DFD

What DFD does

DFD Inc. (legally Drawings, Fabrication and Details Inc.) is a privately held boutique professional services firm founded in 1993 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, specializing in superyacht refit support. The company serves ultra-high-net-worth yacht owners, professional yacht captains, and yacht management companies by acting as the owner's representative during shipyard periods (refits and maintenance overhauls) on vessels typically ranging from 80 to 257 feet.

The firm's service portfolio comprises four core offerings: (1) Refit Technical Support, which includes project management, contractor scheduling, budget tracking, and pre-project planning; (2) Naval Architecture and Marine Design, delivered by an in-house naval architect and CAD-capable marine designer covering hull form, stability, arrangements, structure, propulsion, and regulatory compliance; (3) Project Documentation, producing interim reports and final booklets with before/during/after photos, CAD drawings, and class/flag compliance certificates; and (4) Rapid Prototyping and 3D Printing, which can deliver prototype-to-fabrication within 24 hours. The company leverages in-house AutoCAD/CAD design capabilities and maintains long-standing working relationships with classification societies (ABS, Lloyds Register, RINA) and Flag State representatives.

DFD operates a sales-led, quote-based professional services model. Engagement is initiated by phone, email, or website contact form, with each project priced individually based on scope, vessel size, and complexity. Revenue is generated through professional service fees rather than product sales or markups on contractor work. The company is founder-owned and operated by F. Sean Hodgson, with a small team of approximately five named professionals (President, Marine Designer, two Project Managers, and a Naval Architect). The firm has served more than 5,000 clients over 25+ years and has worked on at least two World Superyacht Award finalist vessels (M/Y Bina and M/Y Minderella). Geographic reach is global despite a single Fort Lauderdale headquarters, with documented project delivery across the Americas, Europe, and the South Pacific.

Name

DFD

Legal name

Drawings, Fabrication and Details Inc.

Website

https://dfdinc.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DFD Inc. is a Fort Lauderdale-based boutique firm founded in 1993 that provides yacht refit project management, naval architecture, marine design, project documentation, and rapid prototyping services to ultra-high-net-worth yacht owners, captains, and yacht management companies worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Engineering Services

NAICS

Ship Building and Repairing (336611), Ship and Boat Building (33661)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Yacht & Recreational Boat Service & Refit (TLAKAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Project Management & Owner’s Engineering / Technical Consultancy (Spec Writing, Bid Support, Site Support) (IMAJAGAO), Production Design & Detailed Engineering (3D CAD, Drawings, BOM, Nesting) (IMAJAGAK), Safety, Risk & Compliance Engineering (SOLAS, Class Rules, HAZID/HAZOP, FMEA) (IMAJAGAJ)

Keywords

• Yacht refit services
• Naval architecture
• Marine design
• Project documentation
• Rapid prototyping

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Lauderdale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Refit Technical Support Services: Project management and technical support for yacht refits including contractor scheduling, budget tracking, and pre-project planning. Revenue generated through professional service fees for managing shipyard periods and representing yacht owners.
2. Naval Architecture & Marine Design Services: Technical consultations, design drawings, and engineering services for yacht modifications, custom installations, and repairs. Covers hull form analysis, stability calculations, arrangements, structure, power/propulsion, and ship systems.
3. Project Documentation Services: Comprehensive documentation of refit projects including interim reports, final booklets, photo documentation, and compliance certificates. Billed as part of overall project or as standalone service.
4. Rapid Prototyping & 3D Printing Services: 3D printing and rapid prototyping for custom yacht parts. From prototype to fabrication within 24 hours. Revenue from design time and printing materials.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

DFD provides professional yacht refit support services including project management, contractor scheduling, and budget tracking for shipyard periods. The firm offers in-house naval architecture and marine design (covering hull form, stability, structure, propulsion, and regulatory compliance), comprehensive project documentation with before/during/after photos and class/flag certificates, and rapid prototyping with 3D printing capable of producing custom parts within 24 hours. Services are billed on a project-by-project basis to yacht owners, captains, and yacht management companies.

Product overview

DFD offers a unified suite of yacht refit and marine design services. The core offering centers on Refit Technical Support (project management, contractor scheduling, and pre-project planning for shipyard periods), complemented by in-house Naval Architecture & Marine Design services (covering hull form, stability, structure, propulsion, and regulatory compliance). Supporting services include Project Documentation (interim reports and final booklets with photos, certificates, and CAD drawings) and Rapid Prototyping & 3D Printing (enabling prototype fabrication within 24 hours). DFD also provides Sample Reports showcasing Paint Inspection Reports, Thru Hull Reports, Work Lists, and Weekly Reports. The company was founded in 1993 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, serving vessels from 80 to 200 feet.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Refit Technical Support Comprehensive refit technical support to captains, owners, and yacht management companies, including project management, contractor scheduling, budget tracking, and pre-project planning for annual shipyard periods. Service is delivered onsite at shipyards where yachts are undergoing refit.
• Naval Architecture & Marine Design In-house naval architects and marine design professionals provide technical information, consultations, and solutions covering hull form, seakeeping, weights and stability, arrangements, structure, powering and propulsion, ship's systems (plumbing, mechanical, electrical), haulings and dockings, and regulatory compliance. Includes design drawings and reports for custom installations, yacht modifications, and repairs.
• Project Documentation Provides interim reports and a full project booklet documenting the entire shipyard period, including before/during/after photos, breakdowns of all tasks completed, all Class (ABS, Lloyds, etc.) and Flag State compliance certificates acquired, and all drawings and designs created during the refit project.
• Rapid Prototyping & 3D Printing Cost-effective rapid prototyping and 3D printing services enabling prototype-to-fabrication within 24 hours, allowing size, fit, and interference clearances to be confirmed before committing to final production. DFD can design or duplicate custom parts in 3D CAD, print in-house, and deliver prototypes ready for testing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Trusted by more than 5,000 clients over 25+ years of operation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ABS (American Bureau of Shipping)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDFD has developed long-term working relationships with ABS representatives for Class certification. ABS provides regulatory compliance certification for yacht refit work, and DFD coordinates with them to ensure all work meets Class requirements. DFD maintains solid working relations with ABS to obtain certificates in a timely manner for their clients.
• Lloyds RegistercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDFD has established long-term working relationships with Lloyds Register representatives for Class certification. DFD works with Lloyds to provide compliance certificates for yacht refit projects, maintaining solid working relations for timely certificate issuance.
• RINA (Registro Italiano Navale)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDFD has solid working relations with RINA to provide Class certificates in a timely manner. RINA is an Italian classification society that provides certification services for yacht compliance.
• Flag State RepresentativescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDFD has developed long-term working relationships with Flag State representatives to ensure regulatory compliance for yacht refits. This allows them to help clients navigate Flag State requirements and obtain necessary certifications.
• Contractor & Vendor NetworkcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDFD maintains relationships with over 100 years of combined staff experience in selecting local contractors and global specialists. Past performance, viability, expertise, value, communication, and timeliness are all considered when selecting contractors. DFD works with companies who share the same values and control systems.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Imperial Yachts: Imperial Yachts is a Monaco-based yacht management and brokerage firm specializing in large superyachts (typically 50m+), offering refit management, owner's representation, and new construction oversight. Highly comparable to DFD in scale, clientele segment, and service focus.
• Y.co: Y.co is a Monaco-based yacht management and owner's representative firm overseeing refit, maintenance, and technical support for large superyachts. It directly competes with DFD in providing project management during shipyard periods, with comparable service offerings including technical oversight and new construction/refit support.

Broad incumbents

• Northrop & Johnson: Northrop & Johnson is a global yacht sales, charter, and management company providing full-service support for superyachts including technical management and refit coordination. Overlaps with DFD in the owner's representative and refit project management niche.
• Edmiston: Edmiston is a global yacht brokerage, management, and new construction firm offering superyacht owners comprehensive support including technical supervision and refit oversight. Comparable to DFD in the owner's representation and yard period management niche, with broader service breadth.
• Fraser Yachts: Fraser is a major global yacht management company providing crew, technical, and operational support including refit project management across the world's largest yachts. Directly competes with DFD for owner representation and yard period oversight work on large superyachts.
• Burgess: Burgess is one of the largest global yacht brokerage, management, and charter firms, offering full-service support for superyachts including refit project management. While much broader in scope than DFD (brokerage, charter, crew), its yacht management division directly competes for refit-related project management mandates on large yachts.
• Camper & Nicholsons: Camper & Nicholsons is a long-established yacht management, brokerage, and charter firm with extensive superyacht expertise. Its yacht management arm provides technical support and refit coordination on large yachts, overlapping with DFD's core service offering.

Emerging players

• Hoek Design Naval Architects: Hoek Design is a Dutch naval architecture firm specializing in luxury yacht design, refit projects, and owner's representative services. Comparable to DFD's naval architecture and design capabilities, with similar focus on high-end sailing and motor yacht projects.
• Hydro Tec: Hydro Tec is an Italian naval architecture and marine engineering firm providing design, technical consultancy, and owner's engineering services for superyachts. Comparable to DFD in the naval architecture and owner representation niche, with similar focus on European-built large yachts.
• Van Oossanen Naval Architects: Van Oossanen is a naval architecture and engineering firm focused on high-performance superyachts, providing design, structural engineering, and owner's engineering services. Comparable to DFD in providing technical consulting and naval architecture for large yachts, with deeper R&D depth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/DFDINCORP
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dfd-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DFD