About the Owners

My name is Lew Westermeyer and I am the founder/designer of Slip Assist and Lift Assist.  The company was incorporated in 2020 and is based at the beautiful Lake of the Ozarks.  We set out on this journey with a simple idea of how to make it easier to dock a toon.

My first boating experience came as a child, being raised in the Pacific Northwest.  Back in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, my family would occasionally travel and vacation in the San Juan Islands of Puget Sound often driving and traveling by ferries.  I remember standing at the railing watching the ferry dock at the car ramps.  I was always amazed at the huge timbers moving as the nose of the ferry bounced back and forth between them to the center.  One day in 2018, while docking my toon here at the lake, I missed the slip in my toon by only an inch or two and came to an immediate stop.  The thought went through my head, how does one funnel a boat to the center?  Those childhood memories and an engineering background sent me to the garage and Slip Assist was born!

While introducing the Slip Assist product at boat shows and expos, many people asked, “Can I mount this to get me on the lift straight?”  That question triggered my engineering curiosity, so back to the garage, and with a little help from my fabricators, our second product, Lift Assist was born. In just over three years we now have over 100 units installed at lake of the Ozarks with units shipped to Oklahoma, Illinois and North Carolina.

Slip Assist is focused on producing quality products that work.  All parts are fabricated locally, not only is this made in the USA but made right here in Missouri!

We are proud members of the Lake Ozark Marine Dealers Association and the West Side Chamber of Commerce.  Both items are solely mechanical, use no electricity and do not require Wi-Fi or a smartphone.  These are “old school” products made as economically and durable as possible.  Slip Assist is out to “Save the Corners” and the company is working to make docking and putting your boats away as stress-free as possible.

We live at Lake of the Ozarks full-time with our youngest daughter, two dogs, a cat and aquarium.  Our family enjoys the lake , boating and all the area has to offer.  My daughter loves to ride PWCs and was part of the Osage High School 2022 & 2023 back to back State Champion Lady Indian Golf Team.  I am proud to be Master Mason and support Kids Harbor and Camp Wonderland. I truly enjoy being part of this community and am blessed to live in this beautiful part of Missouri for over 10 years.