Success Story: Lawson’s Landing

Navigating the Waves of Change with Lawson’s Landing

Location: Northern California | Marin County | Dillon Beach

usiness Type: Outdoor Hospitality, Retail and Marina

CalOSBA Partner: Marin SBDC

Assistance Received: Access to capital ($4.2M loan), technical assistance, and business advising

Visit the Lawson’s Landing website

Lawson’s Landing is a family-owned fishing, boating and campground resort located at the mouth of Tomales Bay, California. Since its founding in 1929, the Lawson family has worked to preserve this unique coastal property while ensuring it remains affordable and accessible to the public and open for generations to come. Today, the business is operated by cousins Mike Lawson and Willy Vogler, along with their wives Judy and Nicole, and with support from the next generation of family members. In addition to managing a campground, retail store, and coastal access point, they also oversee a conservation easement on nearly half of their 940-acre land—supporting habitat restoration, public education, and environmental research in a rare coastal freshwater wetland.

The business has faced significant regulatory and financial challenges over the years, particularly following the passage of the California Coastal Act in 1972. New land use restrictions required the family to eliminate long-term trailer rentals, reduce their number of campsites from 1,000 to 337, and reconfigure the layout of their entire campground. While determined to preserve public access and family ownership, the Lawsons incurred substantial legal and operational costs to comply with environmental regulations and permitting processes.

The owners came to the Marin SBDC for guidance on funding options and assistance with developing a business plan for future expansions. SBDC Advisor John DeGaetano supported the family with strategic planning and financial modeling to ensure the project was viable and aligned with California Coastal Commission requirements.

Lawon’s Landing owners Mike and Willie recall, “SBDC Advisor John DeGatano recommended we try for a Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) loan, which has a very complicated application process with lots of requirements. Without his advice and recommendations, it would have been challenging for us to get this $4.2M loan. It was essential to have an outside professional to review all our plans and financials to make sure everything was sound and could be approved by the lender as well as the California Coastal Commission.”

Working with the Marin SBDC, Lawson’s Landing secured $4.2 million in funding, allowing the family to keep the business open and sustain its 24 employees. The SBDC’s support was critical in helping the family navigate regulatory hurdles and fund their long-term sustainability goals.

Lawson’s Landing continues to evolve with environmentally conscious upgrades (adding in solar and water efficient systems), expanded lodging, and a deep commitment to maintain public access for all income levels and families to experience the beauty of California’s coast.

[April 2, 2025]