Making Waves

>When Matt Hanson moved to Southwest Florida in 1999 on the advice of his father, Darrell, he dived right into new business venures. The 34-year-old Wisconsin native co-owns Salty Sam's Marina, Parrot Key restaurant and the Key West Express.

"Somehow he convinced me that a rundown marina could really become something quite special," Matt says of his father. The two of them developed and remodeled the property on Main Street in Fort Myers Beach, and then persuaded Key West Express to expand its ferry service to operate year-round. That's when they became investors in the ferry business.

"Similarly, we saw the need for a waterfront restaurant on site, and ended up building it ourselves," in the form of Parrot Key, Hanson says.

Hanson's background is as diverse as his companies. "At [age] 15, ice hockey sent me to Indiana and Culver Military Academy, one of the top hockey programs in the country," he says.

From there, Hanson attended Lake Forest College in Chicago, majoring in art and English, and he ended up graduating from the University of Florida with a degree in mass communication.

Hanson didn't pursue hockey, but he did work in public relations for the NFL, Major League Baseball and NASCAR. "My favorite memory was getting to say, 'Gentlemen, start your engines!' at the [International Race of Champions] in Daytona," he says.

His expertise in marketing has helped make all three businesses successful. "It's more than just ads," he says. "Everything from the door handles to the color scheme reinforces the theme of the business. I hire the right people and, last but not least, we have clean bathrooms. You'd be surprised how many people notice that."

Although race cars are not on Hanson's track anymore, boats are. "I like to do pretty much anything on the water," he says.

That includes protecting it. Hanson serves on the board of directors for the Southwest Florida Marine Industries and is trained as a first responder for fuel spills. "I'm kind of like a volunteer fireman. I coordinate clean-up crews, safety issues and disposal."

-Lauren Bernaldo