Keeping with tradition while embracing transition

While a lot has changed since Dagate’s Marine first swung open its doors in 1949, some things have not. The business has kept its family feel, and the fingerprints of nearly all the Dagate family can be found on its registers and shelves.

Vincent Dagate Sr. first introduced the boat dealership to the Houma area upon his return from World War II, and although it began as a sporting and hunting goods store, the transition into one of the largest boat dealerships in the area was inevitable. Sixty-one years later, the business’s success is attributed to the Dagate family’s ability to reinvent the company, while not jeopardizing their core beliefs.

A family-oriented business from birth, relatives and close friends would gather at the Dagate’s Marine’s corner shop before and after hunting and fishing excursions. Even after Dagate’s passing in 2007 at the age of 85, his wife, Maudry Dagate, and son, Vincent Dagate Jr., can still recall the joyful gatherings.

“That was back when I was a kid. I remember that,” Dagate Jr. reminisced. “They used to meet and gather to plan their hunt, and where everybody’s position on the stand would be and where they were going to hunt and the dogs … I used to love that.”

Vincent Dagate, Sr. returned from World War II in 1944, married Maudry in 1945 and opened the business four years later in a building less than a block away from its current location on Barrow Street. The business blossomed with the help of family and devoted friends, including a dependable colleague, Ronnie Rogers, who retired after 53 years’ service.

“Ronnie started working for my father when he was a teenager,” said the junior Dagate. “And then, of course, he became the general manager of Dagate’s Marine, and with his help, the business has really grown and flourished and developed into where we are today, and that’s when the transition occurred to move into the new building over here in 1972.”

The decision to move into the new location was a significant one for both the family and the company. The building offered more space and allowed for more inventory. After the move, the business continued its growth and evolution, first becoming a leading Evinrude dealer in the area, then turning to boats and then eventually transitioning into one of the top Yamaha dealerships in the country.

“We used to be an Evinrude dealer for years,” said Dagate Jr. “We had developed and the business had grown … that’s why Yamaha approached my father about taking on the Yamaha dealership here in Terrebonne Parish. He was very excited about it when that came about, and our business has also flourished from that. We have been one of the top Yamaha dealers since.”

Even though the senior Dagate chose to become a Yamaha dealer in 1982, which according to his son was “one of the best decisions he ever made,” his daughter, Rhonda Dagate Luke, remembers him having reservations about the business opportunity.

“I remember Daddy being so torn because, you know, during the war they fought the Japanese, and it was a big internal conflict trying to make that decision of whether or not to go with them (Yamaha),” said Luke.

The business’s founder knew that becoming one of the first Yamaha dealers in the country was the best route to take. He understood that his business had to evolve in order to keep up with the trends of society and the needs of the economy.

“We learned an awful lot,” Maudry said. “Things were not like they are today. You had to learn through the years and that was one of the things Vincent was good at – making adjustments. You have to be aware of what the customers are looking for … you have to have the product.”

Another reason for the company’s success and longevity has to do with the moral ethics upheld by Dagate and his family.

“We have been in business for a long time,” Dagate Jr. explained. “I think my parents have been honest and fair with people, and they try to help people and take care of them. That’s why we do get a lot of repeat business.”

While Maudry is still in charge of the company, almost every family member has taken on a role in Dagate’s Marine in one way or another.

The owner’s eldest daughter, Victoria Dagate Leblanc, has been with the business since 1976. Her son, Ricky Leblanc, is the head of sales and a key figure of the business. Her other son, TJ Leblanc, is in charge of parts, while her daughter, Denise, does clerical functions. Ricky’s wife, Leslie, also works in sales. Dagate’s son-in-law, Pat Luke, worked with the company for several years during Dagate Sr.’s illness, and many of the owner’s other grandchildren have worked at the family business during their summer vacations. In order to update the company’s image, granddaughter Jessica Dagate just designed a new logo.

Even after his passing, the proprietor has not completely left his shop. Vincent Dagate Sr. can still be found on the store’s Memory Wall of pictures and in the hearts and minds of his staff.

Many renovations are presently under way at Dagate’s Marine to help ensure the company’s future success.

“We are making these improvements and all the investments,” Dagate Jr. said. “We hope to be here for another 60 years.”

The Dagate’s Marine staff poses in front of a portrait of the company’s founder, Vincent Dagate, Sr. * Photo courtesy of DAGATE’S MARINE