Freedom Boat Club (FBC) of Northeast Florida has taken top honors at the 2025 Freedom Forum, the company’s annual franchise conference, held this year in Cape Coral in Southwest Florida.
The franchise, with locations in Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach and two locations in St. Augustine, was awarded the 2024 Membership Sales Platinum Award and the 2024 Membership Sales Gold Award, which it also won last year. The big honor went to Bill Edinger, FBC of Northeast Florida’s membership director, who received the Membership Executive of the Year Award for the fourth year.
“We are so lucky to have someone like Bill on our team,” said Lisa Almeida, co-owner of FBC of Northeast Florida. “He is an amazing membership director, and we are so proud of his successes. Bill’s work ethic is second to none, and this award is evidence of that. We are also very proud of all our staff who helped us grow our Freedom Family. My business partner, Kevin, and I could not be more grateful for their dedication to us and our members.”
FBC of Northeast Florida introduces families to boating and helps them create lifetime memories on the water. Almeida and co-owner Kevin Seelig have owned the franchise since 2011 and have grown from one location to four with a fleet of 120 boats to allow members a boating option close to home.
FBC of Northeast Florida’s headquarters is at the Jacksonville Beach location at Beach Marine. It also operates out of Julington Creek Marina in Jacksonville and Camachee Cove Marina and The Shipyards in St. Augustine.
The Freedom Forum 2025 brought together more than 375 representatives from franchise locations worldwide and featured an expanded “Freedom University” program. It was Freedom Boat Club’s largest-ever partner and vendor expo, connecting franchisees with brands and products designed to support business growth.
The forum concluded with a ceremony recognizing franchisees’ exceptional performance and dedication over the past year. Freedom Boat Club has more than 415 locations in the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia.
