Brian Bussema
Ever since I was a small child, I have harbored a passion for boating and being on the water. I grew up outside of Kalamazoo, Michigan, near Gull Lake. Whether I was skiing or tubing with my friends, riding jet skis with my sister, or getting up early with my dad and Grandpa to go after some perch or bluegills for dinner that night, I was right where I wanted to be.
After graduating high school, I decided to continue my education at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. This brought me to the shore of Lake Michigan and a whole new type of boating. I loved the idea of being able to hop on a boat and end up in another beautiful harbor or city via water.
During my years studying business management and accounting at Hope College, I started working as a dockhand at a good-sized, full-service marina in Saugatuck, Michigan. As time went on, I held pretty much every position the marina had to offer. I worked in the yard hauling boats, buffing and waxing, painting, varnishing, and rigging sailboats. I spent summers running the gas dock and lining up transient slips for customers, whether local or from out of town. Moving brokerage boats from port to port for my boss was probably my favorite task, as it allowed me to spend time on the water. After graduating from Hope, I worked as Parts Manager and Service Manager for several years before I was asked to move into the General Manager role. Moving up in the ranks at the marina was great, but I found myself increasingly drawn to administrative tasks and staff management, rather than being on the boats and the water.
After nearly two decades at the marina, I started to feel like I needed a change, a move that would get me back to spending more time on the water and boats. My personal life had also changed and demanded more flexibility than my current job had to offer.
This past August, after much consideration, I decided to transition from my position at the marina and into a role as a Broker at Coral Gables Yachts. Looking forward to using my experience, relationships, and knowledge gained from a lifetime of being on and around boats and boaters to provide exceptional service in either facilitating the sale or assisting in the acquisition of your next vessel.
