Yacht Broker Spotlight :: Kevin Frawley

Kevin Frawley is a Florida yacht broker at Denison who has rapidly advanced in his career, diving headfirst into all things boating when he entered the yachting industry nine years ago.

An avid sports fan and a proud father to Ryan, Dane, and Daphne, Kevin enjoys spending time with his family. “My kids are hilarious. They are funny everyday!” he said. Kevin is happily married to his high school prom date, Carolyn, who is a published writer. Carolyn is a testament to Kevin’s passion for his career. “During boat shows, my wife tells me I talk in my sleep, like I’m showing someone a boat and talking about what features it has,” laughed Kevin.

Born in San Rafael, California, and one of four brothers, Kevin spent most of his childhood in Rocky River, Ohio and Pleasant Ridge, Michigan. In 1992, he moved to Ft. Lauderdale and attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School and then Broward College. At the age of 19, Kevin committed to serving his country and joined the United States Coast Guard in 2001. He was based in Washington DC for his first two years, where he served in the Presidential Honor Guard. Kevin had the privilege of preforming ceremonial duties at the White House, Pentagon, and Tomb of the Unknowns as well as performing funeral services at Arlington National Cemetery.

Kevin traveled around the U.S. recruiting for the Coast Guard. He stood in uniform at the White House and Pentagon when dignitaries from other countries visited. He also participated in festivities, such as marching in the Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans and the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Savannah.

The pinnacle of Kevin’s Coast Guard career was his assignment on the Coast Guard cutter, Valiant, a 210-foot medium endurance cutter out of Miami Beach. Onboard Valiant, Kevin served as a Gunners mate, Quartermaster, and Boarding team member. Valiant patrolled Caribbean waters conducting drug and migrant interdiction, including being the first U.S. asset to arrive in Port-au-Prince during the 2004 Coup d’état, in which Kevin received the Commandant’s Letter of Commendation.

Kevin also served on two other Coast Guard cutters, Wrangell, a 110-foot Island class cutter in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Sitkinak, another 110-foot cutter out of Miami Beach. Kevin’s duties onboard Wrangell included boarding and inspecting all vessels transiting Iraq waters and protecting the Khor Al Amaya and Al Basrah oil terminals, which were extremely crucial to the Iraqi economy. He was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement medal for his service on Valiant. While onboard Sitkinak, Kevin was one of the first responders for the crash of Chalks Flight 101 on December 19, 2005, and was awarded the Coast Guard Achievement medal.

Towards the end of his Coast Guard career, Kevin met Bob Denison through a mutual friend. Bob saw that Kevin had a knack for talking to people and encouraged him to come sell boats. “It’s about talking to people – knowing how to read them,” said Kevin. With limited knowledge of boats, Kevin was a fast learner and diligently researched boats. Kevin joined the Denison team full-time in February 2006, when it was still a small operation.

Kevin started his yacht brokerage career by selling boats in the 25 to 85 foot range. Shortly after he joined the Denison team, he was appointed General Manager of Denison Yacht Sales’ first new boat line, Selene Yachts. This position taught Kevin a great deal about yacht design and the building process as well as gave him the opportunity to travel to China multiple times a year with each new owner to preview, inspect, and implement any changes to the yachts.

Kevin has advanced in his career at Denison and is very knowledge about Monte Carlo Yachts and the new brands the company sells. He credits Denison’s success and rapid growth to Bob Denison’s utilization of the Internet and commitment to marketing and adverting. Enjoying the laid back work environment and corporate structure of in-office support, Kevin noted, “Bob started a culture here. He is the fairest guy I ever met.” Kevin assists Bob with the daily management of all 15 Denison offices, assuring that operations are running smoothly and deals are closing.

Kevin stated his advice to clients who are trying to sell a boat, “Clean the engine room – get it detailed and repainted – and start a log book, detailing every movement of the boat, every fuel up/refuel, every oil change, every maintenance, even minor things like waxing the boat. Keep it basic information. It takes not even five minutes out of the day, and it will sell the boat.”

As for Kevin’s career goals, he is happy to work at Denison and wants to continue what he’s doing. “Fifteen years from now, I hope I’m still with Denison Yacht Sales, and I hope that I’m still able to sell boats,” said Kevin. He looks forward to watching Denison grow even more. “I would love to be involved if Denison someday owns a marina, boatyard, and dealership, all in one place.”

Kevin@denisonyachtsales.com | 954.790.0372