Phillip Berman founded The Multihull Company in 1999 and had no idea how fast it would grow. All he knew for sure was that he had a life-long passion for voyaging and racing catamarans and that he wanted to share that passion with others and in a manner that no one else in the marketplace had realized at the time: by offering purchasing advice to buyers exclusively. He wanted to connect with those sailors who were eager to experience the life of the water, the life of the sea and share his extensive knowledge with them by helping match the right sailor with the right yacht.
As a result, The Multihull Company was the first to offer a buyer/broker partnership to the multihull yachting industry, a partnership that has since been copied – with mixed results – by competitors around the globe. Berman’s vision went beyond simply working exclusively with buyers to one that focused on hiring and partnering with others who shared his work ethic, love of the sea, and experience and passion for putting the sailor first. It was a simple model: speak openly about the pros and cons of any yacht for sale with a potential buyer and those buyers will be loyal to the firm because they will come to trust that TMC would find the best boat for their needs not TMC’s needs.
Twenty-three years later, The Multihull Company’s mission has expanded along with its geography and staff, but not its core ethical mission statement: match the sailor to the yacht whether that is a service to the seller or a service to the buyer. In other words, open, transparent discussions are the heart of the transaction. Today, TMC represents both buyers and sellers with the same ethically driven mandate. And as a result, we have a virtuous circle of happy buyers who often become happy sellers and return to TMC when the time comes for them to move on to another yacht or another dream.
In 2022, Captain Will Miller replaced Berman as CEO of The Multihull Company as successor after having worked together for over a decade.
Miller has this to say on the transition-
“As a captain, sailing school owner, project manager and broker, I have learned the ins and outs of this industry from every perspective. I have ambitiously and patiently hoped for this opportunity to present itself one day, and the timing couldn’t be better. It’s an honor and a privilege to be in this position. Phil has been an amazing mentor and business partner for over a decade, but as Balance exploded onto the market, we both agreed that this was the logical next step for TMC. I plan to lead this company with a continued commitment to operating with the highest degree of professionalism and ethical standards available within this industry. We will revolutionize our marketing approaches, expand our global footprint and continue to offer unparalleled customer service as we head into the future.”
TMC’s brokers work around the globe and include two executive brokers, four senior brokers, and five associate brokers. We realized early on that our world-traveling clients required world-wide services and so we established offices and brokers in a range of locations. We have brokers strategically placed around the world from Australia to Seattle. All of this from the one-man shop Phillip Berman began in 1999.
TMC was able to earn this position in the marketplace because of its team. Consider that its brokers are among the most highly educated and trained and include graduates of Dartmouth College, Harvard University, and Amherst. They are well-travelled, sophisticated, highly ethical, and most are multi-lingual, a key asset when dealing with buyers or sellers around the globe who respect that level of communication. And of course, TMC’s brokers are passionate multihull sailors with racing or voyaging experience on catamarans.
And because of where it started, TMC has something that few other brokerages can claim: loyal buyers who work with the company to find the right match. TMC is jokingly called the Multihull Match Makers, but no one minds because we feel good about our company and our work and in turn our clients feel very good about us.
Working with Andrew Hodgdon at The MultiHull Company was a great experience. Andrew has years of experience in the multihull market, especially performence catamarans and was the Technical Director at Balance Catamarans for many years. He’s always available to talk, guide and advise. He’s easy to work with, is extremely knowledgeable, and has a very pleasant way about him. I would highly recommend Andrew to help in your sale or purchase of any multihull.
Working with Will, Andrew Holland and Andrew Hodgdon to sell my Balance 442 was such a pleasure. No one knows multihulls as well as Andrew Hodgdon, especially performance cats like a Balance. As Technical Director of Balance for many years, Andrew knows all of the nuances of that type of boat, as well as the other brands in the category. If you want to sell or buy a catamaran, look no further than Andrew Hodgdon!
Multihull Company did a great job with advertising and selling our boat. Also with the closing and documentation work. Highly recommend them and our broker, Dunbar Lewis.
Successful relationships cannot exist without it. At The Multihull Company we base every relationship on a firm commitment to earning and retaining our client’s trust.
Advice of any kind is valuable only when grounded in hard-won expertise. It too, must be trustworthy. Trust and expertise define the heart and soul of The Multihull Company. We are a team of skilled professionals who thrive on providing expert, trustworthy advice and service to catamaran and trimaran sailors around the globe.
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