Galati Yacht headed to Michigan

The recession forced many local companies to seek business outside Florida, but one firm took that trend to a surprising place: Michigan.

Given the heavily covered woes of Detroit and other urban areas, the Great Lakes State isn't necessarily considered a hotspot of economic recovery. But Galati Yacht Sales, a family-run yacht sales and service company based on Anna Maria Island, nonetheless sees opportunity up north.

The company, with seven locations in Florida, Alabama and Texas, plans to open an office in Holland, Mich. Holland is in western Michigan, 180 miles west of Detroit and 25 miles southwest of Grand Rapids.

Galati sales manager Brian Dekkinga, a Michigan native who will run the new office, says the company wanted to reach out to boaters on the Gulf of Mexico and the Great Lakes. Moreover, Michigan has the most boaters in the country, says Dekkinga, ahead of California and Florida.

“We think the timing is very good,” says Dekkinga, who cited the need to get momentum in the market before competitors do. “It's only counterintuitive if you haven't been paying attention.”

Besides, Dekkinga believes the troubles in Michigan have been over-hyped by media reports. “Western Michigan isn't Detroit,” Dekkinga tells Coffee Talk. “There's a lot of industry and things going on there.”

Dekkinga's optimism runs in contrast to some data. For example, Michigan's 12.4% unemployment rate, which has been improving, is tied with California for second worst in the country behind Nevada, a report from the University of Michigan states. More bad news: Michigan ranks 37th in the country in per-capita personal income and was the only state in the country that lost population over the last decade, according to census data.