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Kathryn and Leo Vecellio Host the Ultimate Charity Dinner

Photography by Jerry Rabinowitz

Kathryn Vecellio surveys her Palm Beach dining room. At the moment, everything is serene. Dimming sunlight gleams through the windows, illuminating an opulent table set for 12. Earlier, white-gloved hands placed gold-rimmed Moser glassware and Christofle flatware onto J.A. Design Studio linens, hand-painted with greenery that harkens to the home’s lush gardens. Silver salt and pepper duos resembling birds landed near Herend Chinese Bouquet dinner plates that bear delicate leaf motifs. It all forms a verdant scene, and the hostess, too, is dressed in green.

In a few hours, this calm will give way to merriment as Kathryn and her husband, Leo, welcome guests for the Ultimate Dinner Party, an annual philanthropic event benefiting Children’s Home Society of Florida. The Vecellios have hosted dinner parties for CHS twice before on their yacht. This year, they moved the celebrations to their home, taking inspiration from the estate’s regal vines, hedges, and rose-planted parterre for the decor.

“I love to bring the outside in,” says Kathryn. “We like things to be warm and inviting.”

Florist Tom Mathieu helped realize Kathryn’s vision with bountiful tabletop arrangements of peonies, miniature calla lilies, ranunculus buds, nerine lilies, sweet pea, cymbidium orchids, freesia, viburnum, and David Austin garden roses. “Usually I’m a less is more person,” Mathieu says. “But, in this case, more is better.”

She and Leo, who celebrated their forty-first wedding anniversary in November, have collected fine art, silver, furniture, and tableware for more than four decades. Spurred by an adoration of heirlooms passed down from their mothers and grandmothers, they’ve amassed cabinets full of rare finds from all over the world. And they thrive on the thrill of the hunt.

For these collectors, almost every piece tells a story. Kathryn demonstrates that a Colonial-era silver pheasant, purchased at London-based dealer Anthony Marks, is more than meets the eye when she lifts its head off to reveal a hollow center. The English, she explains, smuggled tea in every vessel they could to avoid the high tariff when coming to America.

This careful curating of treasures and the joy with which they share them has helped earn Kathryn and Leo a reputation as two of the best hosts on the island. While they favor formality, they still exude a welcoming atmosphere and always keep the cause, CHS in this case, at the forefront of everyone’s minds.

“Whether I’m hosting 600 people at The Breakers or eight in my home, I devote the same amount of time to each event and guest,” Kathryn says. And when the Vecellios host, one thing’s for certain: The food and drink will be amazing.

As vice president of the Palm Beach County chapter of the American Culinary Federation, Simms has volunteered with CHS for more than 20 years. During this time, the chapter has raised millions for the charity’s family services through the Ultimate Dinner Party alone.

“[CHS] is an awesome cause because it’s right here in our community,” Simms says. “The Breakers supports the endeavor by supplying the food, so that makes it easy for me to volunteer my time, which is the fun part.”

Finally, cocktail hour commences on the terrace. Guests pour in as David Crohan plays piano in the living room. Bottles of Louis Roederer Cristal chill in anticipation of the first course while attendees sample hors d’oeuvres like cherry-glazed foie gras eclairs.

The Vecellios boast an impressive assemblage of Flora Danica, a historic porcelain collection that has been in production since 1790, when King Christian VII of Denmark reportedly commissioned the series for Empress Catherine II of Russia. All of the pieces are hand-painted in Copenhagen, and the designs moved Kathryn and Leo so much they traveled to Denmark to tour the factory.

“Supposedly, each plate takes 40 hours to complete,” Kathryn says. “[Royal Copenhagen] has detailed over 3,000 species on its dinnerware, and watching the process of hand-painting each plate was incredible.”

“The highlights were our guests’ smiling faces,” says Kathryn. “Everyone was in a festive mood and had a really great time.”

For Kathryn and Leo, a memorable dinner party is not simply defined by the location or the delicacies. As Kathryn notes, it’s “something where all the people involved come together to make it a special evening.” Between the spectacular florals, food, and music, this hostess’ gift for event planning sets the bar high. Yet, her gracious nature and love for entertaining are what make Kathryn—and her parties—inimitable.

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LADY KATHRYN V Yacht – Elegant $60 M Superyacht

The Lady Kathryn V yacht 61-meter masterpiece, delivered in 2011 by the renowned German shipbuilder Lurssen, combines cutting-edge design by Espen Oeino and meticulously crafted interiors by Adam Lay Studios.

Prepare to be captivated by the sheer elegance and unparalleled luxury of this exceptional superyacht.

Yacht Interior

Step aboard the Lady Kathryn V yacht and immerse yourself in a world of refined luxury and comfort.

The interiors, curated by Adam Lay Studios, exude sophistication and style.

With accommodations for 12 guests across six lavish suites, every inch of the yacht is designed to provide an indulgent and personalized experience.

The dedicated crew of 16 ensures that every guest’s desires are met with impeccable service and attention to detail.

The exterior design of the Lady Kathryn V yacht is a testament to the artistic prowess of Espen Oeino.

With sleek lines and a streamlined profile, the yacht cuts through the water with elegance and grace.

Its steel hull and aluminum superstructure not only provide durability but also contribute to its striking appearance.

The attention to detail and flawless craftsmanship are evident in every aspect of the yacht’s exterior, making it a true masterpiece on the open seas.

Accommodation

Comfort is paramount aboard the Lady Kathryn V yacht.

The six luxurious suites offer spacious sanctuaries where guests can relax and unwind.

Each suite is meticulously designed, featuring sumptuous furnishings, state-of-the-art amenities, and breathtaking views of the surrounding seascape.

The yacht’s crew of 16 is dedicated to providing exceptional service, ensuring that guests’ every need is met with professionalism and warmth.

Yacht Specifications

Powered by twin Caterpillar diesel engines, the Lady Kathryn V yacht combines power and efficiency, reaching a top speed of 15.5 knots.

Its cruising speed of 12 knots ensures smooth and comfortable voyages.

The yacht’s robust steel hull and lightweight aluminum superstructure provide stability and strength, allowing for a safe and enjoyable experience on the water.

With a volume of 1,203 tons, the Lady Kathryn V offers ample space for leisure and entertainment.

Yacht Price

The Lady Kathryn V is a floating mansion with an estimated value of $60 million.

However, it’s important to note that owning and maintaining such a luxury yacht comes with substantial annual running costs, estimated at around $3-6 million.

The price of a superyacht of this caliber can vary depending on factors such as size, age, level of luxury, and the materials and technology utilized in its construction.

The Lady Kathryn V stands as a symbol of opulence and affords its owner the opportunity to indulge in the ultimate yachting lifestyle.

LADY KATHRYN V Yacht Summary

The Lady Kathryn V represents the epitome of luxury and craftsmanship.

From its breathtaking design to its lavish interiors, this superyacht offers an unparalleled experience on the high seas.

With its exceptional performance, spacious accommodations, and dedication to providing unrivaled service, the Lady Kathryn V is a testament to the finest in yachting.

The Lady Kathryn V continues to capture the imagination of all who encounter her, leaving an indelible impression of elegance and magnificence on the world of luxury yachting.

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Sea Change off Florida

By John Loring

Photography by Kim Sargent

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"So many of these new boats are like discos," says Jack Fhillips, who designed the interiors of the Lady Kathryn III, Leo and Kathryn Vecellio's 148-foot high-speed yacht. "We wanted to take a contemporary boat and make it classic, timeless and comfortable."

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"The media room's paneling and tonality are the same as in the couple's residences," says Fhillips, who furnished the space with 18th- and 19th-century pieces, including a Georgian card table. Beacon Hill fabrics on games chairs, scroll-arm chair, club chairs and ottoman.

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Queen Anne-style chairs surround a round Regency table, which echoes the shape of the dining room. The dinnerware, stemware and Tiffany's silverware are from M. S. Rau Antiques. Brunschwig Fils chair and drapery fabrics. Samuel Sons tassel trim. Wallcovering from Kravet.

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The sitting room off the master suite "was a bit dark," remarks Fhillips, "so we added a little jolt of color." The canvases, from left, are by Grigory Roshin and Ernest Vauthrin. Beacon Hill fabrics for draperies, sofa and Brunschwig Fils armchairs. Lighting from Vaughan.

"If practicality were the utmost priority, we'd end up with what other yachts have—synthetic fabrics and leathers," Fhillips says. "That's exactly what the Vecellios didn't want."

By Katherine McLaughlin

By Sam Cochran

By Joyce Chen

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The sleek and spacious galley features wood cabinetry with stainless-steel details.

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The top deck of the Lady Kathryn III, which has a banquette upholstered in a bold striped fabric, looks out onto West Palm Beach's skyline. Tables, designed by the clients, "adjust both vertically and horizontally to accommodate multiple uses on the deck," Fhillips notes.

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Fhillips designed a Hepplewhite-style console to hide air-conditioning ductwork in the entrance hall.

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A guest room—one of four staterooms—"is very luxurious," says the designer. The trio of engravings are 18th-century French. Bedside lamp from Vaughan.

By Elizabeth Stamp

By Zoë Sessums

By Cosmo Brockway

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Leo Vecellio Jr.

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2019 Inductee

Leo Vecellio Jr. is chairman, president and CEO of Vecellio Group, Inc., a fourth-generation, family owned and operated business with substantial heavy/highway, mining and petroleum operations throughout the southeastern and mid-Atlantic U.S.

Deal for sea-to-lake Clark estate could be valued at $90 million or more, sources say

Vecellios are now linked to mansion at 1500 s. ocean blvd., document shows.

Longtime Palm Beachers Kathryn and Leo A. Vecellio Jr. have a new home in Palm Beach and it’s a whopper — landmarked Il Palmetto, the 5-acre ocean-to-lake estate Netscape co-founder James H. Clark had listed for sale until last spring at $95 million .

The value of the hush-hush, off-market deal — orchestrated by broker Lawrence Moens of Lawrence A. Moens Associates — is said to have approached or exceeded $90 million, according to sources interviewed by the Daily News. But the deal missed the $95 million record that has stood for more than a decade for a single real estate transaction in Palm Beach, sources said.

Even so, the price range would make the Il Palmetto deal the second-highest-dollar single seller/single buyer transaction in the town’s history. And it would certainly mark the biggest-dollar residential deal in Palm Beach this year.

Leo Vecellio declined to speak with the Daily News, and Clark and Moens couldn’t be reached.

RELATED: Price of Netscape co-founder’s Palm Beach estate drops by $20M to $95M

Whatever might have transpired this year at Il Palmetto on the stretch of coastal road known as Billionaires Row, records at the Palm Beach County Courthouse offer no details about dollar amounts or terms between Clark and the Vecellios.

But there are clues, gleaned from public records and from sources who know the Vecellios but didn’t want to be identified.

Beginning last spring, courthouse filings document simultaneous transfers of ownership at Il Palmetto and of a house the Vecellios bought nearly five years ago at 120 Jungle Road in the Estate Section. Late last month, a mortgage recorded at just under $70 million was issued on Il Palmetto to its new ownership company.

And most telling, on the same day the mortgage was signed, the Vecellios signed a 99-year lease for Il Palmetto. The length of the lease meets the criteria to let them transfer their existing homestead exemption, according to the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser’s Office.

One real estate attorney who reviewed the documents told the Daily News that such long-term leases can be used by families for internal estate planning purposes.

Meanwhile across town on Jungle Road, Moens listed the main house for sale at just under $30 million last month, according to records in the Palm Beach Board of Realtors Multiple Listing Service.

RELATED: See photos from previous sales listing for landmarked Il Palmetto

Withdrawn from MLS

Clark had been trying to sell his estate since at least 2016, first through Sotheby’s International Realty, which initially set an off-market, jaw-dropping price tag of $137 million (and later reduced to $115 million in the MLS).

The property was last listed in January this year at $95 million by Moens — but by April 5, Moens had withdrawn his listing from the local MLS, records show.

Under MLS rules, real estate brokers and agents whose properties are listed when they sell must update those listings with a sales price once the sale closes. But by withdrawing the listing, no sale or sales price need ever be recorded in MLS, even if the broker or agent is still involved when the property changes hands. Il Palmetto has never re-entered the MLS.

There also have been sightings over the past several months of moving trucks at Il Palmetto and at the house on Jungle Road in the Estate Section.

Fatio’s masterpiece

Il Palmetto, completed in 1930 with architecture inspired by Genoa and Venice, is among the most prominent estates in Palm Beach. The town granted the house landmark status in 1980, protecting it from major alternations unless the town approves.

The property has 340 feet of beachfront east of South Ocean Boulevard, with another 360 feet on the Intracoastal Waterway. Nearly a mile south of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago, Il Palmetto sits where the coastal road makes a sharp turn at Widener’s Curve. The curve is named for Philadelphia industrialist Joseph Widener, who built the house.

In all, Il Palmetto’s house and outbuildings have 68,831 square feet of living space, inside and out, according to real estate listings. Considered Swiss-born society architect Maurice Fatio’s masterpiece, the terraced property includes the six-bedroom main residence, a boat house with a two-bedroom guesthouse, and a two-bedroom beach house accessed by a tunnel under the coastal road.

In his book Maurice Fatio: Palm Beach Architect, Kim I. Mockler describes the house as “one of Fatio’s most exceptional designs and certainly one of his largest,” noting that it took 450 workers eight months to complete the residence. He notes the house's palatial two-story entrance hall, a living room of “baronial dimensions” and walls covered in a fleur-de-lis design copied from an Italian palace.

Clark, who is married to Kristy Hinze-Clark, paid a recorded $11 million for the estate in 1999 and carried out a major restoration and expansion project. The Texas billionaire co-founded Netscape, one of the first commercial web browsers, and more recently created CommandScape, which offers high-tech building-management systems for commercial properties and large residential estates.

With ties to West Virginia, Leo Vecellio heads the Vecellio Group Inc., a family-owned conglomerate that includes energy concerns and road builder Ranger Construction Industries of West Palm Beach. He and his wife are active on Palm Beach’s charitable scene.

High-dollar deals

Moens acted on behalf of the Vecellios when one of their limited liability companies bought the house on Jungle Road for a recorded $25.46 million in February 2014. That property in the Estate Section was listed for sale at the time by agents Paulette Koch and Dana Koch of the Corcoran Group, according to MLS records.

A deed shows the Vecellios in December 2014 transferred ownership of their 1920s-era house into both their names, and they took a homestead exemption on the property. The Mediterranean-style house there has seven bedrooms and just under 18,000 total square feet — all set amid extensive gardens.

RELATED: Jungle Road home sells for $25.46 million

In January 2015, Moens again represented the Vecellio family in a purchase, recorded at about $9.64 million, of a smaller house next door at 695 S. County Road, immediately west of their main residence. Agents Carole Koeppel and John Lloyd of Sotheby's International Realty acted for the seller in that deal.

The Vecellios used an ownership company to buy the next-door house, and in December 2015, the couple joined the two properties under a unity of title as a single address, 120 Jungle Road, courthouse records show.

RELATED: Renovated 1953 house sells for $9.6 million

Simultaneous transactions

Fast forward to this spring. Less than two weeks after Moens withdrew his listing for Il Palmetto, a document signed by the Vecellios and recorded at the courthouse shows they severed their unity of title on Jungle Road. It was recorded April 16.

And on the same day, the county clerk’s office recorded deeds showing simultaneous internal transactions at the Clark and the Vecellio estates.

Clark transferred ownership of Il Palmetto from a trust in his name to a company named Brando Woody DE LLC, a limited liability company registered in Delaware. Delaware’s strict privacy laws cloaked the identity of anyone behind that entity, although later courthouse filings show the company is managed by a West Palm Beach attorney.

In the Vecellios’ case, they transferred ownership of their house at 120 Jungle Road to Delaware-registered Big Sky Property Holdings LLC, according to the deed.

And as every real estate lawyer in Palm Beach knows, the owner of one Delaware limited liability company can sell so-called “membership-interest” shares to another Delaware limited liability company without any record of that transfer necessarily becoming public — or a price being recorded for the transaction. In effect, ownership of that company can completely change hands without any courthouse documentation.

So it’s at least conceivable that Clark sold his membership-interest shares in Brando Woody DE LLC to the Vecellios for an undisclosed amount. And once in control of the company, the Vecellios could have leased the property to themselves using the 99-year lease, with no record of any money changing hands. Brando Woody DE LLC is identified as the Vecellios’ “landlord” on the lease recorded Oct. 23.

About a week earlier, Moens listed the Jungle Road house for sale for its owner, Big Sky Property Holdings LLC, at $29.95 million, MLS shows.

It’s unclear from public records what role — if any — the smaller house at No. 695 has played in any transactions that may have involved the Vecellios and Il Palmetto. The Vecellios still own that property, confirmed John Enck, manager of ownership services at the property appraiser’s office.

Close connections

Buying member-interest shares in a limited liability company is exactly how the Vecellios purchased an oceanfront mansion across town at 589 N. County Road in early 2008, according to trial records in a civil suit filed in 2009 by the couple.

The Vecellios also sold the North County Way house through the same process in 2014, property records indicate. The amount that changed hands four years ago on North County Road was never made public. But sources familiar with the deal have said coffee mogul Robert Stiller and his wife, Christine, paid as much as $55 million for the Vecellios’ property. Moens is said to have acted on behalf of the Vecellios in that sale, opposite Sotheby’s International Realty agent Cristina Condon.

RELATED: 2014 Vecellio's oceanfront mansion sale may have hit $55M

Courthouse records show that Brando Woody DE LLC — the new owner of Il Palmetto — is managed by attorney H. William Perry, CEO and managing shareholder of the Gunster law firm. Perry also managed the limited liability company the Vecellios used in early 2014 to buy the house at 120 Jungle Road, records show. The Vecellios later took ownership in their names from the same company through an internal transfer, according to a courthouse document.

This spring, Perry filed a notice at the county courthouse — recorded on the day after the April ownership transfer at Il Palmetto — that shows the new owner signed a promissory note for a loan in an unspecified amount related to that property. The loan was through United Bank of Virginia, with an address in Morgantown, W. Va. That’s the same bank that issued Brando Woody DE LLC the $69.95 million mortgage on Il Palmetto, recorded Oct. 23.

Perry, who signed the mortgage document on behalf of Brando Woody DE LLC, couldn’t be reached.

Four-year renovation

Hidden from the coastal road by tall hedges, Il Palmetto features a series of pavilions connected by cloisters. The four-year renovation designed by Fairfax and Sammons — with Bridges Marsh & Associates serving as architect of record — rebuilt the original house and added about 30,000 square feet, including a tower, a beach house and a boat house.

Il Palmetto had been on the market for three years before Clark bought it from the estate of the late philanthropist Janet Annenberg Hooker. When the house entered the market two years ago, a Wall Street Journal story said he was selling the property because he and his wife were spending less time on the island.

Leo Vecellio declined comment when approached Thursday by a Daily News reporter at an event at the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach.

Big residential deals are not uncommon in Palm Beach — but some are definitely bigger than others. The single buyer/single-seller record still stands from 2008 and a $95 deal that involved a real estate developer and television celebrity who has since become the island's most famous snowbird — President Donald Trump. In July 2008, Trump sold an investment estate at 515 N. County Road he had bought a bankruptcy auction for about $41 million in 2004, and then partially renovated. Broker Lawrence Moens of Lawrence A. Moens Associates acted on Trump’s behalf in that deal opposite agent Carol Digges of Brown Harris Stevens, who represented the buyer, a company controlled by Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev. RELATED: Trump’s former estate: The story behind the $95-million mansion tear-down If the recent deal at Il Palmetto at 1500 S. Ocean Boulevard came close to or breached $90 million, it would top the $85 million deal recorded at the Palm Beach County Courhthouse last year as the second-biggest single-buyer/single-seller sale. In January 2017, Chicago hedge-fund manager Ken Griffin expanded his South End estate by buying his next door neighbors’ house at 1290 S. Ocean Blvd. in an off-market deal orchestrated by Moens. In all, Griffin has assembled 17 contiguous acres on Billionaires Row for more than $250 million, with almost all of those deals brokered on both sides by Moens. RELATED: Griffin pays $85 million for neighboring Billionaires Row estate The other biggest single-buyer/single-seller deals in Palm Beach include the following: * In 2008, fashion retailer Sidney Kimmel sold his seaside estate at 1236 S. Ocean Blvd. for a recorded $77.5 million. Corcoran Group agents Paulette Koch and Dana Koch were the listing agents. The buyers, Margaret and John Thornton, were represented by Cristina Condon of Sotheby's International Realty. The property is today known as 200 Emerald Beach Way. * In an off-market sale in April 2017 recorded at $77.06 million , a company affiliated with real-estate tycoon Frank McCourt bought an oceanfront house at 60 Blossom Way from a company associated with Venezuelan banker Victor Vargas. * In 2015, hedge-fund manager Paul Tudor Jones II paid Martha Schar and her developer husband Dwight a recorded $71.2 million for Casa Apava, an oceanfront estate with a landmarked house at 1300 S. Ocean Blvd. Moens brokered the sale. RELATED: Ex-Dodgers owner Frank McCourt linked to $77 million Palm Beach sale — DARRELL HOFHEINZ

Palm Beach's biggest-dollar deals are most often on Billionaires Row

One of the Nation's Top 400 Contractors

About The Vecellio Group

Fourth-generation, family-owned business.

The Vecellio Group is a fourth-generation, family-owned and operated business providing a wide range of heavy/highway, mining, and energy services and products to our valued public- and private-sector customers throughout the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic United States and beyond.

The Group’s expertise extends from excavation, grading and structures to asphalt manufacturing and paving, from high-volume aggregates production to petroleum products terminals — with an emphasis on safety and environmental awareness in all aspects of our work.

Our operations include road, bridge and retaining wall construction; drainage and underground utilities; commercial, industrial and residential site development; sports field preparation; asphalt contracting and paving; limestone aggregates production; environmental reclamation; petroleum storage, treatment and distribution services; biodiesel production; and more.

More than 120 years of history…

The company’s roots go back to 1900, when Enrico Vecellio began a masonry contracting business in West Virginia. He built a reputation for excellence in workmanship and professional integrity. He soon entered the emerging road-building industry and became one of its earliest success stories.

Enrico’s son, Leo Vecellio, grew up around road construction, earned a civil engineering degree and in the 1930s joined his father’s business. Gene Grogan also joined the company and married Leo’s sister, Erma, who handled much of the company’s administrative work.

As much as Leo enjoyed working with this father, he had a vision for owning and building his own business. They talked it over and in 1938, Vecellio & Grogan was formed by Leo and Gene, with Enrico as a partner providing backing and guidance, and Erma providing her valuable administrative assistance. The company became well-known for its heavy/highway contracting expertise, especially under tough-job, high-production conditions.

Vecellio & Grogan grew throughout the years, expanding into the Mid-Atlantic states and other fields. During the 1960’s, V&G was involved as much in coal-mining as it was in earth-moving.

In the 1970’s, third-generation contractor Leo Vecellio, Jr., having earned a civil engineering degree and with international project management experience gained as an officer in the U.S Air Force, joined the family business. With his assistance shouldering a growing share of the executive workload, V&G began branching out into more diverse economic and geographic regions.  Opportunities arose in Florida, and a number of operations were established, continuing the group’s substantial growth over the next several decades.

Meeting the challenges of the 21st Century…

The Vecellio Group is now in its fourth generation as a family-owned and operated business. After completing their graduate studies and joining the executive team in 2002, both Christopher Vecellio and Michael Vecellio have become an integral part of the Group’s leadership and growth.

Today, operations include Vecellio & Grogan, Hal Jones Contractor, Sharpe Bros., Ranger Construction Industries, Murray Logan Construction, White Rock Quarries, and Vecenergy, our energy division brand. Each unit is built on a long tradition of “excellence in contracting” and the highest standards of professional integrity.

Vecellio & Grogan , established in 1938, is a major heavy/highway contractor specializing in complete site development, bridge and road construction, drainage and utility structures, coal mining development, and site reclamation in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States.

Sharpe Bros . is a division of Vecellio & Grogan providing grading, paving and utilities contracting to the public and private sectors of North Carolina’s Piedmont Triad area. Sharpe Bros. is backed by the full construction capabilities of Vecellio & Grogan’s North Carolina division.

Hal Jones Contractor is a division of Vecellio & Grogan providing marine and heavy industrial bridge construction to the public and private sectors in the greater Jacksonville, Florida, and surrounding areas.

Ranger Construction Industries is a leading heavy/highway, site development and asphalt paving contractor with state-of-the-art facilities in numerous locations throughout northeast, central and southeast Florida. Ranger Construction serves customers from St. Johns County west to Hillsborough County and south to the Florida Keys through its Ocala, Orlando, DeBary, Ft. Pierce, West Palm Beach, Pompano and Miami operations.

Murray Logan Construction is a specialty general contractor based in Palm Beach County, FL, providing heavy and marine construction. Murray Logan Construction has been in business since 1968 and has over 85 full-time, experienced employees and an extensive equipment fleet to support our heavy construction operation. The company is committed to partnering with owners, engineers, and permit agencies.

White Rock Quarries , a division of Vecellio & Grogan, is a DOT-certified mining operation located in Miami, Florida. White Rock produces high quality limestone (also known as limerock) to meet a wide variety of construction aggregate needs for its diversified customer base.

Vecenergy is the Vecellio Group’s energy division brand. Operations include storage and distribution terminals for bulk petroleum products and additives, with total capacity exceeding 2 million barrels. Operations also include logistics, additive services and comprehensive consulting. Current markets include the U.S., Caribbean and Europe.

Vecenergy comprises these operating units:

South Florida Materials operates a liquid asphalt and diesel fuel terminal at the Port of Palm Beach in southeast Florida. It marked the Group’s entry into petroleum products and services, forming the basis for the energy division and Vecenergy brand.

South Florida Petroleum Services provides offloading services for all petroleum products at Port Everglades, located on the east coast of South Florida.

Vecenergy Resources provides fuel additive services to major oil companies throughputting petroleum products at deep-water port locations, including Port Everglades in South Florida.

Did you know…

The Vecellio Group is consistently ranked by Engineering News-Record as one of America’s Top 400 Contractors (and among the nation’s leading Transportation Contractors).

• Ranger Crews Work to Improve Traffic Flow in Central Florida

Our Latest VanGuard

Click the image to launch the Vecellio Group’s latest VanGuard newsmagazine.

Recent Posts

• Hal Jones Begins Marina Restoration in Historic St. Augustine, FL
• White Rock Quarries Serves Aggregate & Asphalt Needs Throughout Florida
• Sharpe Bros. Works Through Carolina Clay to Widen Roadways
• V&G Rebuilding Bridge in Florida’s Panhandle

Contact Vecellio Group, Inc. Today!

Proud to be a member of The Vecellio Group

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We’re going to need a bigger slip.

South Florida’s voracious appetite for yachts — along with their ballooning size — has marinas scrambling to accommodate financiers and celebrities desperate to dock their floating mansions.

“South Florida has become a highly desirable place to live not just domestically, but globally,” said Carolyn Stone, deputy Palm Beach town manager of business enterprise and culture.

“Yachting is part of the luxury lifestyle. There just weren’t enough slips to accommodate the bigger yachts.”

The shortage has spurred a frenzy to secure slips for behemoths that stretch up to 300 feet long, with some owners shelling out hundreds of thousands of dollars annually just to park them in prestigious spots.

Stone said one well-heeled slip suitor has paid in excess of $500,000 annually for a space at the Town of Palm Beach marina for two years, totaling well over $1 million — while still waiting for their craft to be built.

“They’re willing to pay it because they’re nervous they’ll lose the spot,” she said.

According to a report in the Palm Beach Post , one person recently paid close to $12 million for a home just to land its 400 precious feet of water frontage to host his yacht — and plans to tear down the structure.

Nicole Haboush, senior charter broker manager of TJB Super Yachts, said docking arrangements are usually settled before a sale is completed to avoid an angry customer.

“They don’t want to buy the boat and then find out there’s nowhere to put it,” she said.

The municipally owned Town of Palm Beach marina completed a $40 million renovation that transformed it into a world-class facility — with a complex electrical infrastructure to power yachts and around-the-clock security.

The marina only had a single slip for boats longer than 200 feet before the revamp — and now has 10.

World-class vessels that have called the facility home include the 257-foot Amaryllis, reputed to be owned by Russian billionaire Andrey Borodin, and industrialist Leo Vecellio’s $60 million Lady Kathryn V.

But even with its expansion, waiting lists — and pleas for accommodation from yacht owners — continue to soar, Stone said.

Demand is so intense that applicants are more than willing to pay the $10,000 required just to join the queue.

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The city of West Palm Beach is also looking to benefit from marina mania, recently announcing plans for a new $16 million facility to host slip-starved boat owners.

According to a study from the Marine Industries Association of South Florida, Sunshine State boat sales soared to $19 billion in 2022 — a jump of 197% from 2018.

Local observers said the COVID-19 pandemic initiated an unprecedented boom in the yachting industry as the rich and famous sought offshore solace.

But as the armada of mega-yachts began gliding into South Florida’s waterways, officials and private marina owners soon realized demand was outpacing supply.

For decades, many local marinas were semi-sleepy operations run by families.

With their waterfront facilities suddenly coveted by potentates from across the world, many old-guard operators sold them off for millions.

“Venture capital realized the potential here,” said Patience Cohn of the Marine Industries Association. “They have been buying them all up, upgrading them to host some of the bigger boats, and consolidating. They discovered this niche and came flooding in.”

Safe Harbor Marinas — the largest operator in the world — acquired the Rybovich yacht facility in West Palm Beach in 2021 and has rapidly developed the site.

Stone said the explosion of the marina business has had far-reaching impacts in the area — and is even driving up property prices in previously dormant residential neighborhoods.

With yachts requiring year-round crew to maintain and operate them — even while docked — developers are building apartments around Rybovich partly to house everyone from captains to mechanics, Stone said.

The Related Group development firm recently completed Icon Marina Village, a 399-unit apartment project immediately next to the Rybovich facility.

“This is where people want to be,” Haboush said, noting that super-yacht prestige stems not only from their length, but where they call home.

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Fla. struggling with superyacht influx, dock space fetching $1M even before boats are built

We’re going to need a bigger slip.

South Florida’s voracious appetite for yachts — along with their ballooning size — has marinas scrambling to accommodate financiers and celebrities desperate to dock their floating mansions.

“South Florida has become a highly desirable place to live not just domestically, but globally,” said Carolyn Stone, Deputy Palm Beach Town Manager of Business Enterprise and Culture.

“Yachting is part of the luxury lifestyle. There just weren’t enough slips to accommodate the bigger yachts.”

The shortage has spurred a frenzy to secure slips for behemoths that stretch up to 300-feet long, with some owners shelling out hundreds of thousands of dollars annually just to park them in prestigious spots.

Stone said one well-heeled slip suitor has paid in excess of $500,000 annually for a space at the Town of Palm Beach marina for two years, totaling well over $1M — while still waiting for their craft to be built.

“They’re willing to pay it because they’re nervous they’ll lose the spot,” she said.

According to a report in the Palm Beach Post , on person recently paid close to $12 million for a home just to land its 400 precious feet of water frontage to host his yacht — and plans to tear down the structure.

Nicole Haboush, Senior Charter Broker Manager of TJB Super Yachts, said docking arrangements are usually settled before a sale is completed to avoid an angry customer.

“They don’t want to buy the boat and then find out there’s nowhere to put it,” she said.

The municipally-owned Town of Palm Beach marina completed a $40 million renovation that transformed it into a world-class facility — with a complex electrical infrastructure to power yachts and around the clock security.

The marina only had a single slip for boats longer than 200 feet before the revamp — and now has 10.

World class vessels that have called the facility home include the 257-foot Amaryllis, reputed to be owned by Russian billionaire Andrey Borodin, and industrialist Leo Vecellio’s $60 million Lady Kathryn V.

But even with its expansion, waiting lists — and pleas for accommodation from yacht owners continue to soar, Stone said.

Demand is so intense that applicants are more than willing to pay the $10,000 required just to join the queue.

The city of West Palm Beach is also looking to benefit from marina mania, recently announcing plans for a $16 million new facility to host slip-starved boat owners.

According to a study from the Marine Industries Association of South Florida, Sunshine State boat sales soared to $19 billion in 2022 — a jump of 197% from 2018.

Local observers said that the COVID-19 pandemic initiated an unprecedented boom in the yachting industry as the rich and famous sought offshore solace.

But as the armada of mega-yachts began gliding into South Florida’s waterways, officials and private marina owners soon realized demand was outpacing supply.

For decades, many local marinas were semi-sleepy operations run by families.

With their waterfront properties facilities suddenly coveted by potentates from across the world, many old guard operators sold them off for millions.

“Venture capital realized the potential here,” said Patience Cohn of the Marine Industries Association. “They have been buying them all up, upgrading them to host some of the bigger boats, and consolidating. They discovered this niche and came flooding in.”

Safe Harbor Marinas — the largest operator in the world — acquired the Rybovich yacht facility in West Palm Beach in 2021 and has rapidly developed the site.

Stone said the explosion of the marina business has had far-reaching impacts in the area — and is even driving up property prices in previously dormant residential neighborhoods.

With yachts requiring year-round crew to maintain and operate them — even while docked — developers are building apartments around Rybovich partly to house everyone from captains to mechanics, Stone said.

The Related Group development firm recently completed Icon Marina Village, a 399-unit apartment project immediately next to the Rybovich facility.

“This is where people want to be,” Haboush said, noting that super yacht prestige stems not only from their length, but where they call home.