MEET KIT DENISON
Christopher W. (“Kit”) Denison literally grew up in the yachting and marina industry.
He worked in the family boat-building and repair business of Broward Marine, in
Fort Lauderdale and at Saugatuck Marine in Saugatuck, Michigan. He worked in all
phases of both operations, and learned enough of the trade to build his first three
boats (2 Lightning sailboats and a small hydroplane) before graduating from high
school. He also taught sailing and raced sailboats during the summers.
After graduating from Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale in 1961, he attended and
graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1965. From
1966 to 1971, Denison worked in New York City for ABC as the Director of Research
and ultimately as the National Sales Director for the ABC Radio Station Group.
After getting this “outside” experience, Kit was then invited back into the family
business by his father. For the next 12 years (1971-1983), he helped build Broward
Marine from a respectable $1 million/year custom wooden yacht builder to the
leading, and very profitable, U.S. manufacturer of custom aluminum motoryachts in
1983, with 300+ employees, two plants, and over $20 million in sales.
He left Broward Marine in 1983 to start Denison Marine, which became the
recognized leader in 100'+, high-performance (30+ knots) aluminum motoryachts.
Denison Marine was built from scratch, and it included a 76,000 square foot
manufacturing facility and a megayacht marina for yachts up to 200 feet.
Denison Marine pioneered the use of jet and surface drive systems in the U.S. Kit
estimates that he was involved in the building of approximately 100 motoryachts
between Broward and Denison Marine, from 38’ to 140’.
In 1993, Denison Marine merged into Broward Marine, after which Kit founded
Denison Yacht Sales – now owned and operated by his son Bob. In the fall of 2012,
Bob asked Kit to come back aboard DYS as a yacht broker, where Kit now is a
member of the Superyacht Division and specializes in Broward and Denison yachts.
In addition to his professional experience, Kit is a member of several industry
organizations, as well as serving as a board member of the Economic Development
Advisory Board of the city of Fort Lauderdale. Kit lives in Fort Lauderdale with his
wife, Ann, and are proud parents of three boys, Bob, Chris, and Ed, and grandparents
of many grandchildren.
Kit Denison | 954.614.2888 | [email protected]