About the ECHO Rowing Shell

THE ECHO TEAM

Lorna Martin Perry:   One of the co-founders of Echo Rowing, Lorna Martin Perry has a long history with small boats in and around the shores of Cohasset, MA, where she spent her childhood.  The daughter of Arthur Martin, founder of Alden Rowing Shells, Lorna was present at the onset of recreational and ocean rowing in America and comes to Echo Rowing equipped with knowledge of what is involved in the appreciation of a safe, stable, enjoyable rowing experience.

Before founding Echo Rowing, Lorna enjoyed many years of teaching sailing, swimming and skiing.  A very creative person, Lorna excels in garden design and diverse arts and crafts when she is not involved with homemaking and the joys of interacting with her two daughters.

As Ambassador for Echo Rowing, Lorna spends quality time teaching sculling, setting up and attending demo days and boat shows, introducing potential rowers to this elegant sport, explaining the intricacies of an Echo Rowing Shell, making sure all questions are answered to satisfaction, and enhancing an enjoyable, purposeful experience in an Echo Rowing Shell, while giving attention to the representation and definition of Echo Rowing.

Ted Perry:   Growing up on Lake Sunapee in NH, surrounded by sailboats and winning in the Star Class through young adulthood, Ted had built his first boat by the age of 10, thereby starting a long love of fine boatbuilding.  Life took Ted and his then young family into the hotel business, ski instructing, and ski shop management before he was able to return to his first love in 1978 when he moved to Maine and resumed boatbuilding with the establishment of East/West Custom Boats.

After 30 years of hands on education building recreational rowing shells for Martin Marine, designers of Alden Ocean shells, Ted with his wife, Lorna and brother in law, Doug decided to follow their dreams of designing and manufacturing their own recreational rowing shell, thereby starting Echo Rowing.

Ted Perry brings to Echo Rowing an extensive knowledge of creating and producing the highest quality shells, constantly seeking improvements to meet customer needs and to retain the integrity and reputation of Echo Rowing.

Douglas Martin:   Doug grew up sailing and rowing on the ocean in Cohasset, MA. Under the tutelage of his father, Arthur Martin, Doug, at a very young age, started designing and building kayaks and shells.  After studying and working in sculpture and painting, Doug designed and built the first of his well over 50 boats.  Experiments with oars over a ten-year period led to three production models and the fundamental theory which underlies the design of racing oars worldwide.

Doug's lifelong love of flight culminated in flights to the clouds from foot launch.  The fluid dynamic's knowledge gained was the key ingredient in the design of the oar blades and boat hulls.  Presently he still is carrying on his 40 year love of the violin and experiments in design and construction.  A Renaissance man, Doug continually searches for new information that allows him to remain in the forefront of design.  He was recently recognized in a NY Times article about his innovative violin designs. Doug was also recognized in an article by the  Portsmouth Herald and the Foster's Daily Democrat .

Attentive to the needs and interest of customers, Doug is constantly striving to integrate new ideas and design for higher performance while always maintaining the excellence of Echo Rowing. 

Maryellen Auger: Maryellen Auger comes to Echo Rowing as a career-long marketing and sales specialist, with a strong personal commitment to growing the emerging recreational sport of open water rowing. Auger has been a consultant and entrepreneur since 1982, starting First Night in Burlington Vermont as well as consulting to First Night Boston. She is a founder and co-owner of Homebase Abroad, Ltd., a leader in the luxury villa vacation market. Auger’s most recent endeavor, the creation of Rowing for All in 2009, brings her full circle, integrating her deep knowledge of effective, targeted sales and marketing campaigns with her love of open water rowing. Auger began rowing in Hingham Mass in 2001 and discovered the Echo in 2007. She owns two Echos herself, and is on the water March – November from her Marblehead Mass. home. In 2009 she completed her first Blackburn Challenge in an Echo.
 
“Echo is teaming with Maryellen to take our company to a whole new level,” commented Ted Perry, an owner of Echo Rowing. “She brings to us superb professional skills but also her infectious, visionary enthusiasm for the potential of open water rowing as a way for anyone to enjoy life-long involvement with this fun, low-impact sport.”
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