By Carl Surges. First published April 24th, 2018.

For over 16 years, Pier of D’Nort, which is locally based in St Germain, has helped consumers from all over North America find the perfect dock system for their water needs. Our patented dock sections and accessories truly work for practically any water situation, including the hardest ones to address. This is what personally motived company president and dock designer, Carl Surges, to use his sculpting background to design and patent a dock system along with a plethora of accessories.

Pier of D‘Nort is the manufacturer of a one person installation and removal dock system that addresses issues any who own or want to own a dock deal with most often. Issues from getting help when it’s time to install and remove the dock, to the problem of a mucky bottom, to removing your canoe or kayak from the water without killing yourself! Carl has put his creative talents to work and designed a solution to these and other issues.

A dock system that a person could install and remove by oneself was truly the impetus for the Carl’s patented design. Everyone wants to enjoy a dock, but no one’s ever around when it’s time to put it in and take it out. So Carl designed one, and it’s one of those things one needs to see to believe. Carl made (and starred in) his own videos, built a company website and put the videos online to show how easy it really is! Putting his money where his mouth is has earned many loyal customers… and true believers. You can see how he did it for yourself at www.pierofdnort.com.

His most recent creation is the ‘Tip-a-can and Kayak too’ lift. It is designed to easily lift the canoe or kayak from water and flip it upside down by simply turning a crank. It ends up at the side of the pier at about waist height – easy to strap down. “I guess my main motivation was to get it upside down in some easy way,” Surges said. “Typically, the way canoes are stored is a pain. Usually they end up on shore where they’re flipped over to collect sand or bugs, or worse, not flipped over at all, just waiting for a surprise rainstorm. Then you have to find a kid to bail you out so to speak. I had this in the back of my mind for a couple of years, and this is the first year we’ve even sold it.” The lifts start shipping in a few weeks.

What about dock owners with mucky lake bottoms? If you’re one of them, you know how exasperating it is trying to hit something solid with your leg posts. Not only do you have to purchase longer dock legs than normal, but you feel like you’re leveling your pier all summer long. Carl designed giant footpads to help solve this problem! The giant 2’x3’ pads are attached to the leg footpad, and once lowered in the water, they help disperse the weight of the pier section over a broader area. But that’s just the beginning. A way had to be found to allow for easy removal and for easy leveling. His solution is so unique that it is currently in patent pending.

“Our number one priority is convenience for our customers,” Surges says. “Everything else is secondary. Oh, except for structural integrity, that’s number one priority too. And longevity. And value. We’re very excited about what we make, and believe they work better than anything else on the market, bar none.” What else always works is the staff. They are hard at work year round in their St. Germain showroom, and with the best EVER season behind them in 2017, they are eager to help their new customers in 2018.There are even more new products to check out, like the paddleboard rack, the side platforms, and the drop down step, but maybe you need to come by the showroom and see these innovative accessories for yourself!

So, what are you waiting for?! If you’re a dock owner or water enthusiast, get on down to Pier of D’Nort on Hwy 70 East in St.Germain. Hours are M-F, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. or by appt. Just look for their giant mascot sitting out front – “Pierre” of d’Nort. Created by Carl, of course, he is something to see, and many tourists are seen pulling up to take selfies with him.

You can also check Pier of d’Nort out in the comfort of your home on their website, on Facebook or even YouTube. Make some popcorn and pull up a chair to be entertained by videos starring Carl. Seeing is believing that this system is truly “As Easy As It Gets!”