As women across industries celebrate International Women’s Day, Sea Tow International paused to acknowledge Amy Donaldson, a captain for Sea Tow — a company that has prided itself on always being 50 percent woman-owned.
Donaldson, who co-owns Sea Tow Sebastian in Florida with her husband John, has always had a knack for fixing things.
“My dad was a diesel mechanic and had a passion for rebuilding Corvettes,” said Donaldson in a statement. “I wasn’t the girly type, I always wanted to be in the garage with my dad. I can remember being little and turning wrenches. I started young with him and it carried through to where I am today.”
The camaraderie at Sea Tow is unique in an industry that tends to be dominated by men, Donaldson told Trade Only Today.
“We talk to each other often,” said Donaldson. “It’s one thing for the guys to get together and talk, but when the women get together and share the highs and lows of our experiences, it makes a difference knowing that they have been there too. We share a special bond as women working in the marine assistance industry challenging the stereotype of what a boat captain or marine business owner should look like.”
The company has always had women at the helm, said Sea Tow president Kristen Frohnhoefer.
“My mother, Georgia Frohnhoefer, led the charge as the co-founder in 1983,” Frohnhoefer told Trade Only. “Today Sea Tow International remains 50 percent woman-owned, with women in the majority of leadership roles.
Those roles include controller, director of marketing and all call center management, vice president of business development, and president, said Frohnhoefer.
“This continues at the local Sea Tow level where women are integral to success in their roles as owners, office managers and the stereotype-breaking role of captains,” said Frohnhoefer. “At Sea Tow, women are the decision-makers, the motivators, the supporters and the leaders with the get-it-done attitude that allow Sea Tow to help boaters each and every day.”
