Company was the largest private employer in Fort Myers during the 80’s and 90’s
Allen Gilbert Ten Broek, age 84, passed away on May 5 in Miami, Florida. He was widely respected for his role as President of The Mariner Group, a multi-faceted real estate development and hospitality company, based in Fort Myers, Florida, which at one time was the largest private employer in Lee County, Florida, becoming a major participant in the region’s economic growth.
Born in Milwaukee in 1940, Allen attended the University of Wisconsin Madison, where he was a four-year varsity athlete and captain of the fencing team. He graduated in 1962 with a B.A. in English. After college, Allen joined AT&T where he quickly advanced through the executive ranks while also serving in the Air National Guard.
In 1972, Allen moved to Sanibel Island, following the lead of his future business partner Robert Taylor from Cleveland. Together, they founded The Mariner Group. They purchased the over 300-acre South Seas Plantation on Captiva Island and began its transformation into a world-class resort. During the decades that followed, Mariner expanded rapidly, developing and managing numerous resort hotels, timeshares, residential communities, retail and business parks throughout Southwest Florida. Among Mariner’s accomplishments was their role in resurrecting the historical Useppa Island Club and their acquisition of the original Robb and Stucky store in Ft. Myers, which grew into a high-end interior design and furnishing retailer with locations throughout the U.S.
Mariner was also a pioneer in the timeshare business, with their properties contributing to what became Hilton Grand Vacations, today a multi-billion dollar publicly-traded timeshare company. After winding down Mariner businesses in the late 1990’s, Allen continued his career as a consultant and manager for various resort projects including an involvement with Old Bahama Bay in West End, Grand Bahama Island.
In addition to his business pursuits, Allen was involved in his community, primarily Sanibel, where he chaired the committee tasked with its incorporation in 1974. Allen also spearheaded the original beach renourishment efforts on Captiva and later became chairman of the Florida Shore and Beach Preservation Association. He was most proud of his and partner Bob Taylor’s philosophy of environmentally friendly development, advocating for lower density and sustainable growth. This original focus on development that blended perfectly with the natural surroundings, coupled with Sanibel’s incorporation, was in large part responsible for the nature-oriented experience that Sanibel and Captiva embody to this day.
