PROGRESSIONS
LATS & ATTS MAGAZINE SOLD
DJ Doran, CEO of Sextant Publishing, will now take over the publishing of Latitudes & Attitudes and Living Aboard magazines, as well as the TV, radio and Seafaring ship's store. According to Bob Bitchin, former owner and publisher/editor, Doran and crew will continue the ancillary programs such as the Share the Sails, seminars and the famous boat show parties. Bob and Jody plan to stay aboard for the foreseeable future in a consulting capacity, with the ultimate goal to have more time to sail and to finish three books that are all underway.
“The best thing about these guys is that they are all enthusiasts,” said Bitchin. “Joe (Morales) and DJ live aboard their Hudson Force 50, Chris is the 2011 ASA Instructor of the Year, and Kim worked with SailTime, is an avid sailor and has her own tech company. Truth be told, this is why we sold the company. In the past 15 years Lats&Atts has grown to a point where Jody and I could no longer manage all that was going on. Now, with the help of these folks we are looking forward to growth into areas we have not had the manpower to attack before.”
Active Interest Media Acquires Rights to Publish Power & Motoryacht and Sail Magazines from Source Interlink Media
Active Interest Media, Inc. announced that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire the rights to publish the marine and online properties currently published by Source Interlink Media, a division of Source Interlink Companies, Inc. (Source, www.sourceinterlink.com). This agreement establishes AIM as the country’s premier marine media and events group, and now includes Power & Motoryacht (PMY), Sail, along with its existing print titles Yachts International, Soundings, Soundings Trade Only, and PassageMaker, and online property BoatQuest.com. AIM also owns Show Management, producers of the Miami Yacht & Brokerage Show, Palm Beach, St. Petersburg and Sarasota boat shows, and the Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show®, the largest boat show in the world.
Sail Magazine will remain in its current location in Boston, MA while Power & Motoryacht will relocate from Source’s New York City offices to AIM’s Essex, CT office, which is the home of Soundings and Soundings Trade Only.
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MARINEMAX NAMES NEW VACATIONS PRESIDENT
Longtime sailing industry veteran Lex Rass, former CEO of TUI Marine and director of development for Beneteau France, will be taking over as President of MarineMax Vacations, among other responsibilities. MarineMax recently announced that the charter company is now operational in the British Virgin Island.
“We have an aggressive growth plan with MarineMax Vacations, beginning with Dufour sailboats and expanding to power catamarans, and I am confident that the team, under Lex’s leadership, will be a catalyst to our growth,” said Bill McGill, CEO of MarineMax, in a release.
Raas said in a release that the progress made by Raul Bermudez, vice president of MarineMax Vacations, will help facilitate growth of the business.
“Our focus will be on delivering the best service and boats at a great value, which will include innovative thinking of new designs,” Raas’ said in a release. “Couple this to the fanatical customer service focus at MarineMax, and we are confident we will offer the best boating experiences at MarineMax Vacations.”
METCHICK NAMED CEO FOR MORRIS YACHTS
Morris Yachts of Bass Harbor, Maine, recently appointed Doug Metchick as its first chief executive officer. Company President Cuyler Morris will continue in his current role but will also take on the title of chief development officer.
Metchick was previously president and founder of Westport, Conn.-based sales and marketing consultancy Penfield Marketing Group and also had served as executive director of Dory Ventures, a private equity firm specializing in recreational products and consumer goods.
“We’re thrilled to have someone of Doug Metchick’s caliber leading Morris Yachts and the company’s 100-strong team members and craftsmen,” said Morris. “Doug’s industry experience and leadership skills coupled with his understanding of Morris Yachts’ unique culture and authority in the luxury yacht industry will only strengthen our current sales momentum and business development efforts.”
With the appointment of Metchick, Morris will focus on product development, customer relations and key strategic initiatives, as well as continue to serve on the company’s board.
PODLICH NAMED PRESIDENT AT BOATUS
Margaret Podlich, formerly BOATUS vice president of government affairs, was named president of the association. Her new role broadens her responsibilities to include external communications, government affairs, public relations, and other association programs, benefits and services.
Podlich is a lifelong boater, raised in a sailing family. After racing in college while attending Tulane University, she competed in a range of national and international events, including finishing fourth in this year’s Rolex Women’s International Keelboat Regatta. In 2006, she was a member of the three-woman Yngling Team Cronin sailing crew that competed for a place on the U.S. Olympic sailing team for the 2008 Beijing summer games. Earlier this year she was a member of the winning Volvo Penta team at the annual Alice Kelley Ladies Billfish Tournament.
ADVANTAGE YACHT SALES RECEIVES INDUSTRY RECOGNITIONS
Massachusetts boat and yacht dealer Advantage Yacht Sales was recognized by Boating Industry magazine as a 2011 Top 100 Dealer for their commitment to high levels of customer service, sound business planning, and innovative marketing and operations. In addition, Advantage was selected as “Editor’s Pick” by Editor-in-Chief Liz Walz.
Advantage, with offices in Newburyport and Boston, MA, ranked 90 out of more than 5,000 marine dealers in North America, and was the only dealer on the list with a focus on sailboats.
In addition, Advantage received two awards from Hunter Marine at the 2011 US Sailboat Show in Annapolis. Advantage Yacht Sales received a Platinum Service Award for scoring in the Top 10 of all Hunter dealerships worldwide, and also received a Top 5 Dealer award for sales worldwide.
THE GUNBOAT COMPANY BUILDS NEW MANUFACTURING FACILITY
The Gunboat Company is building a new manufacturing facility in Wanchese, North Carolina over the next three years , which will bring more than 70 new jobs to the market. The project is being made possible in part by a grant of $213,000 from the One North Carolina fund. The company will invest more than $1.8 million in the new shipyard over the next three years in Wanchese.
“After more than a decade of producing overseas in lower labor cost markets, we are bringing manufacturing home to the United States,” said Peter Johnstone, CEO of Gunboat. “Productivity and quality control are essential to our success.”
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