Under the new leadership, the business grew and expanded into a multi-dimensional agency, functioning in marine OEM, trailer OEM, one-step distribution and two-step distribution; and experienced significant sales increases.

Loughman, Hannig and Douglass expanded their territory to 14 states. They hired more talented agents to cover these territories, bringing the total to eight agents.

Saum passed away in December of 1993 after 31 years of service to the marine industry. Gottschalk and his wife retired after 38 years of service to the marine industry. They now reside in Venice, Florida.