In business, success often comes down to the ability to see potential where others see problems. Few embody this principle as fully as Patrick Marino. Entrepreneur, philanthropist, and investor, Marino has built a career around the philosophy of “value-add investing,” a discipline rooted in uncovering hidden opportunities and transforming them into meaningful ventures. Over more than two decades, he has proven this approach in real estate, finance, and—most recently—the competitive world of media and entertainment.
The future businessman in Marino was established long before his first investment. Growing up in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, he was familiar with real estate as a young man. Both parents worked in the real estate brokerage business, but the person who had the greatest influence was his dad, Michael Marino.
Upon graduating from Coastal Carolina University, Marino started working in finance with an emphasis on opportunities in distressed debt. He was taught how to read distressed bank loans and bankruptcy claims – assets that most investors shunned. Exposure at this early stage sharpened his eye for undervalued potential, something that would be the cornerstone upon which his career was based.
That attitude was the template from which M Group Companies, the diversified investment company Patrick Marino now heads as Chairman and CEO, was formed. M Group has operated in over 15 states, constructing a portfolio that includes commercial assets such as self-storage facilities, parking garages, and shopping centers, as well as industrial and residential projects. The company’s assets have produced over a billion dollars in asset value.
Key to M Group’s durability has been the company’s knack for adapting to oscillating economic cycles. Through boom years and through downturns, Marino assigns market fluctuations the credit as the source of lessons in how to switch gears when appropriate—and when not.
One of Marino’s main companies is RentylCore, the company he co-founded with the mission of investing in high-growth Southeast markets. The company engages in build-to-rent and multifamily communities that are built with long-term renter satisfaction in mind. With more than a billion dollars in portfolio value, RentylCore exemplifies how Marino’s value-add mantra translates into consumer-driven projects.
Patrick Marino’s next project of this nature was the vertically integrated production company known as Action Park Media. Although some referred to his transition into the entertainment industry as an out-of-left-field move from the world of commercial real estate, the transition was deliberate in part due to Marino’s long-established social networks in the worlds of sports, finance, and entertainment. Alongside actor/director Kevin Connolly, better known as the performer behind the role of Eric Murphy in Entourage, the two founded the vertically integrated production company Action Park Media.
At the company’s founding, the two decided that creative leadership was under the purview of Connolly, while strategy development, building out the company’s finances, and partnerships fell under Marino. The two have since become fixtures in the world of high-end podcast development and content. Action Park Media’s slate is also comprised of some of the highest-rated podcasts like Victory: The Podcast, reuniting fans with Connolly and Entourage creator Doug Ellin, and No Gruffs Given with ex-NHL legend Sean Avery. The company is also the home of The Skinny with Joey Merlino, featuring the alleged former mob boss-turned-sports-commentator, among other culture and sports-focused shows.
In addition to audio content, Marino prepared the company for growth into TV and movie production. Action Park Media is in development on the high-profile docu-series about nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame with Emmy-winning director Steve James (Hoop Dreams). The company also announced Lice, the horror movie starring Emile Hirsch, Justin Long, and Connolly. A new media deal with the Pro Football Hall of Fame is in the works, pointedly indicating even more expansive plans.
Regardless of the sector, whether entertainment or real estate, the strategy is the same: recognize untapped potential, match with the needs of consumers, and create long-term value. His knack for teaming with creative talent and bringing the financial discipline required for expansion has enabled him to be successful in sectors that frequently don’t interact.
Patrick Marino is also grounded in his heritage. Now in Boca Raton, Florida, he continues to sponsor events such as the One Flight Myrtle Beach Classic, a PGA Tour tournament, and is on the board of the Napa Valley-based Procore Championship. Patrick Marino’s tale is more than a professional biography—it’s a how-to lesson in perspective. Through disciplining himself to recognize value others don’t see, he’s constructed billion-dollar real estate companies, launched successful media endeavors, and diversified his influence into community building. His experience proves that value-add investing is more than an investment strategy—it’s an attitude applicable across sectors and through shifting times.
