The following USSA Member Case Study, was written and submitted by John Fitzgerald, President of Saunders Yachtworks:
In 2010, Saunders Yachtworks unveiled our expansion plans to become the largest full-service boatyard in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. We had been in the boatyard industry since 1998, operating a 60 ton Travelift and specializing in servicing the sportfishing vessels that populated Orange Beach, AL, and surrounding areas. Our expansion centered around the commitment to purchase a 150 ton Travelift and a recognition that the growth of vessels in our community required a 250% leap in capacity.
At the time we committed to the larger lift, I had been the company president for 2 years. The larger lift would operate on a new yard that we were developing that would allow us to haul and service vessels up to 125’. That capacity meant we were now available for the largest sportfishing vessels ever built AND motoryachts that we only imagined would be in our area. I knew that we had a lot to learn about the superyacht operations and customer expectations.
My business instincts told me that I would need to know a lot of people in a hurry who knew more about the superyacht industry than I did. It was a challenge for me being from a boatyard in Alabama to introduce our company to an industry focused on the two US ocean coasts.
I was familiar with the United States Superyacht Association because of the presence that USSA always had on the floor of the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show. I signed up to be a member and was quickly impressed at how those social events turned into important business contacts. I made important connections with people in the industry before I even knew who I needed to meet. Because USSA had a presence at every major show, it was easy for me to get to know members who would become important business associates. Many of my industry based friendships started at USSA events.
When we hauled our first boat in June, 2012, which was a 100’ Broward, M/Y She’s My Lady II, it was the biggest boat most of my employees had ever seen out of the water. It was a crash course in more complex systems and challenges we had not previously experienced. I was comforted to know that I had already started cultivating new sources of information through my USSA contacts.
Fast forward to 12 years later and our little Alabama boatyard has become a significant player in the superyacht industry in the Gulf of Mexico and beyond. We haul yachts that have homeports in all coastal states from Texas to Florida. We have also become a service hub for vessels moving down river from mid-American marinas from Chicago to Memphis.
Over the years, I have especially enjoyed my work on the USSA Board of Directors. Together, we have tackled important issues from US Coast Guard flagging to COVID 19 restrictions. We have made important trips to Washington DC where I have visited with our Alabama congressional delegation on issues critical to the whole industry and to my own business. I have also learned significant new information from USSA symposiums and workshops. Today, our company has many contacts to support our full-service offerings that touch all aspects of the superyacht industry. It is hard for me to overstate the importance of the USSA in my own professional growth and the benefit to our company.
