Golden lift

Bill Golden's last name seems especially appropriate when you consider his humble roots.

As a young welder looking for work, Golden drove from his home in New Jersey to Fort Myers in 1979 towing a welding machine behind his truck. “I came here with a nickel in my pocket,” he says.

Today, boat owners from around the globe seek out Golden's boatlifts, the motorized aluminum dockside cradles that gently lift boats out of the corrosive water. Golden Boat Lifts will post revenues of $15 million this year and the North Fort Myers company will grow another 20% next year, he says.