Dutch ShipYard Group and Dwight Tracy & Friends join forces
The Dutch Shipyard Group and Dwight Tracy & Friends Yacht Sales announced at close of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show their formation of a strategic partnership intended to expand and strengthen The Netherlands firm’s presence in the U.S. market.
According to Dutch ShipYard marketing and sales director Bob Schutte, “We’ve wanted to have a larger presence in the U.S. market for some time now, but felt it required having representation that was not only sales oriented, but highly qualified on a technical basis as well. The quality of our work and product is at a very high level, and our pedigree is impeccable, so we wanted to be represented by someone with a deep understanding of yacht building, someone who could interface with owners and their captains with acumen and authority. We believe that in Phil Friedman, Director of New Build and Refit for DT&F, we’ve found that person.”
According to Friedman, a long-time yacht building consultant and former president and CEO of Palmer Johnson Yachts, the critical elements of a successful yacht buying experience include not only the craftsmanship of the yard, but the quality of their interface established before and during the build. Said Friedman, “Our New Build and Refit Program offers clients an omnibus menu of value-added services that includes initial concept development, project planning, build team coordination, project management, owner- representation, and ancillary support in the areas of finance and insurance. When we say we can deliver a seamless new build experience, we really can – because we have. And that is why noted designers, naval architects and engineers, and top quality shipyards, like Dutch ShipYard, have joined us strategic collaboration.”
In addition to building the Puffin range of sailing yachts, the Dutch ShipYard group provides motor yacht construction, yacht service and refit, and skilled mast construction and rigging, includes Dutch Yacht Sales, Pepper Yacht Service, Refit Centre, and MasterMasten.
As Friedman points out, any additional cost of taking a yacht to The Netherlands for a major refit is frequently offset by the unique availability there of absolutely superb ‘old world” Dutch craftsmanship, as well as ready access to Europe and the Med, following a refit or new build project. He points out that, “The single stumbling block before this has been common disconnect between an owner and yacht over here and the shipyard over there. At DT&F, we close that disconnect by providing all off the initial project development iaison here, and sticking with the project right through to completion and final delivery.”