JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Feb. 16, 2022) – Ben Arnold, an East Tennessee State University Innovation Lab member, recently finalized the purchase of Cove Ridge Marina and Campground in Butler, Tennessee.
In August of 2021 his group, Cove Ridge Holdings, LLC, finalized the purchase of Cove
Ridge Marina and Campground located on Watauga Lake. Arnold said their plans for 2022
include adding pontoon and kayak rentals, adding additional covered slips, hosting
a variety of events including live music, food trucks, wine and beer tastings, and
much more.
“The ETSU Innovation Lab has been a critical piece of our success,” Arnold said. “The
lab provided us with great networking opportunities and professional meeting spaces,
where we were able to meet with investors and business partners that helped us with
the purchase of Cove Ridge Marina. We are grateful for the support from Audrey Depelteau,
Liz Bennett and the ETSU Innovation Lab.”
The ETSU Innovation Lab is a high-tech business incubator that assists aspiring entrepreneurs
from concept through commercialization.
“The purchase of Cove Ridge Marina and Campground in Butler, Tennessee in 2021 by
ETSU Innovation Lab member, Ben Arnold, who is also a graduate of ETSU, is a testament
to his tenacity and entrepreneurship and this facility is the perfect landing spot
for Ben to grow Connect Outdoors even further,” said Dr. Audrey Depelteau, director
of the Innovation Lab. “One of the objectives of the Innovation Lab is to promote,
stimulate and support economic development throughout the region, and this is a perfect
example of the impact that our members have in the Appalachian Highlands.”
Arnold is also the founder of Connect Outdoors, a company combining emerging technology
with a love for the wilderness. Connect Outdoors was formed in 2019 and is headquartered
at the ETSU Innovation Lab. Arnold is also planning on a members-only fishing tournament
at the marina using the Connect Outdoors platform as well as sponsoring the Connect
Fishing League 2022 National Championship this October.
“It has been great to see Connect Outdoors branch out from their technology base into
owning this beautiful property that fits so well with their business model,” said
Innovation Lab Assistant Director Liz Bennett. “We are extremely excited to see what
Arnold and his group can do with this amazing property.”
The 70-acre Cove Ridge Marina and Campground complex has a variety of boat slips as
well as RV and trailer sites with room to grow. The marina offers covered and uncovered
slips, fuel sales, RV site rentals, an on-the-water deli/grill, indoor and outdoor
dry storage as well as outdoor fenced trailer and boat storage. Cove Ridge is a private,
family-friendly marina with storage options for ski-boats, pontoons, sailboats or
jet skis. The campground provides scenic views of the lake and mountains.
Connect Outdoors is dedicated to providing tools that bring people together outdoors.
Their products are focused on the sport fishing industry and creating tools for recreational
and tournament anglers to make fishing experiences more efficient and enjoyable. Connect
Outdoors, Inc was formed in April 2019 and acquired the assets of its predecessor
ConnectScale, which started in 2015 and created a first of its kind Bluetooth scale
for the fishing industry.
To learn more about the Cove Ridge Marina, visit coveridgemarina.com or call (423) 768-3760. To learn more about Connect Outdoors, visit connectoutdoors.co or email Arnold at ben@connectoutdoors.com.
For more information about the ETSU Innovation Lab, visit etsu.edu/ilab or contact Depelteau at depelteau@etsu.edu.