New owners take helm at Lighthouse Marine Supply

Lighthouse Marine Supply in Riverhead is entering a new chapter in its nearly five-decade history, with new ownership at the helm. 

Longtime owner Clete Galasso officially handed over the keys to the business to Jamesport resident Michael Bertran and his family last month, the new owner told The Suffolk Times on Thursday.

“We’re excited for this next chapter,” Mr. Bertran, 50, said. “Our family is committed to this business, committed to this community, and committed to being a dependable resource for local boaters and marine professionals alike.” 

Mr. Bertran has lived in Jamesport with his wife, Kate, and their two children since 2014, moving to the East End full-time after spending time in both New York City and Florida. When they made the move, Mr. Galasso was their next-door neighbor. 

Lighthouse Marine Supply was sold to the Bertrans back in late 2024. Since then, Mr. Bertran has shadowed Mr. Galasso to learn the business.

He said Mr. Galasso and his family will remain onboard.

“Clete and all of the Galassos are still very much part of the Lighthouse family,” he said. “Clete is always in and out, and his support, experience, mentorship and connection to the community continue to mean a lot.” 

Mr. Bertran grew up in Florida, started a career in consulting after graduating from Florida State University. He worked for IBM for about 15 years before moving over to a smaller business called Capco. For the past two years, he was the managing director for Protiviti, a global business consulting firm.

Growing up, his father was an entrepreneur, even working with him for a while. He wanted to experience that with his kids, and when the opportunity came to buy the business, he went for it.

“I had been looking for something to own, to raise my family and keep my family part of the business,” he said. “I just wanted this for my kids as well. As Clete and I started talking, I found out that the business was for sale, and he and I just seemed to really be aligned on what we both wanted.”

Mr. Bertran said that, despite the changing of the guard, Lighthouse Marine Supply will remain focused on the values that have defined the business: knowledgeable service, dependable support and a strong commitment to the local marine community. 

He said the new venture is really “something that I can sink my teeth into.” One of the things he loves about the business is that, along with having the shop on Edgar Avenue, they also do a lot of global shipping.

Online sales continue to grow, he said, which helps with the seasonality of in-store customers. He finds that his background in technology consulting is already coming in handy with the future of the business.

“This business is 40-plus years old. He wanted someone who was going to continue to build it, take care of the people, take care of the community,” said Mr. Bertran. “I thought it was a great opportunity for me and my family.”