Vicem Yachts announces new office and new hires

Vicem Yachts USA – the U.S. sales and service operation for Turkish luxury classic motor yacht builder Vicem Yachts – has expanded with the opening of a new office in Newport, Rhode Island, and three new hires.

Located in the middle of Newport’s downtown yachting district adjacent Newport Harbor, the new office will complement the sales and service operations of Vicem Yachts USA’s other two North American locations in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Huntington, Long Island (New York). 

“We felt it was important to establish a presence in one of the elite yachting destinations on the East Coast not only to serve the needs of our many clients living and boating in the region, but also to reach out to a potential base of Vicem owners who are getting a first-hand look at our yachts when they’re out on the water,” said Michael Landsberg, President of Vicem Yachts USA. He added, “Vicem yachts evoke America’s golden age of yachting that had its origins in the waters off Rhode Island and the entire New England coastline. Our yachts will appeal to the knowledgeable yachting audience of the region that continues to be on the look out for that distinctively crafted, world-class yacht that sets them apart from the crowd.”

New brokers and service manager join Vicem Yachts USA

Ted Gersen – Broker 
Ted Gersen has been hired on as lead broker to operate the new Newport, Rhode Island office. He is a Certified Professional Yacht Broker (CPYB) with extensive knowledge of yacht construction, engineering and boat handling. Gersen joins Vicem after nearly 10 years with Freedom Yachts of Middletown, RI, where his career progressed quickly from entry as an engineer in 1999, to project manager to yacht broker in 2001, garnering top broker honors three times during his tenure.

Michael Grame – Service Manager
Michael Grame’s more than 15 years of experience in marina and shipyard service management and operations began at the age of 16, when he was employed as a yard worker at Knutson West Marine in Halesite, New York (Long Island). He served as an Assistant Manager/Foreman at another Halesite marine facility, and as a Boat Repair Technician for a sailboat dealer in Huntington (Long Island) during his years as a student at Long Island University (LIU), from which he graduated in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management.

Upon graduation, Michael was hired as Service Manager for Modern Yachts of Hampton Bays, New York – a facility specializing in custom work, hull and interior modifications and preventative maintenance service for boats 16 to 60 feet. He then went on to become Service Manager for Staten Island Boat Sales – a multi-line boat dealership out of Freeport, New York with an 80+ fleet of new and brokerage express cruisers, sport fishers, sport cruisers and motor yachts ranging in size from 35 – 85.   He moved to South Florida in 2005 to become Marina Manager and Test Center Supervisor for Bertram Yachts (Miami, Florida) – where he served prior to joining Vicem Yachts USA – managing all new boat prep, testing, commissioning and delivery.

Bret Schlanger – Broker
Fort Lauderdale, Florida native Bret Schlanger is the latest broker to join the Vicem Yachts USA sales force. His know-how in the marine industry stretches back to his high school days, when he established a boat detailing company. Shortly after graduating in 2000 with his Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Florida (Gainesville), Bret help co-found Star Yacht Charters in Fort Lauderdale, where he managed a 30-boat fleet of motor yachts and sport fishers ranging from 45 – 120 feet. An avid sport fisherman himself, Bret has competed the World Billfish Series circuit, where his teams have placed highly in tournaments in Miami and Fort Lauderdale (Florida), Marsh Harbor (Bahamas) and Chub Cay (Bahamas).

Bret will operate from Vicem Yachts USA’s Fort Lauderdale office, bringing with him more than 10 years of successful motor yacht and sport fisher broker experiences.