South Florida is known for its beautiful beaches, amazing weather, and luxurious lifestyle. Along with, and thanks to these well-known attractions, the South Florida marine industry is booming. There are many companies in South Florida that are making a big impact on the marine market. Here are 12 of those companies that you should know about.
Boats Group
It may as come as no surprise that the biggest marketplace of boats in the world has relocated its headquarters to South Florida a few years back. With many top marine brands under its umbrella, including BoatTrader.com, Yacht World, Boats.com, and more, its office in downtown Miami employs hundreds of employees, making them one of the top tech companies to call Miami home.
Blue Ocean Yachting
Blue Ocean Yachts is a full-service yacht company based in Fort Lauderdale. They offer a wide range of services including sales, charters, management, as well as crew placement, and training through their Crew Unlimited site. Blue Ocean Yachts is one of the most respected names in the yachting industry and has a reputation for delivering an exceptional customer experience.
Marine Max
Marine Max is a leading retailer of recreational boats and related marine products and services. They have locations all over the United States including several in South Florida. Headquartered in Clearwater, where the company was founded over 40 years ago. Marine Max offers a one-stop shop for all your boating needs with everything from sales to service to financing. It’s through their exceptional service and fair prices that they’ve come to expand to over a dozen states with nearly 50 retail locations.
MiamiYachtCaptain
South Florida is one of the world’s hottest places to charter a yacht for a cruise around the beautiful blue waters. Miami Yacht Captain is one of the most popular yacht charter companies in South Florida. They offer a wide variety of services including custom charters, event charters, and private charters. For those in the know, ask the captain to bring one of his famous charcuterie boards on your charter for an added touch of luxury. Spearfishing and metal detecting excursions can be arranged for as well.
TESS LLC
TESS LLC has been a leading provider of marine electrical services in the South Florida area for more than 35 years. Their services include electrical repairs, installations, and system upgrades for both yachts and commercial vessels, as well as onshore marina services like Electrical Dock Installations, Marina Electrical Inspections, as well as commercial and industrial electrical work. TESS LLC is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale.
Virgin Voyages
Richard Branson’s new cruise venture, Virgin Voyages, is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale after much speculation about where the new offices would go. The new cruise line will have its home port in South Florida and will offer cruises to the Caribbean, Latin America, and Europe. Although their first ship, the Scarlet Lady, was delayed do to COVID 19, it won several awards and has been followed up with the Valiant Lady, with a 3rd ship the Resilient Lady due to enter service in 2023. Virgin Voyages Fort Lauderdale offices also boast a tech-startup / silicone valley feel and have won numerous awards for their office design.
ZF Marine Propulsion Systems
ZF Marine is the global market leader in the design and development of complete drive systems for all ship models. Their US office in Mirimar is headquarters to a multibillion-dollar operation that focuses on Marine Transmissions, thrusters, propellers, controls, surface drives, parts & service.
Wartsila
Those of us who live in South Florida know how important the environment is and how fragile our ecosystem is. Wartsila is a world leader in sustainable technologies and services for the marine and energy markets with their US headquarters located right here in Fort Lauderdale. Wartsila has over 18,000 employees in more than 70 countries and its technologies can be found on over 90% of the world’s largest cruise ships.
Wärtsilä is a world leader in the transition to a 100% renewable power future. They assist their clients in decarbonization by offering flexible power plant solutions that can run on 100% renewable fuels.
Boatzon
Since their soft launch earlier this year made a huge splash, Boatzon is popping up on every boat owner’s radar. They are an online boat marketplace similar to other popular sites like Boat Trader and Yacht World, but with an entire marine marketplace with instant financing options. Boatzon makes buying or selling a boat, or any boat-related products easier than ever with their user-friendly platform.
Nautical Ventures
Nautical Ventures is a leading marine retailer and boat dealer in South Florida. Founded in 1984, they offer a wide range of products and services for the boating industry. Recently Nautical Ventures was ranked 11th among South Florida’s fastest-growing companies, with an 83.82% increase in revenue over a 3-year period. With 148 employees, Nautical Ventures contributes significantly to the local economy.
The Qualified Captain
The qualified captain is a viral Instagram account that became famous by posting photos and videos of “what not to do” on the water. With nearly 1 million followers, there is no shortage of videos being posted every week of people having mishaps with their boats, jet skis, and most often, pickup trucks at the boat ramp. South Florida residents will recognize local landmarks in many of the videos, as it seems a majority are filmed locally. Since achieving internet fame, the qualified captain has launched an online store and their popular merchandise can be seen out on boats and marinas around the country.
Denison Yacht Sales
Denison Yacht Sales is one of the oldest brokerages in South Florida, since its founding in 1948 by Frank Denison. They now have 22 marina offices across the country but their Fort Lauderdale office has become a landmark in the yachting community. With over 70 years of experience and some of the most qualified brokers in the business, Denison has maintained a reputation as a top yacht brokerage.
South Florida is home to many different marine businesses, from boat builders and marine repairs to charter companies and luxury marinas. These 12 companies are just a few of the businesses making waves in South Florida. What marine business is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!
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