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STEVE FITHIAN

I PRIDE MYSELF ON PROVIDING TOTAL CUSTOMER SATISFACTION!

 

I have been in the marine industry for the past 40 years. I grew up on the South Shore of Boston in Hingham where I spent my early years racing small sailboats, working in the boat dealership selling sailboat hardware and doing rigging work. Those younger years were the foundation of my career.

I moved to Florida in 1988, where the business is year-round and the waters are warm and gorgeous turquoise. I became the Vice President and General Manager of Eastern Yacht Sales, which I developed into the largest sailboat dealer in the USA. Eastern Yacht Sales sold Catalina, Morgan, Freedom, J Boats, Island Packet, Sabre, Tartan, and many other smaller sailboat lines, as well as Cape Dory down east cruisers, Boston Whaler and the Sabreline 36’ Fast Trawler.

In 1995, I moved to Ft. Lauderdale (the “Yachting Capital of the World”) in search of a company that had the need for someone with my extensive new boat sales background and very strong work ethic. I found Hal Jones & Co. which was a perfect fit for someone with my knowledge, energy and enthusiasm for selling all series of Grand Banks Yachts and providing total customer satisfaction.

I became Vice President of Sales at HJ&C within a short time. I continually helped them to exceed their expectations in sales for both new and used Grand Banks Yachts: Heritage, Eastbay and Aleutian Series, achieving numerous sales achievement awards from Grand Banks (from 2001 to 2009). I received the Top Worldwide Grand Banks Salesperson award numerous times for selling the most new and used Grand Banks Yachts in their Worldwide Dealer Network.

With my clients’ specific needs in mind, I have semi-custom built 89 new Grand Banks Yachts to date. I have sold more than 350 pre-owned Grand Banks Yachts and over a thousand other yacht brands since I started in the boat business at age 15; all sizes and types of sailboats, outboards, motor yachts, etc. I visited the Grand Banks factory – in Singapore and Malaysia - twenty-one times since 1995. As a result, I have very close working relationships with all of the key people at Grand Banks Yachts and have a clear understanding of every detail, from development & construction to commissioning & delivery of every product that I represent. Throughout my career, based on my personal sales efforts, researching details and visiting various factories, I have also developed an extensive and in-depth knowledge of many other boat lines such as Sabre Yachts, Hinckley, Marlow, Fleming, Ocean Alexander, Offshore Yachts, Outer Reef, Hatteras, Viking, Princess and Aprea Mare, to name but a few.

When the opportunity came in 2007 as Hal Jones retired, I opened Classic Yachts International and continued as the authorized Grand Banks Dealer for Florida’s East and West Coast. I was very excited about the new opportunities this company opened up and achieved even greater sales success as CYI. We sold twelve new Grand Banks and 40 brokerage yachts in 2009 alone.

February 2010, I welcomed the next opportunity and moved with the Grand Banks Yachts dealership to HMY Yacht Sales. I was able to offer all my client’s exceptional exposure for their brokerage listings and spent much more time selling new yachts and personally building relationships. With all of my strong sales and marketing abilities, I received many sales awards including HMY’s Top 10 Salesman five years running (2010 through 2014) out of 50 house brokers; I was awarded the “Top Gun – 2013 Worldwide Salesman of the Year” for Grand Banks Yachts again and many more! I have sold over 218 yachts since April, 2010. 

Today, I now work directly for the GB factory selling new and pre-owned Grand Banks, Eastbay and Palm Beach Motor Yachts as well as other Fine Brokerage Yachts and I continue to base myself out of the Grand Banks’ Fort Lauderdale office for the majority of the year along with Cape Cod during the summer months.

My personal mission is to provide the best possible customer service available to you for anything you may want and/or need in any way during the buying or selling process and throughout the ownership of your yacht. I have always had a special connection with Grand Banks to help my customers get anything they need in the way of parts, questions answered or anything else. I am looking forward to building stronger relationships and having yet another record-breaking sales year in 2023! 

Steve and Sara onboard the GB60 Flybridge

Steve and Sara onboard the GB60 Flybridge

Steve and Sara with the Bleeker’s at the Newport International Boat Show 2017 - The USA debut of GB60 Hull #01

Steve and Sara with the Bleeker’s at the Newport International Boat Show 2017 - The USA debut of GB60 Hull #01

The Grand Banks Yachts Team at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show 2018

The Grand Banks Yachts Team at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show 2018

Captain Steve at the helm of an Eastbay 44 SX during a photoshoot

Captain Steve at the helm of an Eastbay 44 SX during a photoshoot

The Grand Banks Yachts Team at the Newport International Boat Show 2019 - Awarded BEST POWERBOAT & MORE!

The Grand Banks Yachts Team at the Newport International Boat Show 2019 - Awarded BEST POWERBOAT & MORE!

Lunch onboard GB60-02 with the Evertz in Miami

Lunch onboard GB60-02 with the Evertz in Miami

Steve and Sara at the Norwalk Boat Show

Steve and Sara at the Norwalk Boat Show

Steve and Sara with their Uncle Peter Fithian, Founder of Hawaiian Billfish Tournament, at the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show and Grand Banks Yachts 60th Anniversary

Steve and Sara with their Uncle Peter Fithian, Founder of Hawaiian Billfish Tournament, at the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show and Grand Banks Yachts 60th Anniversary