After 40 years, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS), is returning to Springfield. The nation’s largest advocacy, services and safety group for recreational boaters, 17th largest employer in Alexandria and now a subsidiary of GEICO, will officially open its new 65,000-square-foot association and corporate headquarters at 5323 Port Royal Road, Springfield on Wednesday, Nov. 14 at 3:30 p.m.
The new BoatUS / GEICO Marine Insurance building is located just one block from where BoatUS was headquartered in the early 1970s. In addition to BoatUS operations, the new facility houses customer service and nationwide 24/7 on-water/on-road dispatch operations for recreational boat owners.
In attendance will be BoatUS CEO Kirk La and GEICO President and Chief Executive Officer Bill Roberts. Said La, “Some may say we are going back to our roots, because after our founder Richard Schwartz started BoatUS in 1966, he located one of the association’s first offices just down the block at 5261 Port Royal Road. However, this is our first headquarters built for the express purpose of serving the more than half a million BoatUS members and GEICO Marine Insurance customers and helping us make boating better for the nation’s nearly 12 million registered boat owners.”
La said that employment opportunities continue with the growing company at its new location. “Our new headquarters make BoatUS and GEICO Marine Insurance a very appealing place to work.” Enhancements that appeal to a millennial workforce include an open design that encourages collaboration, a fitness center with showers and lockers, a full cafeteria, ample parking with electric vehicle-charging stations, and better access to highways and public transportation.