Well-known aluminium vessel-maker hailing from Southland, Stabicraft has announced the construction of a new manufacturing facility in Seattle, USA. The company specialises in creating aluminium boats and water vessels with airtight chambered hulls preferred by sea or freshwater explorers.
Stabicraft usually assembles its flagship aluminium boats at Invercargill, the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand. But recently, the company has claimed to have picked up good business in the USA, further trying to build its boats in the country itself, the chief executive of Stabicraft, David Glen, has confirmed to sources.
David Glen also quoted: “We see considerable growth opportunity in the USA. We have been successful in growing our sales there, but the reality is our production capacity here in Invercargill is constrained in terms of [shortage of] skilled labour.”
“In this post-Covid world, it’s both difficult and expensive getting boats to the USA, so we took the decision to set up a manufacturing operation over there,” he added.
At this moment, the company is keen on expanding its operations in the USA, and the construction of this aluminium boat manufacturing plant in Seattle highlights Stabicraft’s extensive effort. Though company associates were very optimistic about the production rate of Stabicraft’s Invercargill plant, this is an opportunity that might establish the firm in the international market.
David Glen went on to explain: “We are going to get more boats out of the factory this year than we have ever got out ... and the good thing is the Australian and US markets continue to look like strong markets for us despite the gloom and the doom. We aren’t seeing any slowdown in those respective markets.”
In May of this year, Stabicraft was seen shifting its outlet from the Bluff Highway site for building boats to a new unit at the Dee St area.
Glen was very transparent about the company’s activities when he informed sources about the Dee St dealership sell-out. This step was taken as the company was eager to shift its focus solely on aluminium boat manufacturing.
He also agreed that the company has always been more invested in manufacturing operations rather than dealerships. Stabicraft was already prepared to let its dealership opportunities go.
The Dee Street dealership was taken over by the Trev Terry Group and is now active as Trev Terry South which now sells Stabicarft aluminium boats.
“It’s very much an independent arm’s length dealership now, whereas it hasn’t been in the past,” Glen concluded with mirth.
source https://www.alcircle.com/news/stabicraft-eager-for-expansion-builds-new-aluminium-boat-manufacturing-unit-in-seattle-usa-87278
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