Company name: Nautical Ventures Group, Inc.

Locations: Dania Beach, Riviera Beach, North Palm Beach.

What it is: A marine superstore that carries an eclectic mix of water sport products unlike any other marine retailer: from boats and tenders, to kayaks and stand-up paddleboards, submersibles to dive products, and yacht toys to land toys.

Years in business: Began in 1987 as Nautical Ventures, primarily as a Hobie Kayak & Sail dealer. Acquired by QPS Marine in 2010 and then by Nautical Ventures Group in 2012, which expanded the business to carry fiberglass boats, yacht tenders and toys, paddleboards, brokerage, and boat service.

Management team:

Roger Moore, CEO; Jeff Garcia, vice president/sales and service; Spencer Milligan, general manager; Frank Ferraro, marketing manager.

Revenues:

Expected in 2016: $28 million

2015: $20,834,000

2014: $15 million

2013: $11 million

Number of employees: 65

Milestones:

July 2016:

▪ The company was appointed the first U.S. dealer for NautiBuoy Marine Ltd.’s inflatable platforms. NautiBuoy, based in the United Kingdom, has a network of more than 20 dealers in key yachting hubs in Europe.The inflatable products are expected to be available in Nautical Ventures stores in the fall.

▪ First U.S. dealer for AlfaStreet Electric Boats (www.alfastreet-marine.com); Rand Electric Picnic Boats (www.randboats.com); and F-Rib foldable rigid inflatable boats (www.foldblerib.com).

▪ The company opened a third location in Palm Beach County last week. The Riviera Beach store at 1501 Broadway follows the opening of the Nautical Ventures superstore at Northlake Marine in North Palm Beach in fall 2015.

Other major milestones include:

February 2016: Named No. 1 Dealer of the Year by Century Boats & Buddy Davis Boats; award ceremony during Miami International Boat Show.

January 2016:

▪ Became the first U.S. dealer for Axopar Boats from Finland. (www.axopr.com).

▪ Acquired “The Weekly Fisherman Radio Show” — hosted by Steve Waters and Eric Brandon, and broadcast on WINZ, an iHeart Media Station.

July 2015: Bought the Maine Max property in North Palm Beach, and opened its second superstore location on Sept. 1, 2015.

November 2014: Introduced the AquaZone at the 2014 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. This 40,000-gallon mobile above-ground pool allows product demonstrations and user engagement with a variety of company’s store products and is brought to many events.

November 2013: Built a new showroom and moved company’s Griffin Road and I-95 site to its current Dania Beach location because of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport expansion project.

2013: Acquired LukFuel — Marine Fueling Services.

2012: Formed Nautical Ventures Group Inc. Took on Novurania Tenders distributorship.

2011: Expanded kayak operations into fiberglass boat dealership.

2010: QPS moved to a location at Griffin Road and I-95 in Dania Beach. In that year, QPS agreed to acquire neighboring Nautical Ventures, a Hobie Kayak & Sail retailer.

2003: QPS Marine (Quality, Power & Sail) is formed by Roger Moore and Jeff Garcia as a yacht brokerage firm. Principal purpose: restoring and reselling yachts.

Keys to success: “I believe much of our success comes from offering innovative product lines that you can’t find anywhere else,” said CEO Roger Moore in an email. “We are exclusive retailers for a number of cutting-edge brands, but customers also seek us out for our expertise and knowledge base. Our staff is made up of people who own our products and use them in their lifestyle. As a result, we provide a white glove concierge service to yachtsmen and water people.”

Strategy for next steps:

According to Frank Ferraro, the company’s marketing manager:

1. By year-end we will have a fully functioning E-Commerce section added to our website.

2. We are examining new territories for expansion in Florida and the Caribbean.

3. We will continue to add new product lines, in particular where Green marine technologies are involved.

4. We will grow organic events with our Nautical Adventurers’ Club.

RORY CLARKE