Salthouse doubles production

By ELLEN READ

Auckland boat builder Salthouse Marine will double production in the coming year as the market for luxury motor yachts rebounds after last year's September 11 attacks.

Having produced six multimillion-dollar vessels this year, general manager Julie Salthouse said they were planning to build 12 next year. Two are already in production for New Zealand individuals.

"Last year was rocky with September 11 and weak economies. No one really needs a boat - they're the ultimate luxury item - so people took a wait and see attitude," she said.

The company began exporting to Australia in 1999 and has made market breakthroughs in the past two to three months, resulting in the appointment of a general manager across the Tasman.

During the last America's Cup, Salthouse designed and built a launch for one of the Young America sponsors, who used the vessel as a VIP boat to take 20 visitors from the New York Yacht Club out to watch the racing.

Once the boat returned to the United States' East Coast, he allowed Salthouse to take it to boat shows. That exposure has helped demand in the US.

Last month the company unveiled two new designs - the semi-production 50ft and 62ft Sportsfisher, both multimillion-dollar vessels. Both are for export, one to the West Coast of the US and the other to Hawaii, where there is wide-scale marina development.

This growth has already expanded the firm's workforce from 25 in 1999 to about 75. Salthouse expects to lift this number to 115 in order to handle production of 12 vessels a year.

All work, from hull casting to interior design, is done at the company's Henderson site.

The Boating Industries Association estimates the marine industry has a total turnover of $700 million a year, potentially reaching $1 billion by 2005.

Further reading
nzherald.co.nz/marine