Offering everything from maternity clothing to educational toys for infants, Baby Boat has found its niche in Oak Harbor.

Business owner Ken Mitchell, who has lived in Oak Harbor with his family since 2002, is ecstatic to be on Whidbey, having commuted to Mount Vernon for too long.

“We’re finding people here are a lot more friendly,” Mitchell said.

The business operated in the Cascade Mall for two-and-a-half years and then moved a few miles to Mount Vernon, where it remained for approximately nine months. The already-large customer base in Oak Harbor prompted Mitchell to move the store closer to home.

“I’d say a quarter of our customers came from Oak Harbor when we were in Mount Vernon,” he said.

Baby Boat is several stores in one, the owner said. Through its link with Baby News, a nationwide network of independent baby stores, the business is able to offer items comparable to the much larger Babies ‘R’ Us.

“On top of that, we carry specialty items like preemie clothing, baby slings, and maternity bras, for example,” Mitchell said.

Robeez shoes have been a very popular product. The store also offers products from Graco, Britax, Evenflo, Cosco, Simplicity, and Lamaze, all familiar brand names to couples with infants.

Moving the business to Oak Harbor has required some modifications, as the demands vary geographically.

“We’re continually fine-tuning the store,” Mitchell said. “Our customers in Oak Harbor want different things than the people in Mount Vernon and Burlington do. For example, there’s more of a need for specialty clothing here.”

With three children of their own, Mitchell and his wife Renee can more than relate to customers.

The couple initially started a small breast feeding equipment company in 2002, which led to the opening of the Cascade Mall store. Since then, the business has continued to grow like Baby Huey.

Mitchell’s only regret is that Baby Boat did not come to Oak Harbor sooner.

“I wish we would have started the store here,” he said. “It’s a lot nicer.”

Baby Boat is located at 1640 NE Goldie Street and can be reached by phone toll-free at 866 428-4010 or locally at 240-8000.

For more information about the company or to order products online, visit the Web site at www.BabyBoat.com.