Posted on October 27, 2020
Coupeville, Wash., shipbroker Marcon International Inc. reports that its president, Robert Beegle, who founded the company in 1981, retired effective October 1, 2020.
Ownership and management of the company have been taken over by its employees. Broker John Braden will now also serve as president, while Martin Coombe and Brian Peterson will continue as brokers, while also serving as board members; Patricia Hernandez, formerly business manager, has been appointed vice president, treasurer, COO and corporate secretary.
“Mr. Beegle’s input and tutelage have been instrumental in the creation and maintenance of the company over the years,” said Braden. “It’s our hope that we can continue to provide Marcon’s clients with the same level of service that the company was known for throughout the maritime community world-wide.”
Beegle founded Marcon after a maritime career that included six years service in the U.S. Navy after which he studied for, and obtained his U.S. Coast Guard license as a commercial mariner, which is still current.
“I started sailing first on tugs and research vessels as mate, and then on to oil rig supply boats overseas as Captain,” he recalls.
Over the years Beegle sailed as master or mate on about 15 to 16 boats. After getting married and deciding to settle down with a shoreside position, he founded Marcon International.
“I started Marcon International, Inc. not because of any interest in being an entrepreneur, but out of necessity,” he says. “After sailing for 10 years and being gone from home 6 to 9 months out of the year, it was time to come ashore. The only problem was that there were no jobs. I sent out over 600 resumes up and down the West Coast looking for openings as a port captain, surveyor or whatever and ended up with only a couple of interviews. After working with a ship agent in San Diego for a couple of months trying to set up a brokerage for him, I decided to take the risk and start my own business.”
After stepping down from Marcon, he plans to stay busy and is already working on several books and continuing with another passion, photography. Following in the footsteps of his his grandfather, a professional photographer in the early 1900s, among his book projects is one on “Old Shanghai,” which will mostly consist of his grandfather’s photographs taken in the 1930s. Also in the works: a book along the lines of “Sea Stories, Yarns & Fairy Tales,” drawing on his experiences on vessels he has sailed in over the years.
Marcon International has brokered nine barges, 11 vessels and a pair of winches sold to date this year, bringing it to 1,515 sale or charter transactions successfully completed since its first in 1983.
Source: marinelog
