CLARION, Pa. (EYT) – A chance encounter with an elderly man looking for some help has led to the creation of a new business for three local men.

The Docktors LLC, a dock construction, repair, removal, and installation service, is open for business in Clarion, New Bethlehem, DuBois, Emlenton, Oil City, East Brady, and surrounding areas.

The idea for the business clicked for Clarion native, Zach Garbarino, through an interaction he had on the river.

“I was sitting down at my dock (along the Clarion River), and this guy with a pontoon boat pulled up,” said Garbarino. “He was in his seventies or so, and when he came over to my dock he said, ‘Hey, I’m trying to find somebody to put a dock in for me this year, but all my grandkids moved away, and my kids have their own lives now, so I don’t have anyone to help.’”

Garbarino, who said most of his life had been spent on the river, didn’t know of a company that did this type of work in the area, so he told the man: “You can tell me a time and place, and I can get my buddies together to give you a hand.”

After the man left, Garbarino had a light-bulb moment.

“There’s clearly a demand for this,” Garbarino thought while still sitting on his Clarion River dock.

It came down to finding the right team for the job.

“I called Anthony Mazzocchi, a friend of mine, and we talked it over for a bit, and he said that it ‘sounds like a good idea,’ but neither of us is exceedingly handy, so we needed somebody who was good at that, and Riley Gunter is phenomenal at that,” said Garbarino.

With the help of lawyer Christy Logue, of Logue and Urik P.C., an LLC was drafted and filed. A business bank account, the first round of materials were purchased, and The Docktors were in business.

The business is off to a successful start with The Docktors currently working on a dock for a couple in Knox, and they have a few other projects lined up.

The Docktors will work from “anywhere along the Clarion River, Treasure Lake, Butler, New Bethlehem, portions of the Allegheny River in our area,” according to Garbarino.

Seasonal visitors to the area who own waterfront property will be one of the target markets for the business, along with older people and others who can’t do the work themselves.

Garbarino added that a spike of those with limited experience on the water is flocking to the area.

“A lot of people bought new boats during the pandemic, and for a lot of people it was their first time being on a boat, or it’s been a long time since they were in that environment,” said Garbarino.

For scheduling and further inquiry, The Docktors LLC can be reached at Facebook.com/TheDocktorsLLC.