DSG Associates
Professional Services for the Marine Industry
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Why use a marine consultant? The marine industry is complex, and, for the most part, so are the projects that are undertaken within it. It is a world with its own language, laws and regulations, a world in which even simple errors in judgment can be costly. A DSG Associates consultant is your least expensive insurance against the possible pitfalls that could disrupt even the best intentioned project. No matter the task, our experienced professional consultants can guide your job to a satisfactory conclusion, ensuring that it is done efficiently and cost effectively. |
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Why use DSG Associates? In a word: experience. For over a quarter of a century, DSG Associates consultants
have worked
exclusively in the marine industry. During that time they have amassed
a vast amount of knowledge in every pertinent discipline and have been
involved in projects in nearly every nation engaged in maritime
commerce. Our experience includes an intimate knowledge of design and construction techniques for large yachts, recreational boats, commercial vessels and vessels for specialized military applications. Our consultants have contacts throughout the world in the areas of design, testing, management, marketing and finance and can be invaluable in reducing the time and cost associated with due diligence as well in increasing the efficiency of project operations. Our clients are our best advertising. They have returned to us over and over to assist them with their projects, and, each time, they have been totally satisfied. We invite you to join them in allowing us to serve you. |
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Company history
Three years later, the scope of services was expanded to offer clients styling, naval architecture, interior design and technical consulting. Since then, clients have been provided with complete naval architectural, marine engineering, design and project management for newbuilds, refits and a select number of powerplant installations. The group has also furnished design and consulting for a number of medium size commercial vessels between 61 meters (200 feet) and 104 meters (340 feet). In addition, three branches of the United States military and a number of foreign navies have worked with DSG Associates to develop new designs for specialized vessels. In July of 1996, the company was relocated to Vancouver, Washington, fifteen minutes from the Portland (Oregon) International Airport. Prior to the move, the company's activities as a design entity were ceased, and all ties to the parent company were severed. Now being operated as an independent consultancy, DSG Associates offers marine industry clients counsel in a number of areas, including design, engineering, construction, specification writing and review, contract review, bid solicitation and review, project management and accounting, project planning and survey, research and development, business planning, marketing, and maritime arbitration. Additional specialized fields include aviation and marine composites as well as the design of lightweight, high speed vessels, powered conventionally or by turbines. |
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Company management DSG Associates' president Mark T. Masciarotte was for ten
years the
president of DIANA Yacht Design (N.A.), Inc., the U.S. office of one of
the industry's most
respected naval architectural firms. Some of the DIANA projects in
which
he was directly involved were Lady Alice, Princess Tina, Destiny,
Cricket,
Eyeball and Silver Shalis. During his tenure, he organized
the
DSG Associates division, and, subsequently, managed all of its
projects,
including the award-winning yachts Lady Tiffany and Plumduff. Mr. Masciarotte is a member of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers and is a certified member of the Miami Maritime Arbitration Council, serving as an arbitrator on disputes regarding commercial and recreational vessels around the country. He served two terms as president of the Marine Industries Association of Florida, an organization which at the time represented 1200 marine businesses with annual revenues exceeding $5 billion. His experience includes the overall management of a large yachtbuilding yard, the professional operation of a variety of vessels, and the management of small commercial ships in the coastwise trade. Mr. Masciarotte served two terms on the Citizens Advisory Committee for the Florida Coastal Management Program and two terms on the Florida Boating Advisory Council. He is a founding director and the current president of the Superyacht Society, an internationally recognized marine industry organization, and is the founder of Travers, Whitney & Co., Inc., a public relations and marketing company that represents marine industry clients. A general aviation pilot and an active boater and angler, Mr. Masciarotte has edited two international lifestyle magazines, is a frequent contributor to a number of aviation and marine publications, including ShowBoats International, and was one of the principal contributors to the authoritative volume, Superyacht. In addition, he has served as a judge in the annual writing competition sponsored by Boating Writers International and for the Superyacht Society's international design awards competition. Mr. Masciarotte has been a featured speaker at a number of symposia, including YachtVision '98 and YachtVision '02, in Auckland, New Zealand, the ShowBoats International Design Showcase and Coastal Zone '97, as well as speaking on yacht design and construction at corporate meetings for such companies as Marsh & McLennan and Offshore Technologies. |
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Services The following paragraphs briefly describe some of the more common areas in which we work for our clients: Design In the marine industry there are a number of professionals who perform design functions: stylists (interior and exterior), interior designers and decorators, naval architects and marine engineers. In addition, there are a number of competent draftsmen and specialists who also function in a design capacity. It is erroneous to assume that each of these persons is both fully qualified and experienced. In fact, the term "designer" is used so loosely at present that a client may become confused as to the product that is to be expected for the payment of fees. As an independent advisor, a DSG Associates consultant can assist in choosing which of the many available individuals and firms to employ as part of your project team. If requested, we can then follow through by coordinating the project's planning and by assembling personnel and materiel. Production Whether your need is for a shipyard, a manufacturing facility or a source for goods and services, the marine industry offers a vast array of potential contractors and vendors. Each has a particular specialty, product or area of expertise. DSG Associates can assist in streamlining the process of due diligence by guiding you to the appropriate companies to bid on your job. In addition, we can recommend requisite specialists in a number of specialized fields, such as acoustics, materials engineering, systems design and finite element analysis. Project management On occasion a customer becomes engaged in projects that require a long-term management component to ensure its success, an example being the construction of a new yacht. In such a case, DSG Associates provides a full-time, on-site project manager whose focus is on that project alone and whose responsibility is strictly to the client. Once installed on the job, the project manager is fully supported by way of top quality telecommunications, accurate accounting and detailed tracking of supplies and subcontracted services. For those projects that do not require full-time oversight, we also can provide timely inspections to ensure quality control, payment milestone verification, and, after delivery, to deal with warranty issues. Research & development An integral factor in the success of any venture is the ability to expertly and objectively design, test and analyze a method, product or process before, during and after its implementation. The routes to such testing and analysis can be easily navigated, and the sundry obstacles avoided with the assistance of one of our experienced consultants. To assist in what is often a critical step for a manufacturing project, our expertise in marketing can be of great help in bringing your new product to market. Maritime arbitration In addition to the services mentioned above, several of our consultants have experience with the legal process as it relates to the marine industry. Some are frequently called as expert witnesses, while others are qualified as maritime arbitrators, the latter providing an alternative venue to resolve disputes that arise from differences in the interpretation of contracts, warranties and the like. |
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Copyright © 1996
DSG Associates
Samantha Lin
photo by Gary
Knox
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DSG
Associates was originally formed in 1987 as a division of DIANA Yacht
Design's
U.S. operation, then based in West Palm Beach, Florida. Its mission was
to provide contract engineering and survey services for commercial,
military
and recreational marine customers. One of the company's specialties was
application engineering for engine manufacturers who required design
assistance
for refits or repowering jobs.
