The first Wednesday in August, join us as we network at Ward’s Marine Electric, a pioneer in Ft. Lauderdale’s marine industry. The 59-year-old company can handle anything that has to do with electrical systems on yachts, from equipment to service. Find Ward’s at 617 S.W. Third Ave. (just south of the New River, just west of Andrews Avenue). Like always, we’ll gather from 6-8 p.m.
In the meantime, get to know a little more about Ward’s from the founder’s granddaughter, Kristy Hebert, who has been active in the South Florida and national marine industry for decades.

Q.To start, please tell us about Ward’s Marine Electric. Do you specialize in something?
Ward’s Marine Electric specializes in everything marine electric:
l Equipment and parts ranging from switches, circuit breakers or fuses to shore cords, transformers and frequency converters.
l Dockside service includes surveys, repair, refit, complete engineering, installations and modifications.
l In-house service includes bench testing of battery chargers, adaptors, converters, troubleshooting panels.
l Engineering such as new helm panel, main distribution; full electrical schematics for new builds, switchboard design and manufacturing.
l Engraving of new panels of any size including small switch panels, helm console panels, pilot house, main distribution, AC/DC.
l Manufacturing in-house of shore cords, adaptors, switchboards, panels, boost transformers.

Q.Does Ward’s resell equipment or do you manufacture your own products?
Ward’s Marine is a retailer, distributor and wholesaler of marine electrical products for hundreds of manufacturers. We manufacture in-house many products including switchboards, panels of all types, shore cords, adaptors, transformers, etc.

Q.Ward’s is a third-generation family-owned business. What’s the secret? And who is Ward?
The key word is family. One thing many do not know is Ward is the first name. Ward Eshleman Sr., my grandfather, started the business in 1950 and Ward Jr. (my father) took the helm in 1987. My brother, Ward Eshleman III, and I both work here and the fourth generation, our five kids, has already started to grow.
But our entire staff is one big family. We share birthdays, holidays, weddings, divorces, funerals and new babies. This philosophy will never change. In 59 years there have been numerous economic downturns as well as economic growth. We work as a team. Everybody wears more than one hat and always gives 110 percent. The entire family shares in the profits and the losses. Two-thirds of our management team has been with the company for more than 25 years.

Q.Do you prefer to work with new builds or can you bring a refit up to code? 
We have absolutely no preference. Each boat has its own identity, owner and course it will be navigated through. We make sure that all of our knowledge in all areas of electric is provided to ensure the journey is safe and the expectations are met. Every owner uses his boat differently. Each use requires a unique analysis of the electrical system and its capabilities.

Q.Compliance issues with yachts can be pretty complex. How does your staff stay current with new laws and codes?
Every marine electrician on staff is ABYC certified, at a minimum. This is not a requirement by the industry but a requirement of Ward’s Marine Electric. Safety comes first for our electricians and the owners and crew of the yacht.
We also have quarterly training from various vendors, either updating technical specs, introducing new products or providing training on different onboard equipment we encounter. Ward Jr. is a member of a couple of technical committees and the subcommittee chairman of galvanic corrosion on ABYC. We provided the facilities, equipment and training for the pilot ABYC electrical certification program as well as corrosion certification.

Q.Tell us about your current location. You didn’t start out in this building, right?
Over the past 58 years (the first year, we were located in my grandfather’s garage) we have been located in the same three-block radius in downtown Ft. Lauderdale.
Our current headquarters was built in 2003 just west of our previous location, which we still own. (We sublease part of it and the other portion is dedicated to an in-house paint facility.) We have a second facility in Riviera Beach.
People who visit our showroom are impressed by the vast inventory and services we provide. The people most impressed remember our other locations and where we came from. I still visit our old building frequently and it is amazing how we were able to house all of the inventory and staff in such a small area (less than a quarter of our current size).