Over the past year, the folks at Roscioli Yachting Center have hosted several events to showcase the new covered sheds and office building in its expansion. On Sept. 23, it’s our turn to see it up close.

On that fourth Wednesday in September, join us for The Triton’s third annual poker run. (See more details on page B21.) The run will end at RYC for networking from 6-8 p.m. In the meantime, learn more about the yard from its founder, Bob Roscioli.

Q. Please tell us about Roscioli Yachting Center.

I started the foundation for Roscioli Yachting Center (RYC) over 46 years ago. In a brief time, I developed a talent for painting yachts. I was able to combine that with a strong work ethic that enabled me to become recognized as a master in the industry.

In the early 1980s I had the chance to purchase Admiralty Marine (a bankrupt shipyard and the current site of RYC) and started building my dream of a full-service shipyard.

We have well-trained craftsmen in all the marine disciplines from electrical and propulsion services to carpentry and fabrication and everything in between. We also have a list of approved professional vendors who supply our customers’ needs on a regular basis.

Q. The expansion that opened last fall had been a long time coming, hadn’t it?

They say that the best things in life are worth waiting for and yes, this project was a long time in the works. It took us more than 12 years to work through the permitting process.

But in the end, all the parties came away winners. The county and the town of Davie got more than an acre of protected wetlands, the neighborhood got a beautiful facility, and the industry got a state-of-the-art shipyard capable of handling boats to 150 feet, right here in our own community.

Q. It was probably the worst time to open, considering the economic situation that followed. How has business been this summer?

Yes, the slowdown has been difficult for all of us in the business as many of our clients have put off projects due to the economic uncertainty we’re all experiencing.

Typically, summers are slow for all the yards in South Florida, but that, coupled with the insurance changes affecting many of our customers’ ability to stay in Florida for the summer, has made things even slower this year.

The one thing that I have always lived by is that only the strong will survive. RYC is well positioned to continue through this difficult time and is prepared to become even stronger as things improve.

Q. The expansion did more than just create more room for yachts. Tell us about the other amenities you added.

Yachting is more than just a business; it is a lifestyle. So when we designed this shipyard, we developed amenities that not only fit with but enhanced that unique lifestyle for both our owners and crew.

These amenities include covered sheds complete with private heads, a laundry facility, showers and steam room, full-service conference rooms for meetings and seminars, a gym, a captain’s lounge, and a commissary kitchen with breakfast and lunch available on-site for crew and guests. Whew. No other shipyard in the area offers these services to their customers.

Q. Tell us something about running a shipyard that captains and crew don’t know but should.

The hardest thing about running a shipyard that the captains and crew might not realize is the delicate balancing act we face daily to provide for the safety and security of our crew and guests coupled with the restrictions we face running our own business. We often have to enforce rules that might seem heavy-handed to crew and owners alike, but are there to protect them and us. In the end, our main objective is to ensure quality work for all our customers.

Q. What does the future hold for Roscioli Yachting Center?

The one thing that you can expect from us, now and in the future, is that we always look to improve how and what we deliver to our customers. We are working to continue the expansion project of the facility that will include an advanced full-service training facility for industry professionals. We’re expanding our presence within the industry by creating a bi-monthly networking event called the Yachting Link for captains and industry professionals to enable everyone the opportunity to do more business. We’re also increasing our ability to host meetings, seminars and full-service catering through Galley Catering and Yacht Provisions.

We would love to give a tour to anyone who hasn’t been able to visit our shipyard. I invite them to call me directly at 954-581-9200.