Sean Heffernan is a very contented guy these days — and who wouldn’t be, in his position.
Sean is 21 and has a job that he loves, a wonderful girlfriend and a supportive family in his hometown of Palmetto Bay. There’s only one more thing that will send Sean’s over the moon with happiness — to sell you a new boat from his 11-acre boatyard at Apex Marine.
Just about every day, unless he is pursuing his passion of dropping a line into any puddle that could possibly contain a fish, you’ll find Sean at Apex Marine, South Florida’s premier boat sales center, located at 1995 NW 11 St. on the Miami River. Since he was hired as a sales executive is the spring, Sean has immersed himself in the world of brokering some of the top brands of sporting boats and yachts — brands like Tiara, Pursuit, Century, Monte Carlo and Blue Wave, among many others.
“I really enjoy learning what kind of boat our customers are interested in, and then searching far and wide to find exactly the vessel for them. If I have to fly to another state and check out a lead, I’ll do it, just to get them on the water in the boat of their dreams,” Sean said with a grin.
Apex Marine is a boutique yacht sales company that was launched in 2009 to provide customers with the finest in sales and service. Apex Marine’s boatyard has hundreds of vessels of all shapes and sizes on display. Apex also boasts a complete boat repair service center where customers can pull their boat right up via the Miami River, or Apex will send a mobile marine technician wherever you keep your boat. Apex also operates yacht service facilities in Pompano Beach and Stuart.
Sean Heffernan grew up in Palmetto Bay and attended Coral Reef Elementary and Christopher Columbus High School, just as his father, David, and his brother, Tommy, did. David went on to play football for the University of Miami Hurricanes and was on the 1983 National Championship team under Coach Howard Schnellenberger.
After high school, Sean followed his passion for being on the water and joined Tow Boats US in Fort Lauderdale, where he earned his U.S. Coast Guard 100-Ton Captain’s License, an extremely tough course capped by a grueling examination. The stars aligned and Sean met a family friend named Albert Prego, also a sales executive at Apex Marine, who introduced him to company founder Issy Perera. Sean was hired immediately.
“This business is about knowledge and networking. First of all, you have to know what you’re talking about and constantly learn so you can help customers find the right boat. And networking because your reputation is your best asset and people will refer you when they’ve had a good experience,” Sean said.
Once Sean locates a customer’s dream boat, he puts it into the water and takes them out for a sea trial and check-out ride.
“I want to make sure the boat is everything it’s supposed to be and, just as important, make sure the customer is comfortable in every aspect of their boat,” he said. “We practice docking and cover important things like rules of the road, safe operation, and how to be a courteous boat operator.”
To reach Sean Heffernan, call 305-409-6860 or send email to him at Sean@ApexMarine.co.
