Leading Australian luxury motor yacht manufacturer, Maritimo, has continued to expand its reach in the Americas with yet another appointment of a multi-generational marine dealer as a dealer partner.
Maritimo Americas’ President, Dave Northrop, said he was delighted to have B & E Marine from Michigan City, Indiana join the Maritimo network saying the second generation business, established in 1953, was one of the most successful and respected in the USA.
“B & E Marine and the Bensz family have an excellent reputation for professionalism, customer service, dedication and boating knowledge,” he said. “The firm has represented some of the biggest and most successful brands in the country and we are sure the Maritimo brand and awareness will be greatly enhanced as a result of their involvement.”
The appointment of B & E Marine as a dealer partner is the latest move in Maritimo’s establishment of a network of highly professional and experienced representatives of the brand in the Americas.
Photo: The multi-generational B & E Marine is excited to be involved with Maritimo and under the stewardship of (l to R) Rodney Bensz, Ronald Bensz and Barry Bensz the dealership is expecting strong sales of the brand.
B & E Marine, located on Lake Michigan in Michigan City, IN is only 38 miles from Chicago by water and has been in business for over 65 years. From its beginning, the company has shown a commitment to the boating lifestyle, it’s clients, it’s team members and it’s community that is the cornerstone of its operations right up to the present.
Co-Founder, Ronald Bensz established the company in 1953 with his friend Rolland Evett. A few years later he became sole owner and eventually sold the business to his two sons in the mid-1980’s. Barry and Rod Bensz have continued in their father’s footsteps to foster the company’s commitment to excellence and community involvement. They are both involved in numerous industry and local community groups.
“Our team actively works each day to provide our clients with quality products, excellent service and to introduce people to the boating lifestyle in an effort to make our boating area one of the best in the country,” said Rod Bensz, B & E’s co-owner and director of sales. He said the opportunity to become involved with Maritimo was exciting and he was confident strong sales would result as more boaters became aware of the brand and its various models.
“The climate controlled flybridge motor yachts will resonate well with boaters in our area and the exciting new X-series which has changed the world of sport yachts internationally, will also prove to be very popular I am sure,” he said.
Maritimo’s CEO, Garth Corbitt, said the appointment of B & E Marine added yet another layer to Maritimo’s international outreach.
“Our markets in Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia are firing and we are committed to increasing our reach in the Americas and also in Europe,” he said. “Forward orders now stretch out to 2020 and we have embarked on a major employment drive seeking to increase our current workforce by approximately 30 percent to help us meet the demand for our vessels. Maritimo’s reputation internationally is gaining momentum and the Americas is an exciting market for us to be active in.”
Northrop said Maritimo’s build quality and sea worthiness, being designed to handle some of the most challenging ocean conditions in the world around Australia, resonated strongly with US boaters.
“We are extremely excited about Maritimo’s future here and the appointment of top flight operators such as B & E Marine will add to our momentum,” he said.
“It is fair to say that the response from our customers to the revolutionary X60 sport yacht and the new generation of flybridge motor yachts has been over whelming and with professionals like B & E Marine helping us increase the awareness of the brand globally the future looks extremely bright.”
