At dawn most days you can usually count on two things on Bear Creek in Dundalk, Maryland: the calm of the water as the sun rises and the barrage of activity at Anchor Bay East Marina. The family-owned marina was founded 20 years ago this July, by Art and Tina Cox. With the help of their children, parents, brothers and sisters, they have established and grown a successful full service marina. The Cox’s were recently honored by Baltimore County executive, James T. Smith, who visited the marina with several other local government officials to congratulate them for their business achievement, commitment to the community and their extra efforts to clean up the local environment.

The Cox’s have focused on making Anchor Bay East Marina much more than a place to service and store your boat. Over the years they have made continued improvements and added amenities, and, in the process, a community of individuals with a common love for boats, the water and fun has grown. The “crab shack,” a recent addition to the marina, has become the focal point of the impromptu Friday feasts where marina residents, employees and business acquaintances gather to unwind, kick up their heels and enjoy the cuisine created by the many accomplished amateur and professional chefs. Their high standards of customer service have created a loyal base that has extended beyond the Maryland state lines.

The same dedication to the customers and residents of Anchor Bay East has been given to the environment in which they operate. They were the first marina in Baltimore County to be a certified Clean Marina, a program established to help protect Maryland’s natural resources. During a recent expansion in which the marina added additional slips, storage space and a new RV hookup area, they removed literally tons of debris from the water and the land that they acquired. They have always gone above and beyond when it comes to protecting the waters of Bear Creek and the Chesapeake Bay.