Behind TGYG with Founder & President Tom George.

 Son of an Air Force Colonel, Tom George was the youngest of five children.  He was born in 1960 in Tokyo, Japan.  He has been a local resident of the Tampa Bay Area since 1967.  He graduated from Florida State in 1982 and then began full time work in a large commercial bank in Clearwater. After a successful career in commercial banking, in 1988 Tom began his career in yacht sales with MarineMax, formerly known as Gulfwind Marine, for over ten years.  He continued to sell yachts and joined Hatteras in 1998 where his passion of selling and caring for customers continued. 

Tom has delivered in excess of $150 million dollars of new boats/yachts in the last twenty years.  He was a general partner in Gulfwind Marine and a founding member of MarineMax, Inc. when they went Public in 1998 on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol HZO.    
   
Tom has been a member of the Florida Yacht Brokers Association (FYBA) since 1999 and has held a Florida Yacht Broker's license since 1992.  He currently sits on the board and since 2006 has served as a member elected by his peers.  In addition he has been a “Certified Professional Yacht Broker" (CPYB) since 2007.  The CPYB program is a prestigious certification that only 10% of yacht brokers worldwide have achieved.  The program requires a vigorous exam and ongoing continuing education
training yearly to earn enough credits to retain the CPYB status.  The program focuses on code of ethics, brokerage procedures, flagging of yachts, rights of clients and buyers, and maintaining the highest standard for a yacht broker to conduct business.  Tom's dedication to his career is evidenced by his continued training and time put back into the industry as a volunteer.



After twenty successful years in the yachting industry in the summer of 2009 Tom made the decision to start his own brokerage firm.  Due to changes in the yachting industry, he felt he could better serve his current and future clients by starting a new brokerage firm with a strong focus on client service. He believes that success is measured in this business by how well one can serve the needs of his clients, not by catering to special interests and a corporate structure.  With extensive experience in both production and custom sport fish and motor yachts he has a broad wealth of information
on the yachting industry to serve his clients. 


Tom has built several large custom yachts from ship yards such as Christensen Yachts and Westport and has extensive experience in construction management of sport fish and motor yacht design.  With such knowledge and so many years of successful sales Tom is a client's be asset in finding a brokerage yacht, build a new yacht or manage a current yacht either in a charter or ownership role.  As an additional trait Tom takes pride in his crew management and training along with strong relationships with his clients Captains.  Tom also has strong relationships with major shipyards, maritime attorneys and first rate surveyors he has garnered over his twenty years in the industry that enable him to better direct his clients.


Tom works hand in hand with his client's Captains and crew to ensure a smooth and worry free relationship between all parties.  To prove the success of Tom's methods, many clients have purchased several yachts from him.  His greatest source of new business is referrals and word of mouth from these satisfied people. His creativity and knowledge of the deal helps him get deals done and he represents his clients with the highest degree of professionalism and diligence.

Currently Tom George has 4 Brokers working for him.  Jimmy Rogers, Licensed broker, Rob Wojciechowski, Licensed broker, Wally Catalano, Licensed broker, Mark Karampalus, Licensed broker. Tom George Yacht Group focuses on high quality, late model Yachts from 20 ft to 150ft. They also handle charter of yachts, crew management, custom build management, yacht service, maintenance, finance and insurance, extended warranties and most recently Jet Aircraft both Sales and Charter. With over 20 years experience and a solid customer base on the West coast of Florida TGYG is certainly one of the most well established and growing yacht brokerage firms in Florida.

TGYG will have the following brokerage vessels on display at the Yacht & Brokerage Show in Miami Beach starting this Thursday:
- Lazzara (74') Jerky Time
-Hatteras (100') Khaki Blue
-Hatteras (77') Daddy Rabbit

Come see these and hundreds more of new and used vessels at the Yacht & Brokerage Show in Miami Beach this weekend. For a complete list of the manufacturer’s, brokerage companies and vessels that will be on display visit www.showmanagement.com.