1961 – In January, the first fiberglass production model,
the Bertram 31, was introduced at the New York
Boat Show.
Manufacturing of the 31' and 25' was well underway, and, with more
designs on the drawing board, the facility had outgrown its capacity.
Late in 1961, Bertram Yacht became a division of
the Nautec Corporation, making possible a larger plant, more machinery
and a research and development department.
1962 – Bertram opened its
25-acre plant on November 8, 1962, at 3663 N.W. 21 Street (its present
location), on the Tamiami Canal, an offshoot of the Miami River,
one mile east of the Miami International Airport... and across the
street from Richard Bertram and Company brokerage. It was the world's
first plant specifically designed for manufacturing large, high
quality, fiberglass yachts. At the end of the first full fiscal
year, sales were at $3.5 million. The rest is history.
