Professionalism is the key to Ensign Ship Brokers

by Bob Wonders on 2 Dec 2009
Professionalism, it’s a word used in many ways, a word with many meanings, but in essence it signifies a company or an individual that ensures everything is done 100 percent to the letter.

Gold Coast headquartered Ensign Ship Brokers is a classic example of professionalism in every way, maintaining its high degree of professionalism throughout its operations.

The company even has specific divisions that deal with the mining industry, handling such craft as industrial barges, and a houseboat division specialising in these unique vessels.

In fact, Ensign Ship Brokers managing director Tony Ross, who heads the operation with business partner Peter Moloney, believes the company is Australia’s largest operator dealing with houseboats.

Ensign Ship Brokers has been in the business for 30-years, and under its current management for the past five.

It now boasts a staff of 27, 17 of that number specialist and accredited brokers.

In addition to its imposing Gold Coast headquarters, with its expansive hard stand area and 42 berths at the adjoining Mariners Cove Marina, Ensign Ship Brokers has offices in Sydney (at The Spit, Mosman) and in Gladstone (Central Queensland).

Each of those facilities is staffed by four brokers.

Although second-hand boat sales dominate the day-to-day business operations, Tony Ross and Peter Moloney are particularly proud of their new boat franchises, comprising the superb range of Bavaria Sport Yachts, the appropriately-named Chinese-built Ensign 50, the range of proven Taiwanese-built Hershine Motor Yachts and Shoreline Yachts International.

Although not well-known on the Australian market, the Shoreline marque comprising at this stage two models, both European sport boat-style, a 64’ and a 54, are superb examples of the genre’.

Some of the franchises are joint operations and the company makes no secret of the fact that it cooperates with a number of other brokerage businesses and ship builders when relevant.

Recently, Ensign Ship Brokers added to its strength when it was appointed the Queensland distributor for the renowned French sailboat manufacturer, Beneteau.

As Tony Ross explained, Beneteau has a philosophy demanding absolute professionalism from its authorised brokers.

'And that’s a philosophy Ensign Ship Brokers agrees with all the way,' he added.

Ensign Shop Brokers is a member of Marine Queensland and of the MQ Brokers Association.

Tony Ross served as that association’s president for two-years.

'We are fully supportive of Marine Queensland, its aims and ethics,' he said.

'We ensure that all our people are accredited and we have been regular exhibitors at the Sanctuary Cove and Sydney International Boat Shows'.

In what may surprise some in the industry, Tony says Ensign Ship Brokers was not seriously affected by the global financial crisis.

'New boat inquiries came to a sudden halt, but with the bulk of our business being second-hand craft we were not left idle,' he explained.

'If we have a problem at present it would be in the shortage of first class stock.

'We could have sold two Princess motor yachts in the last month had they been available,' he added.

Tony said the GFC had only marginally led to a lowering of second-hand prices.

Ensign Ship Brokers usually boasts about 450 vessels on its books at any given time, about 100 of that number being sailboats.

At its Gold Coast headquarters, Ensign Ship Brokers has its own service personnel with arrangements Australia-wide to handle any necessary warranty work that becomes necessary.

'If there’s one aspect of the Ensign Ship Brokers operation I’d like to make everyone aware of, it’s simply that we take full on interest in our clients, whether they buy a runabout or a megayacht, we’re with them all the way,' Tony said.

'I am in this business because of a life long passion for boating, that’s the same outlook on life our clients have and we take great delight in dealing with such people,' he added.

For further information, contact Ensign Ship Brokers, Mariners Cove, Main Beach, Queensland, telephone (07) 5532-1122 or e-mail admin(at)ensignbrokers.com.au