COVER STORY
INTEGRITY
& FINANCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY
Serving the Treasure Coast
Since 1905
FRANK H. FEE, III
& FRANK H. FEE, IV
Concentrating in Real Estate Transactions,
Probate Proceedings, Mortgage Foreclosures,
Collateral Litigation, Loan Workouts
E. CLAYTON YATES
Concentrating in Civil Litigation and Criminal Law
JOHN D. CASSELS, JR., of counsel
Concentrating in Real Property Transactions
and Litigation and Probate Law
772.461.5020
426 AVENUE A, FORT PIERCE, FLORIDA 34950
863.763.3131
400 NW 2ND ST., OKEECHOBEE, FLORIDA 34973
FRED F EE (1888-1 939) • F RANK F EE (1 913-1983)
DERECKTOR FORT PIERCE
The world’s largest mobile boat hoist, which can lift yachts weighing up to
1,500 tons, is expected to be fully operational at the port soon.
TCBusiness.com 9
National Marine Manufacturers
Association. He explained
that boat-building areas are
measured by the country’s 435
congressional districts.
In the 18th Congressional
District, which includes St. Lucie,
Martin and much of northern
Palm Beach counties, the
recreational boating industry
accounts for $1.3 billion in annual
economic impact, which
supports 461 businesses.
The district is behind only
Maine, whose area covers most
of it southern coast, including
Portland and Augusta and the
biggest boating economy in
the United States, and Florida’s
22nd Congressional District,
which stretches from Fort Lauderdale
to north of Boca Raton.
And while it may be one of
the largest boat building areas
in the country, it has yet to
have a nickname, according
to Michelle Miller, executive
director of the Marine Industry
Association of the Treasure
Coast, said.
One publication has called
it The Fiberglass Belt and the
Boat Coast has also been suggested.
But so far, nothing has
caught on the way that Fort
Pierce is The Sunrise City and
Stuart is The Sailfish Capital of
the World.
COMPANIES WEATHER
PANDEMIC
Boat builders have weathered
the ongoing virus pandemic
well, in part because of
the robust stock market that
buoys the riches of people
who can spend on customized
boats made on the Treasure
Coast. And boating is a safe
activity for families amid the
coronavirus. Even the smaller
boats cost more than $100,000,
and other than the larger
production plants, area manufacturers
build to order. The
custom boat builders know
their customers by first name,
Tony Bonadeo, vice president
of operations for family-owned
Bonadeo Boatworks in Stuart,
said.
“We only build a boat or two
at a time,” Tony Bonadeo said.
His father, Larry Bonadeo, is
the president of the company
the family started in 2004.
Bonadeo Boatworks is in an
industrial area of Stuart that is
also home to Willis Marine, a
maker of customized yachts;
Jim Smith Tournament Boats,
a maker of custom fishing
yachts, including one that
is 100-feet-long; Garlington
Yachts; and Gamefisherman,
which also makes tournament
fishing craft.
Beard of Derecktor said the
attractiveness of the area for
boat builders is seen by the
acquisition of Maverick Boat
Group and Pursuit Boats by
Tennessee-based Malibu Boats.
“That’s a huge acquisition
by a big company looking at
this area and saying, ‘Yeah,
it’s growing and we’re going
to invest here,’ ” Beard said. >>
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