Making Waves
More than one hundred government agencies mocked Andy Wilson's idea, but look who's quacking now.
The first thing you're struck by when you hear Andy Wilson
talk about the birth of his tour company, Boston Duck Tours, is how
he finds a positive spin to put on every obstacle he's faced.
Even though it took him two years to bring his dream to fruition,
Wilson is hesitant to complain about the lack of support he found
in the more than 100 government agencies he had to deal with to get
the 29 permits required to open his doors.
"There was a great deal of resistance to the idea at the
time, but that's taken a 180-degree turn," says Wilson,
42. "Now everybody we deal with thinks we're a very good
thing for Boston."
Wilson chalks up both his good and his bad experiences to fate,
but it took a lot more than destiny to get him where he is today:
It took tenacity and confidence, as well as faith in the power of
Boston's history and the amphibious World War II vehicles
fondly known as Ducks. Last year, nearly 400,000 passengers took
the plunge on Wilson's 16 Ducks--which cruise down the streets
of Boston and splash through the Charles River--to the tune of $6.2
million for the 5-year-old company. And Wilson, who expects his
sales to reach $7.2 million this year, has become one of the more
distinct and respected members of the Boston landscape, spreading
the joy of quacking throughout the city.
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