Got You Covered

Elite Covers & Interiors Offers Wide Selection for Marine Upholstery

Writer / Matt Keating
Photography Provided

Mel Otto with Elite Covers & Interiors, LLC, an upholstery business located in LaGrange, Indiana, says his shop began through a favorite hobby he enjoyed.

“We started this business as a hobby in October of 2017,” Otto says. “I am the sole proprietor of the LLC, although my wife has been by my side from the start.”

Otto says he learned about covers and interiors as a child.

“I was raised in the business at Otto’s Canvas in Arthur, Illinois, where my grandfather started his business in 1972,” he says. “My dad and uncles continued it, and I helped out from a very young age until I moved to Indiana in December of 2014.”

After a few years of being away from the trade, Otto decided to start on his own as just a hobby.

“It seemed the more that word got around about what I was doing, the busier I got,” he says. “Soon it wasn’t a hobby anymore, but a business.”

Otto soon had to hire some employees to help him get everything done at Elite Covers & Interiors.

“Here we are five years later, with myself, my wife, and two highly skilled full-time employees,” Otto says.

Elite Covers & Interiors specializes in marine upholstery.

“We also do flooring, or anything else on a pontoon and lots of other custom projects,” Otto says. “We do lots of pontoon seats, some wake board boat seat and even a few fishing boat seats. If your boat seats are getting old and faded or are cracking, we can Tribeca, New York, NY reupholster it so they look good as new.”

Elite Covers & Interiors can also rebuild or replace a customer’s boat seat foam if needed.

“Some boat seats have rotten wood that also needs replaced, and we can also put some new seats in if you are wanting to redesign your pontoon, or we can do custom add-ons to match your existing seats,” Otto says. “With our ability to create new pieces, the redesign of your pontoon is only limited to your imagination.”

Elite Covers & Interiors also offers many new flooring options, new fencing kits, stripe kits, wiring, lights, accessories, hardware, hinges, ladders and other hard-to-find pontoon parts for a complete restoration.

“Maybe we can custom build a brand new ‘AQUA-DANCE’ pontoon or tri-toon for you,” Otto says.

Otto notes that Elite Covers & Interiors also does custom enclosure options for boats, pontoons, patios, shops or whatever else they have in mind.

“Boat and pontoon enclosures are custom built to your Bimini, with lots of options from just a simple wind curtain all the way up to a window with screen and a privacy flap,” he says.

Otto added that these enclosures are great for spring and fall fishing or rainstorms on a family outing.

“Families can get inside the closure and stay warm and dry while everyone else has to go home,” he says. “Then, after the rain, you have the lake to yourself. You can also imagine a peaceful night on the lake away from the bugs.”

Patio/shop enclosures at Elite Covers & Interiors range from a simple snap on curtain to manual roll ups to electronic retractable.

“We can build them out of bug screen, sunscreen, window or multiple fabric options,” Otto says.

Otto notes that they also have garage door screens that can also be just a simple snap on or a roll up with a zipper, rope and pulley system.

“Customers can open the zipper, pull the rope and then the screen rolls up,” he says. “You move your car outside and release the rope, close the zipper and then you have a screen again. Ta dah!”

Shop curtains at Elite Covers & Interiors also have many options from sliding tracks, roll up from screen options, or window to fire-retardant vinyl.

“We also offer replacement or new Biminis and travel covers,” Otto says. “We offer a five-year warranty on our Biminis, enclosures and covers. This does not mean your product only has a five-year lifespan, as we hope it will last you much longer than that.”

Otto stressed that he and his employees are so confident that they use the best products available that they are willing to be one of the few shops in the industry worldwide that warranties their products.

“This warranty covers any failures from normal wear and tear but does not cover abuse or neglecting, so don’t try to cut a hole in something in order to have it replaced, as we will most likely be able to recognize intentional abuse,” Otto says.

Elite Covers & Interiors also stocks a small selection of 303 and Norwex products to protect and clean fabrics and boats.

Otto encourages people to stop in and check out their large selection of vibrant colors to match their preference or to discuss their next project.

“Don’t forget to give the employs a little bit of a hard time while you are here anyway,” Otto says.

To find your next cover or interior that works for you, visit Elite Covers & Interiors at 630 S. 350 W., LaGrange, Indiana, or call (260) 463-6659.