1-The History of Quo Vadis :

Early in the 1980s Dominique Fenin, founder of Quo Vadis, starts up a charter business for sail boats. He sets up the company QUO VADIS YACHTING. The company quickly expands to deal with maintenance and repairs of boats, first of all in La Garde, then Toulon and then La Seyne.

In the mid 1980s QUO VADIS YACHTING becomes a dealer of the brand name Bénéteau ( sail and motor ) for the Toulon area.

In the 1990s QUO VADIS YACHTING becomes one of the largest boatyards in the area and moves into the building called “ Magasins Généraux “ located in the Espace Grimaud in la Seyne.

In 1995 there is a slump in the sailing world, many manufacturers and retail groups are in trouble. QUO VADIS YACHTING does not escape the crisis and the bankruptcy court puts into action a plan to carry on working which fails in 1998. A new public company, QUO VADIS, is set up by Jacques Rengnet (60%), Patrick Michel ( 20% ) and Johan Westendorff ( 20% ) who buy out the assets of QUO VADIS in court.

In 1999 the Bénéteau dealership expands in Hyères and then in Bandol ( purchase of the assets of the company Bandol Bateau, of which one is a landing stage of 20 boats for professional usage ), then in 2000 relocation to the new premises, built on a complex of 12 000 m2 plots in the Espace Joseph Grimaud in La Seyne sur Mer. QUO VADIS is the first company to move into this business park where now more than 7 companies working in sailing are to be found, next to the future marina of La Seyne which will hold 700 boats, of which the inauguration is planned for 2010.

In August 2002, M Jacques Rengnet dies and is replaced by M Patrick Michel.

In June 2004 the state-of-the-art motorboat centre and on-land port is launched on another 9000 m2 plot in the Grimaud business park. 100% of the shares of QUO VADIS are bought out by the company TAMARIS, 60% of which are held by Mr Christophe Charpentier who becomes CEO of the company, 24% are held by Mme Brigitte Rengnet and 14% by M Patrick Michel. In July 2008 handover of activities of the motorboat centre and the on-land port facilities are moved back to the plot taken over by QUO VADIS in 2000.

2-Business activities and economic stability : with an average of 35 employees, QUO VADIS has business activities in :

1.Selling ( purchasing and selling on ) :

- of Bénéteau new boats ( between 50 and 60 a year, 50% sail boats, 50% motor boats ) : 2 exclusive dealerships, one for sail boats and one for motorboats from Hyères to Bandol. QUO VADIS is among the premier Bénéteau dealerships in the Mediterranean. Annual turnover is between 5 and 7 million euros excluding VAT.

- of second hand boats, either brokerage, or boats belonging to QUO VADIS ( about 30 a year ) : in order to sell a new boat, 50% of the time we have to trade in the client’s existing boat. QUO VADIS does its utmost to sell this boat before we have to take it on in order not to have to finance it. Half of the trade ins are thus sold. For every 4 new boats sold, QUO VADIS has to take on 1 second hand boat, which is still too high a number ! Annual loss between 1 and 2 million euros.

- of equipment ( Yacht Chandler ), brand USHIP ( voluntary franchise ). Annual turnover between 1 and 1.2 million euros excluding VAT, 70% of the turnover coming from the yard itself.

2.Service

- Preparation / launch of new boats ( those sold by QUO VADIS, but also those from overseas Bénéteau importers, Greek and Israëli in particular ).

- maintenance and repairs of boats in dry dock over the winter and of boats brought to QUO VADIS, a boat yard technically very well-recognized by manufacturers, the main one being of course Bénéteau, but also maritime assessors and insurance companies. Annual invoicing for these 2 areas : 750 000 € excluding VAT.

- Winter / year-round storage : room for up to 250 boats.
-70 of these places are in our « on-land port » for motor boats less than 8 metres long, parked in racks and put in and out of the water 7 days a week.

Annual invoicing of this : 250 000 €

- Craning : 100 00 € per year

- Charter ( the main location in Bandol, a smaller one in Toulon ) : QUO VADIS manages privately owned boats.

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QUOVADIS La Seyne sur mer

Zone Marépolis Est
83500 La Seyne / Mer

47 Quai de Rive Neuve - Vieux Port
13007 Marseille

10 Bd Victor Hugo
83150 Bandol

14 Avenue Robin
83400 Hyères

Tél : 04 94 94 43 32

Tél : 04 91 54 23 99

Tél : 04 94 29 48 94

Tél : 04 94 57 05 73