Bertram Yachts Picks Tampa For International HQ

Bertram LLC will establish its international headquarters in Tampa, FL. The yacht company will create 140 jobs with a $35 million capital investment in its new manufacturing facility.

Tampa Bay Florida Betram
(Source: Betram Yachts)

“This announcement signals another exciting chapter in the history of Bertram Yachts,” said Peter Truslow, CEO of Bertram LLC. “We are proud to partner with the State of Florida, Hillsborough County, and the City of Tampa and look forward to building our organization’s future here. Our new headquarters will attract yacht owners, their associates, and crew members from around the world to Tampa to monitor progress on the construction of their new vessels and have them serviced and maintained.”

Bertram Yachts got its start in 1960 when founder Dick Bertram, a yacht broker, bluewater sailing yacht racer, and powerboat racer, built the first Bertram, the 31-foot fiberglass Moppie. In 2015, Bertram was acquired by a group headed by Beniamino Gavio. The company’s new Tampa facility will include the headquarter offices, production, tooling storage, yacht service, maintenance and refit operations, and parts sales.

Bertram LLC also considered North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia for its international headquarters. Florida ranks among the nation’s top 10 states for manufacturing and is home to more than 18,600 manufacturing companies. The state’s more than 321,000 manufacturing employees produce a wide variety of goods including boats, aerospace products, batteries, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and more.

“This is a great win for Tampa Bay and the state,” said Crystal Sircy, executive vice president and COO of Enterprise Florida. “Florida is synonymous with boating, not only for recreation but for manufacturing and innovation as well. Manufacturers like Bertram help us solidify the state’s position as a top location for boat makers, and we thank them for choosing Florida.”

This project was made possible through partnerships between Enterprise Florida, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation, Hillsborough County, and the City of Tampa.

“We are excited that Florida’s competitive business environment has attracted another top manufacturing project and we welcome Bertram Yachts to the Sunshine State,” said Cissy Proctor, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. “Bertram Yachts’ new headquarters will bring new opportunities and new capital to the Tampa Bay area.”

“Three other states did their best to lure Bertram’s international headquarters, and the competition for this project was intense,” said the Hon. Leslie “Les” Miller, Chair of the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners. “Hillsborough County has the business climate, workforce, and quality of life our competitors simply could not beat. We are excited to welcome Bertram to Hillsborough County and thank them for their investment in our community.”

Bertram LLC joins a growing list of diverse companies that have recently established their international, national, or regional headquarters in Tampa and Hillsborough County, including Ashley Furniture Industries’ Ashcomm, Johnson & Johnson, Cody Talbert Distribution, TransferWise, and Cohesion.

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