Bob Denison on the rising tides of the yachting industry

The following appears in the Sept. 2 edition of the South Florida Business Journal.

EXECUTIVE PROFILE

Bob Denison on the rising tides of the yachting industry

By Emon Reiser
Digital Producer

The Denison family has been making waves in South Florida’s $11 billion marine industry for decades, and the tradition continues with Bob Denison, president of Denison Yacht Sales.

It all began in 1948 when Frank Denison, Bob’s grandfather, left a bitter winter in Michigan to visit Fort Lauderdale on his honeymoon with wife Gertrude. Frank convinced Gertrude to stay, and he bought a shipyard he eventually built into Broward Marine, one of the largest yacht builders and employers in Broward County.

Some of Bob’s fondest memories include performing small tasks at his family’s companies over the years. He methodically moved through the ranks and eventually took over his family’s yacht brokerage company in the early 2000s.

Today, he positions Denison Yacht Sales for growth as it opens offices all over the world. He shared his insights into the state of the yachting industry and offered lessons learned from the generations before him.

What’s one of your earliest memories of the yachting business? Some of my first memories are of me and my brother sweeping the floors and sorting parts, not building the boats. My grandfather, father and uncles were all involved one way or the other in Broward Marine and Denison Marine. The thing about working in the yachting industry is it’s never as glamorous as it seems. There’s a lot more time on land, grinding through the day-to-day. But we had boats growing up, and I was on the water quite a bit.

What makes a good leader? The best leaders I know are people who are willing to share in the pain to get to the goal line. A leader is willing to get into the trenches and pitch in with the team, even when it hurts. They’re also [people] who can convince [others] to follow him [or her], even when they’re making personal sacrifices, too.

Who was your idol growing up, and why? Growing up, my dad was someone who I looked up to quite a bit. There was a lot of feast and famine through the years, and my dad was the definition of resilience. He was able to go through some storms and come out with joy in his heart. Also, in leadership, I also like Lee Ford a lot. He was willing to forgo corporate profits to take care of his people and transformed our country. Although he had many personal flaws, he’s a guy I look up to.

What’s the hardest part of your job? We’re in a business that sells something nobody really needs to survive, unless you’re a commercial fisherman. They’re the epitome of luxury. The hardest thing to figure out is the economic trends and when to tighten up and prepare for hard times. It’s a real challenge when an economic downturn happens. Typically, there’s a lot of people in the yachting industry who don’t come out alive.

What’s the state of the yachting industry now? It feels like we’re approaching pre-recession levels. Banks are lending more freely than they were, and the price of fuel is at near-historic lows. Technologies have never made boating safer or more fun. I would say things are pretty bright.

What’s a must-have amenity for a yacht? It depends on the size of the boat you’re looking at, but if you have a big boat, you’ve gotta have a good stabilizing system. It’s one of the newest technologies that have become affordable in yachting, and it allows you and your friends to enjoy your boat without getting seasick.

How do you shake off stress? I am so lucky because I was married to my best friend, Daniella, and nothing is better at relieving stress for me than doing cannonballs in the pool in front of our baby. I’m also really involved in our church, and doing that type of work really puts things into perspective.

If you could work anywhere in the world, where would it be? I would say Fort Lauderdale because I lived there and was born there, but if I had to pick somewhere else, I’ve always loved Europe. If I had to live over there, it would probably be somewhere near Nice, France. I love the people and the culture; they have a close connection to the marine industry.

Bob Denison

Age: 39

Birthplace: Fort Lauderdale

Residence: Fort Lauderdale

Current position: President, Denison Yacht Sales

Current boards/associations: Florida Yacht Brokers Association, National Christian Foundation South Florida

Education: Westminster High School; bachelor of Business Management, University of Miami

To contact Bob, call 954.763.3971 or email Bob@DensionYachtSales.com.