JMS Yachting has established its first American presence, to expand its yacht-management services into the world’s largest yachting market. JMS Yachting USA has headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, with longtime yachting professional Rick Thomas (below) as its head.
Until now, JMS Yachting has concentrated its efforts overseas, with offices in the UK, Monaco, and Spain. Additionally, it focuses entirely on operational management along with management of new builds and refits, with experience in the commercial sector, too. For example, on the operational side, it helps determine which insurance is the right fit for owners, It also manages crew payroll. For new builds and refits, JMS Yachting handles contract and specifications negotiations, plus supervises the project. Furthermore, it educates owners about issues to which they may not ordinarily pay attention. For instance, Franc Jansen, its founder and managing director, wrote about port-state control deficiencies for us a few years back. Finally, when it comes to all offered services, there’s no involvement in either charter or sales activity. Jansen and his team believe these would be a conflict of interest.
“During the past seven years, we have seen tremendous growth in the number of yachts we manage,” Jansen says. “Setting up the office in the USA was the obvious next step.” He adds that Thomas’ “tremendous network” and technical knowledge were among the reasons why he was the right fit for the company.
Much of that technical knowledge stems from Thomas having established and owned Nautical Structures for the past three decades. It designs and manufactures davits, passerelles, tender-launching systems, shell doors, and more. In fact, he founded the company in 1986, growing initial contracts among American boatbuilders and superyacht shipyards. Eventually, Nautical Structures gained strong market share among international superyacht shipyards and refit facilities. Additionally, it gained commercial and military contracts.
Recently selling his interest in Nautical Structures, Thomas says, “I was looking for my next adventure within the superyacht industry.” He says he was already familiar with the JMS team, too. “I’ve admired their approach to yacht management, and when the opportunity came to work with Franc and the team in developing the stateside business, I jumped at it,” he adds.
Although Thomas will be the primary person in the new Fort Lauderdale office, other members of the JMS Yachting team will spend further time in the United States, too.
JMS Yachting jmsyachting.com
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