Pacific Asian Enterprises, Inc., (PAE) has just bolstered its team with another major asset, adding to its impressively knowledgeable sales force. Kevin Ryan, a 38-year veteran of the marine service industry has joined Nordhavn Yachts Southwest in Dana Point, CA, as the newest representative of the brand. Kevin brings with him decades of experience and expertise as a yacht service technician having largely focused on Nordhavns and their owners.

Now a formal member of PAE, Kevin has been an unofficial part of the Nordhavn team since he approached Dan Streech and Jim Leishman back in 1996 about letting him work on the Nordhavns that were docked in the marina around the corner from his company, Outbound Yacht Services. Outbound is a full-service yard focusing on electrical work, electronics, plumbing, rigging, hydraulics and the like. Kevin initially launched the business with his wife in the mid ‘90s as Ryan Marine Services, a small outfit that started out as a repair shop for basic on-board systems. Over the years he worked on everything from Island Packet and Beneteau to Selene and Mikelson, but it was the hours spent servicing Nordhavns that would springboard him and his company to success. Outbound’s relationship with PAE began with a few odd jobs on one of the last Mason 44s built, and quickly evolved to commissioning pinch hitter. “I have had my hand in all kinds of trouble shooting and installation of equipment throughout the entire product line and watched the evolution of Nordhavn from the front lines,” Kevin said.

In the fall of 2001, Nordhavn kicked off the history-making Around-The-World voyage. The excursion was meant to showcase the abilities of the brand’s smallest passagemaker, the N40, but was also a chance to give the crew – which was made up of a rotation of different staff members – the opportunity to gain vital experience and knowledge of what worked and what needed improving. (Out of that trip came the design for the N43.) Dan Streech chose Kevin, one of only three non-PAE affiliated staff on the ATW, to join him on Leg 4 from Barbados to Acapulco. “That trip will always be one of my best memories of being a part of a really great organization,” Kevin said.

With the jump to Nordhavn sales rep, Kevin is scaling back the scope of Outbound’s current commitments. He’s pared the crew down to just himself as the only full-time tech, plus a couple of subcontractors for a few hand-picked projects. “Now that I’m 53, I’ve decided it’s a good time to shift gears to something new albeit very familiar.” Sales seemed like a logical step, and for Kevin, there really wasn’t any brand to consider other than Nordhavn. “I know firsthand the quality of build, engineering, aesthetics and forward thinking Nordhavn has compared with any number of other boat builders. The choice to sell and support Nordhavn was an easy one. In fact, it was the only choice.” He’ll continue to operate Outbound Yacht Services for the next year while coming up to speed with PAE, eventually aligning each of his loyal customers with another service team.

Kevin’s practical knowledge also fits the mode of the current Nordhavn sales team. Nordhavn likes its brokers to have practical skills that come from acquiring hundreds of sea miles aboard its yachts in order to best serve their customers. Unlike outside brokers, a factory-direct Nordhavn broker is able to help a client at every stage of the process from research, to purchase, to ownership and operation. “I hope to apply almost four decades of cruising, racing, working and living on board to help our clients find a good Nordhavn fit for them,” Kevin said. “My technical background will allow me to better guide Nordhavn buyers and current owners to understand the boats and their operation.

“I believe a new Nordhavn owner has a big elephant to eat and I hope to help them through it one bite at a time. Helping individuals realize that they can break down all of the systems to smaller digestible parts will add value to my relationship with them and the PAE team. “

In Kevin, Nordhavn/PAE feels it has scored a major get, pumping up an already top-notch sales force. “Kevin is a class act and has been a friend of the company for 25 years or more. He is an expert on boat building, commissioning, operation and more…an all-around expert,” said company president Dan Streech.
“This is a gigantic coup for PAE.”