Bertram Yacht stays in Miami

Bertram Yacht stays in Miami Bertram Yacht, a Miami yacht manufacturer that has been a mainstay of the Miami River marine industry for decades, said today it will remain and expand in Miami.
   The company had been evaluating a move to North Carolina, but worked with the public-private Miami-Dade entries agency the Beacon Council to obtain state and local incentives that will keep the company in Florida.
   The decision is significant not only for maintaining the marine orientation of the river, but also to the local commercial shipping industry. South Florida yacht manufacturing has evolved into an increasingly important industry, leading to specialty services from freight forwarders to shipping lines that ship yachts to customers around the world.
   Bertram specializes in sport fishing yachts and has been on the Miami River for more than 45 years. The company said its decision to stay was the result of the Beacon Council's efforts to target the development of the marine industry and to help obtain state and local incentives that will help offset the cost factors that have driven other boat manufacturers out of the state.
   The Beacon Council said it worked with public and private interests to provide Bertram a comprehensive assistance package that includes government incentives, permitting assistance, business contacts and referrals.
   The company qualified for the performance-based State of Florida Qualified Target Industry tax refunds, the Miami-Dade County Targeted Jobs Incentive Fund incentives, an Enterprise Zone refunds.
   'This is good news for the marine industry at a time when Florida's boating manufacturers are being actively courted by other municipalities throughout the Southeast,' said Frank Nero, Beacon Council president and chief executive officer.
   Bertram CEO Giovanni Vacchi said he looked forward to strengthening the company's Miami roots and serving international markets.
   'Our company has a strong commitment to manufacturing excellence, we have built our reputation in Miami-Dade, and we want to continue working in this community,' Vacchi said. 'The Miami River has the infrastructure we need to continue growing our brand as a leading sports-fish yacht manufacturer and Miami-Dade County offers the ideal business environment and infrastructure to enable us to reach our markets worldwide.'