FORT LAUDERDALE — The Ferretti Group made its Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show presence known on the eve of the show with a commitment to growing its North American and international markets.
“We have committed to investing 100 million euros ($138 million) in product development through 2017,” Ferretti Group CEO Ferruccio Rossi told about 100 people who attended a VIP press soiree Wednesday night at its flagship showroom on SE 16th Street.
Ferretti Group America president and CEO James Henderson said he expects the five-year commitment to yield 25 new models across the group’s eight brands in the coming years.
Here at the show, the group is showcasing the North American debuts of the Ferretti 960 and Pershing 62. A separate press event to introduce the new Bertram 60 was scheduled for 10:30 a.m. today.
Ferretti has 20 new boats at the show, the largest fleet in the history of the group, Henderson said.
During the last year, Ferretti has added Florida showrooms in Palm Beach and Miami Beach.
“What it’s done for us is make us the foreign manufacturer with the strongest infrastructure in America,” Henderson said.
The group also used the show to make additional announcements — a partnership with ITA Yachts Canada, a new yacht dealer based in Quebec and serving clients throughout Canada; and the opening of a sales center in Newport Beach, Calif.
“We already have many clients in California that own yachts on the East Coast of the U.S. and in Europe,” Henderson said in a statement. “This new office is an important opportunity for us to better serve these clients and open up new opportunities, particularly for yachting in southern California and the Pacific Coast of Mexico.”
— Rich Armstrong
