American boat builder Bertram has announced the acquisition of a waterfront facility on Florida’s Gulf Coast where it not only intends to build new Bertram yachts, but also fulfill clients’ service and refit needs.

The new Bertram headquarters is an existing 120,000-sq. ft shipyard and marine service facility located in Tampa, immediately south of the Gandy Bridge on Tampa Bay, and is capable of hauling yachts up to 120ft in length.

“This plant, which already has been operating as a full-service marine facility for decades, is perfect for Bertram in so many ways,” explains CEO Peter Truslow.

“It will allow us to create a complete Bertram manufacturing and service center in one of America’s most popular year-round boating destinations. The facility has a great layout, with 40-foot-high buildings and high-tech fibreglass construction equipment already in place that we can utilise to build our new Bertram 35’ and larger models.”

By investing in the Tampa facility, Italian industrial corporation Gavio Group delivered on a strategic vision that it has held for the builder since acquiring the Bertram brand in 2015.

“From the beginning, my idea was to start in Maine and then move Bertram to Florida,” said Beniamino Gavio, who leads the Group’s yacht brands, including Baglietto, Bertram and Cantieri Cerri. “We believe that Bertram belongs to this country: the Bertram team is an American team, and they know the market very well. Bertram started in Miami, and we want to keep Bertram in Florida in order to preserve the connection with its history.”

The facility fronts directly on Tampa Bay, with a depth of 14ft at the dock, allowing the builder to sea-trial and deliver new Bertrams to clients all year round. It encompasses a service centre capable of hauling, servicing, painting, and refitting a wide variety of vessels from small boats to superyachts.

“We have two travellifts, including one that is capable of hauling yachts up to 120 feet in length,” adds Truslow. “The service operation already has jobs booked for boats from 35 to 100 feet. This area also has a world-class marine infrastructure, so many of our key suppliers are nearby, including Michael Peters, designer of the new Bertram 35’ and 60’. There are many talented boat builders and service technicians on the Gulf Coast as well.”

Click here to become part of The Superyacht Group community, and join us in our mission to make this industry accessible to all, and prosperous for the long-term. We are offering access to the superyacht industry’s most comprehensive and longstanding archive of business-critical information, as well as a comprehensive, real-time superyacht fleet database, for just £10 per month, because we are One Industry with One Mission. Sign up here.