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Duthie Lidgard

Women Making Their Mark in the NZ Marine Industry | MaryAnne Edwards, GMBA New Zealand & Australia

In a country where women for many years have been in significant leadership roles in politics and commercial life it is not surprising to see women making their mark in the New Zealand marine Industry.  Maryanne Edwards of GMBA asked several of these women to share their views on how they are managing in the current domestic and global environment.

The 4 women Maryanne spoke with are positive examples of what is happening in the small business environment in the NZ industry.  The way businesses globally have responded to the pandemic is either driving their success or causing them to question the future. These NZ women are not sitting back waiting for things to change they are driving the changes needed for their businesses to thrive and survive.

“Treat your suppliers like you do your customers and they will always have your back.”

Linda Berry Tweet

Linda Berry has had 25 years in the marine sector having also spent 7 years as the Marketing Director of Alloy Yachts.  She Is now the owner of Studio Linda Berry, a marketing and event management consultancy, specialising in the superyacht sector. Linda is most recently associated with the event “The NZ Superyacht Gathering.  https://www.thesuperyachtgathering.com

“If your gut feeling says something is not right, stick to that.”

Sofia Ambler Tweet

Sofia Ambler has owned and operated Heletranz Helicopters with her husband for the past eight years. When they started the business, they had 2 helicopters and now manage 14. They have since expanded their heliport and their nationwide reach. Sofia works with the marine industry at boat shows supporting super yachts with guest shore excursions.  The business also undertakes maintenance of onboard helicopters. Heletranz have created extraordinary experiences all over NZ and were the official filming helicopters for the Americas Cup together with Tony Monk Films.  www.heletranz.co.nz

Nicola Webster

“Rome wasn’t built in a day” and ‘if it was easy, everyone would do it” It takes many years of consistent, hard work to build a trusted and respected brand.

Nicola Webster Tweet

Nicola Webster and her husband started Coast New Zealand with the specific goal of establishing a luxury brand that would reflect New Zealand’s unique quality of life. They hand-make in New Zealand a collection of soft furnishings, bags, cushions and textiles, including their award winning, Marine Bean collection – the original outdoor beanbag. They borrow many of the materials and methods that were previously the reserve of luxury yacht-building: Contemporary ocean-going sailing yachts must be comfortable, even opulent, and yet withstand the harshest conditions at sea. Coast NZ aim to emulate the exacting standards of modern boat builders in their choice of materials and use of good design.www.coastnewzealand.com

“Get really good advice and surround yourself with really smart people that can inspire and challenge your business to grow and develop.”

Tracey Stevenson Tweet

Tracey Stevenson with husband Lloyd own Lloyd Stevenson Boatbuilders, manufacturing custom boats from their Auckland based yard for the past 35 years.  They serve the local demand for custom yachts and power boats, and the international market for custom super yacht tenders and other specialised craft.  Their capabilities cover a diverse range of vessels from traditional timber to fully composite vessels. Tracey is currently Vice President of NZ Marine and a member of the NZ Marine Industry Training board. https://lloydstevensonyachts.co.nz

 

Q1. Will boat shows continue to be important to your business and do you see it critical to your business to get back to the personal relationship building that tends to be the focus of domestic and global boat shows?

Sophia,“We don’t normally attend Boat Shows on behalf of Heletranz but we have attended several with clients. Both in NZ as well as in Monaco. This is a great opportunity to see the new boats but for us also to see the demo of new helicopters that will go on the larger super yachts.”

Nicola,“Boat shows will always have a place in our marketing, but as the pandemic has shown us, the use of Skype, Zoom, social media and being involved and supporting local events can maintain and even grow your business and customer connectivity. The way companies reacted during the pandemic and their ‘voice’ during the lockdowns, either cemented or eroded customer relationships.”

Linda,“In my opinion nothing replaces Boat Shows. They are essential for building relationships not only in the industry but facilitating introductions to potential clients. If it wasn’t for Boat Shows, we wouldn’t have so many international friends and contacts in the industry that have led to business opportunities and certainly have sustained many of our businesses during the pandemic.”.

Tracey, “We have always seen boat shows as the best way to connect with our clients both locally and internationally.  There is nothing that compares to being able to meet with people face to face and build relationships with customers, suppliers and those able to influence purchasing decisions.“

Q2. What are the key changes you have had to maintain your business during this pandemic?

Sophia,“For us, our main business has always been domestic but we were extremely nervous 15 months ago with lockdowns in NZ. In the end, we have still had a very good year and strengthened our focus even more on corporates and local HNWI’s. There has been a desire by New Zealanders to explore their own stunning backyard, so this has helped us a lot in delivering extraordinary experiences.”

Nicola, “We have always sold online and have been active on social media platforms for many years.  Online sales have grown significantly over the pandemic.  We have had to make ourselves available and active on these platforms including, whatapp, messenger, website chat, text or whatever is the preferred communication channel of the customer.  Answering questions, providing quotes and getting back to customers quickly is important for building trust and long-term successful relationships in a virtual environment.  Providing relevant, interesting content on social media and having an up-to-date website helps customers to understand and trust your brand.

Linda, “Probably the biggest change I have made to my business during this pandemic is to rely more on digital media as a means of general communication. Electronic newsletters, Instagram, websites and LinkedIn”

Tracey, “The biggest impact of the pandemic for us has been staff shortages as it is impossible to recruit from offshore, and some of our existing team members have returned to their home countries as they were unable to bring family into New Zealand. At the same time the construction industry and other growth industries recognise the all-round skills of our well-trained boat builders. We have started to look to outsourcing and technology solutions to get through a period of increased demand without being able to recruit offshore. Despite the investment in training, we also need to have a path to be able to bring in offshore talent.”

Q3. The world is now shaped by technology change, social media, consumer expectations and hyper connectivity how have you embraced these factors to develop your business.

Sophia, “We pride ourselves in delivering a very personal customer experience and have always been very high touch, this is not always easy to combine with technology change and moving to more automation but this is an area we have spent a lot of resources on and we are lucky to have a good team as this is not an area I excel in at all☺. Social media is important for story telling but always hard to measure the direct effect.

Nicola, “Being present and available across a number of platforms is important and now expected.  You need to be able to respond quickly and be available when the customer wants to chat or message. This can be late or early, depending on the client’s time-zone and can mean sending samples, etc to far-flung places.  A good remote set up and flexitimes are very much part of everyday business nowadays.  Technology has helped us to communicate with our customers, but there is no substitute for the human touch – all interactions are with a real person – very often me!”

Linda, “I find that I can only do so much personally when it comes to working with new technology and with digital media etc and so for the first time have hired a graphic design and communication company to help with everything new that is coming out.   It is a full-time job keeping up with it and the time was right to hand it to the experts rather than clunking around myself. I have learned through the pandemic (or perhaps it is just with years of experience) to do what I do best and hand the rest to others that do it better.”

Tracey, “We have an online presence, but this is an area of challenge for a business that thrives on face to face connection. We have embraced technology but see room for growth and are investing in both a strong digital presence and in production technology.  Our design team are now 3D printing prototypes to test before final manufacture.”

Q4. Many stakeholders tell me that customer expectations have changed since the start of the pandemic, and everyone has to work harder to achieve customer satisfaction or over deliver have you experienced this and how do you address it?

Tracey Stevenson summed this question up for everyone by stating “Building customer relationships and delivering excellent customer service which meets or exceeds our customer expectations has been something that we have always had as part of our DNA.”

This statement was corroborated by everyone I interviewed stating successful businesses today must have the customer first philosophy front of mind if they want to survive.

Q5 Many businesses say that they now must think more locally than globally given the many covid restrictions and border closures.  All of you have aspects of your business that are global and local – has the mix changed?

Sofia, “Yes we definitely are working harder to reach larger companies that prior to the pandemic might have organised incentive trips with clients to experience NZ.  This was a target market for us.”

Nicola, “Our local market (New Zealand and Australia) – and especially the marine sector – has really grown in the last 18 months. The lack of overseas travel has fuelled both the marine and the holiday home (bach) market in New Zealand which has refocused our marketing efforts in these sectors. We manufacture our products locally in New Zealand so have been lucky that our supply chain has experienced minimal disruption compared to some companies.  However, the increased cost and timeframes for freighting goods has been a pain point.  We have had to redouble our efforts in managing fulfilment and customer expectations.”

Linda, “Yes definitely with our event “The Superyacht Gathering” in the past 2 years we have had to ensure the speakers and guests are within the Oceania region in case of lockdowns and border closures but the interest here in hearing what is happening globally is still strong and with digital technology and the sponsorship support we have managed to provide great speakers and profile some key international companies.”

Tracey,
“The mix of global vs local has always been a cycle for us that can swing either way depending on the projects that we have on the go.  Local demand has certainly increased because of the pandemic and we have a strong network of local customers and suppliers. Marketing globally is more challenging currently. However, we need to focus on both markets to survive in the future”

Q6. What is your view of the current Australia/NZ marine industry and where do you see the opportunities/threats if the borders remain closed and the uncertainty we face in regards to this pandemic continues?

Sofia, “I think Australia had a slightly more relaxed border approach for super yachts during the America’s Cup with at least one very large super yacht for whom we had work booked in going to Australia instead of coming to NZ when crew/owners were denied entry. Incidences like this have a detrimental effect on our economy when, if allowed, and risk is mitigated, these vessels could bring significant revenue and jobs into New Zealand.

Nicola, “Localised interest in boating/sailing is strong, particularly with the lack of overseas travel and we think sales will remain solid in the immediate term. There is still more opportunity to develop and explore the new local interest in the industry. It remains to be seen, if there is still an appetite to head overseas when we can travel again, or if people will feel more comfortable staying closer and holidaying in the Pacific.  I think we will see more cruising closer to home in the medium term.”

Linda, “The marine industry in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific need to stop seeing themselves as individuals but as a destination when it comes to attracting superyachts. As Covid continues to roam the globe I believe certain regions will be seen as “safe” or “safer” at the very least. We need to promote our Oceania region.  By doing this we will be able to take advantage of travel bubbles that will allow superyachts to travel around the South Pacific, Australia, and New Zealand without restrictions. We have already seen an influx of superyachts returning to our regions so the owners can enjoy their yacht in home waters, we need this to continue and to use this to attract more.  Once boats are here the individual companies can compete, but the region needs to do the work first as a collective.”

Tracey, “The New Zealand marine construction market is very buoyant on the back of strong local demand; however it is difficult to see it staying at the current levels if the borders remain closed for a significant period of time. As I said earlier, we are investing in ways to be able to connect digitally with our international markets– including cameras for clients to monitor projects remotely and tools to assist communications, however nothing beats being able to build relationships and connections in person, have customers come to us and for us to be able to visit overseas markets to generate leads. We are also looking to connect more with our Australian neighbours to see if there are more ways that we can collaborate within our Trans-Tasman bubble.

Q7 Lastly I asked everyone what was the best bit of advice they had been given since starting their business?

Sophia, “If your gut feeling says something is not right, stick to that.”  I think it took me too long to allow myself to trust my gut feeling if people who I perceived to be more experienced advised differently.

Nicola, “Rome wasn’t built in a day” and ‘if it was easy, everyone would do it”
It takes many years of consistent, hard work to build a trusted and respected brand.

Linda, “Treat your suppliers like you do your customers and they will always have your back.”
and a quote by a Canadian Hockey Player that I subcribe to, “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

Tracey, “Get really good advice and surround yourself with really smart people that can inspire and challenge your business to grow and develop.”


For further information
Maryanne Edwards
Email: medwards@gmba.blue or info@gmba.blue
Mobile:+61412916036
Website: www.gmba.blue

N.B. Global Marine Business Advisors and its associated website www.gmba.blue are not registered legal entities. GMBA is a network of independent marine industry advisors.

ASMEX Showcases a Positive Future for the Australian Industry | MaryAnne Edwards, GMBA New Zealand & Australia

Maryanne Edwards, Global Marine Business Advisors, attended the 2021 Australian Superyacht, Marine Export and Commercial Industry (ASMEX) Conference held at Sanctuary Cove last week.  AIMEX successfully delivered a diverse and engaging event looking at the Australian economic recovery, growth in marine exports, defence innovation, electric hybrid engines, importing a superyacht into Australia and the latest superyacht visitation data for 2020. “Congratulations must go to President of AIMEX Jeremy Spear, the AIMEX board and CEO David Good for probably one of the most engaging conference days I have experienced.”

Alistair Murray AM

Alistair Murray AM, Chairman of Ronstan and Vice President, Australian Sailing, returned as conference MC bringing with him significant industry experience and a strong understanding of export markets.

GOVERNMENTS ARE PLAYING AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY

Given the important role governments are playing in Australia and globally since the pandemic it was important to have Deputy Premier Hon Dr Steve Miles, Minister for State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning outline current and future marine industry investment plans that will continue to support the economic recovery for Queensland. He made the point that one of the critical issues facing the industry is access to skilled labour and stated the government was placing more emphasis on how to attract and retain skilled workers in the industry.  Dr Thomas Wechselberger, Project Manager from the Queensland Department of State Development also attended the conference.  Dr Wechselberger has been working closely with industry to drive the QLD superyacht strategy, a significant government initiative that has been a huge benefit for the industry. It is exciting for the superyacht industry in Australia to see the level of not only government support but significant private investment in the refit, boatbuilding and marina development sectors being undertaken particularly in the state of Queensland.  The Palaszczuk Government’s Superyacht Strategy Champion, Member for Cairns Michael Healy was also present ensuring the issues facing the industry continue to be at the forefront of the Queensland government.  The Australian Marine sector voiced their concerns that other state governments have not been as progressive in supporting the industry with AIMEX working to drive more state government involvement particularly in WA and NSW where they have a strong concentration of marine industry players.

ECONOMIST A BREATH OF FRESH AIR

It was refreshing to hear a straightforward and easy to understand presentation from Peter Munckton, Chief Economist, Bank of Queensland.  Peter certainly impressed the audience with his commentary on a variety of issues that are important in understanding the current and future state of the Australian economy.  Housing prices, interest rates, defence spending, shortage of labour, current tax regime, government debt, importance of vaccination against Covid and the current influx of money coming into the economy from the latest government budget.   He stated the marine sector is a volatile but growth industry and suggested the sector is ahead of the pack in terms of supporting economic recovery. He also reinforced the importance of immigration to counter worker shortages and further drive the Australian economy.

EXPERIENCED EXPORTERS PROVIDE GREAT INSIGHT

The export sector in the Australian industry continues to be strong with Australian made products sought after on the global stage.  The export panel session with Kane Bygrave, Director, Aurora Global Logistics; Grant Amor, Director, Aqualuma; and Peter Dowdney, Australasian Sales Manager, Ronstan International was very interesting as they all recounted their first reactions to the pandemic 12 months ago and how their businesses changed as a result. The panel felt demand would continue as the global desire for Australia made products continues.

Grant Amor Aqualuma talked about his company’s desire to get more into a “need” rather than a “want” market. To this end Grant said Aqualuma have put more emphasis on their commercial lighting division which has produced positive results. He also advised the pandemic had allowed time to focus on R&D.

Kane Bygrave Aurora stated that in the beginning air freight options were reduced by 80% and as demand for air freight continued prices soared.  He advised freight schedules could be unreliable, containers difficult to access and prices across the board had increased.  Kane advised the pandemic has changed the freight environment and specifically lead times when you are looking to export.  Despite these challenges he stated Aurora were busier than ever and working hard to meet the logistic requirements of their clients.

Peter Dowdney spoke about how important and valuable their large distribution network had become since covid.  He said Ronstan had gone from a conservative mode when covid hit the globe to after 3 months having sales continuing to exceed forecasts.  He said like everyone the pandemic had provided the opportunity to really look at the business and make the necessary changes to ensure resilience in the future and like Aqualuma focus on R&D.

In conclusion the panellists were united in the areas that all exporters should focus on to ensure a sustainable long-term future in the industry.

  • Supply chains must be reviewed to ensure manufacturing capability is not compromised in the future
  • Distribution strategies and networks are essential to ensure a close relationship is maintained with clients
  • Marketing strategies need to be reviewed to take account for the lack of face-to-face interaction and the renewed importance of the digital environment and social media
  • Freight/logistics options must be reviewed to ensure companies can meet client’s delivery expectations
  • Everyone should use this time to improve your product range and ensure a continuing focus on R&D
  • Service and reliability are an important USP and must be reinforced
  • Australia made branding is becoming more important and in demand so promoting where you manufacture is important
  • Staffing – getting and retaining the right people will continue to be a critical issue within the industry and across the globe.

The panel stated reviewing the above areas was an eye-opening exercise and every company should do it. Repeated statements were the need to be nimble and resilient. A common theme being don’t underestimate how good you are at what you do. We must pull the future towards us not wait for it to come.

Ryan Carmichael, COO and Co-Founder of The Whiskey Project Group was impressive with his presentation and depth of detailed information on the requirements and development of defence solutions. With the purchase of Yamba Welding and Naiad late last year, the Whiskey Project Group now offers an end-to-end sovereign capability under one integrated company.

Chris Blackwell, Sales & Marketing Manager, Echo Marine Group and Sander Toonen, Chief Operating Officer, Silver Yachts represented Western Australia with Blackwell providing an overview on marine activities and updates on the WA Australian Marine Complex including Austal, BAE and Luerssen / CIVMEC and Echo Yachts as the major ship and yacht builders in Western Australia. Toonen delivered an in-depth presentation on Silver Yachts including its new Explorer Series. An interesting concept being managed by these shipyards is the sharing of staff during troughs and peeks within the business.  A concept that many other businesses should look at to combat staff shortages and the down time sometimes experienced between projects. It was noted the WA government had supported Silver Yachts in locating to a new site within the AMC.

ELECTRIFICATION -THOUGHTS FOR THE FUTURE

The electrification of vessel engines appears to be a current hot topic so having Martin Skoglund, Head of Volvo Penta Oceania and Gavin Rooney, Director Volvo Penta Australia present their vision for Volvo’s continuance in innovation and sustainable power systems was of keen interest to the audience.  Lynelle Johnson, Managing Director, E-Class Outboards talked about the company’s newly released electric outboards, their efficiency, range, and ease of recharging with comparisons to two-stroke diesel engines. Looking into the future there was talk about the need for marinas to have the capability to charge a fleet of electric vessels.  When one considers what is happening in the automotive sector this is certainly a space to watch out for.

Captain Richard Morris, Managing Director, Australian Superyachts tackled the importation of superyachts into Australia, the considerations and process, and the current unprecedented boom in superyacht importation largely due to COVID-19. Richard highlighted the importance of enticing the large contingent of overseas based Australian crew members back to work in Australia where there are now growing opportunities.

Martin Baum, Managing Director of Pantaenius Yacht Group, currently residing in Australia presented an update on the superyacht industry in Europe having another record year. He noted the high demand for new builds since the start of the pandemic was keeping shipyards busy, and that many who had been regular charter clients were now looking to yacht ownership to be able to enjoy the benefits control over their own vessel provides.   Pantaenius have made a significant mark in the Australian industry with a strong focus on the leisure marine sector and building strong relationships with their clients and other stakeholders.  It has been interesting to watch this company’s significant progress within the Australian market and how the Australian arm of Pantaenius stamped their unique brand on the industry.

SUPERYACHT SECTOR THRIVING

David Good, CEO, AIMEX released the new superyacht visitation data for 2020 showing foreign flagged superyachts stayed an average of 128 days in 2020 compared to an average of 73 days in 2019. This represents a 75% increase in the length of stay, translating into a contribution of over $100M to the Australian economy. David and his team have undertaken considerable work with both state and federal governments during the pandemic to ensure the steady flow of superyachts coming into Australia.  62 superyachts arrived in Australia during 2020. David also talked about his “reach, catch and deliver” marketing strategy detailing how their international events prior to covid had supported the strong visitation currently being seen.  AIMEX is focused on returning to the global stage when borders open but in the meantime have been working on new projects designed to promote Australia as a number one cruising and refit destination.

Returning to ASMEX by video was Martin Redmayne, Editor-in-Chief, The Superyacht Group and Kiran Haslam, Chief Marketing Officer of Princess Yachts. Martin shared his latest research findings from ‘The Pacific Superyacht Report’ detailing the future is bright for the region as owners look to use their vessels to travel further afield from their stock summer and winter locations.

 

HNWI AND HENRY’S

Finally, to wrap up what had been a day where you could see how engaged the audience were and how excited everyone is to be back in a face-to-face environment AIMEX had secured Kiran Haslam, a favourite presenter at ASMEX.  By video Kiran presented an upbeat and uniquely developed presentation on the changing landscape of luxury consumption and results of a survey by the Economists Group.  He talked about the transfer of wealth and referred to HNWI’s and HENRY’s (High earning not rich yet) and the opportunities these people represent to the superyacht industry.  Kiran also touched on the merits and attractiveness of Australia as a superyacht destination ending what had been one of the best conferences yet by confirming what many had said during the day and that was ‘Australia has it all’.

 


For further information
Maryanne Edwards
Email: medwards@gmba.blue or info@gmba.blue
Mobile:+61412916036
Website: www.gmba.blue

N.B. Global Marine Business Advisors and its associated website www.gmba.blue are not registered legal entities. GMBA is a network of independent marine industry advisors.

Interview with New Zealand Superyacht Industry Personality Duthie Lidgard | MaryAnne Edwards, GMBA New Zealand & Australia

Duthie Lidgard Maryanne Edwards, GMBA, talks to Duthie Lidgard a long-time player in the New Zealand superyacht industry.  Duthie is Managing Director of Catalano Shipping Services NZ, one of New Zealand’s leading Superyacht agents based in Auckland.  Duthie comes from a very passionate yachting family and a 5th generation of boat builders and has been involved in the marine industry all his life.  He went all the way from sailing dinghies as a kid to a Master 3000GT by his late 20s. The Yachting and Superyacht industry is a huge part of his life and needless to say he has been supplying his services to many of the vessels in New Zealand for the Americas Cup.  Maryanne talks to Duthie regarding the current state of the NZ marine industry and the superyacht sector and the future for the industry having now won the 2021 Americas cup. The home of the Americas Cup remains for the time being at the RNZYS. The AC36 under a covid world was heavily impacted but New Zealand as always made the best of a bad situation.  Now with planning well underway for the AC37 Duthie and his Catalano Team have already received 3 enquiries from yachts who could not make it this time to ensure their berth was held immediately for AC37, should the cup remain in NZ which clearly all of us downunder hope will happen.  This fantastic win by Team NZ is expected to give the full South Pacific region a massive boost with returning Superyachts drawn back into our neighbourhood.  Maryanne asked Duthie the following questions.


Question 1.

WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE KEY INDUSTRY SEGMENTS IN NZ AT THE MOMENT, THOSE DOING WELL THOSE MAYBE STRUGGLING?

Response:

“This is an interesting question and can be approached on many angles but across the board the marine segment is active in New Zealand. We have seen a huge influx on localised spend due to less international travel. Local yachties are investing in upgrades – new boats, new outboards, new Jetskis, new Sails and things like this the list goes on.  For the Superyachts it really relies heavily on tourism around owners and their guests being able to join the vessels. Regardless of refit plans, the tourism side of the equation for the majority of owners programs is always a key factor when looking at coming down to the South Pacific.

Given the tourism attraction is such a key focus,  as a superyacht agent we focus on having a strong Tourism team in the background, even though borders have been closed we have been moving forward especially with the flare we provide with our Maori Culture.”

Duthie Lidgard


Question 2.

WHAT ARE THE CRUCIAL ISSUES MOST BUSINESSES IN NZ ARE ADDRESSING TO ENSURE SURVIVAL AND SUCCESS?

Response:

“Diversifying and adapting to the environment, this is the crucial area for survival. We have gone from face-to-face dealings to promptly overnight moving to online servicing and remote
working.   No networking, boat shows or large industry gatherings. All these changes instantly make it a challenge to ensure you remain up to date with what is readily available. Ensuring survival and success in regards to the way we are operating means changing our day to day operations to meet the current climate of the Pandemic regulations and perceptions. It is important to limit interactions to ensure you, your colleagues, your clients and family feel comfortable that your operation is taking every health precaution whilst still servicing their every need and request.  This in turn creates trust.  Having clients that trust you at any turn, I see is a huge success.  We have had one of our busiest winters at the Agency leading up to the Prada Cup start in 2020, and I feel clients during the pandemic have turned to the businesses they have a relationship with – businesses that have trusted processes and deliver on the promise.”


Question 3.

HAS THERE BEEN A NOTABLE CHANGE SINCE COVID IN SUPPLY CHAINS FOR NZ MARINE INDUSTRY BUSINESSES WITH A MOVE TO SOURCE MORE LOCALLY?

Response:

“I personally haven’t seen any major changes, New Zealand suppliers had good stocks as we were in the peak of Summer when the pandemic hit, in winter 2020 we fully closed and when restrictions lifted there was sufficient stocks on hand to keep forging forward. We know many distributors do need to now look at ordering 9 months in advance as Europe manufacturing is affected which does trickle down to NZ, but effects everyone globally.

We still ship a few items in from Europe, USA or Asia for the Superyachts but this is merely due to being able to secure the larger products directly from the manufacturer overseas when there is no support in New Zealand.

All the freight companies we have dealt with have been on point and very few delays since the pandemic started across New Zealand.  A good freight company can really solve a lot of issues, we have always been told what flights are running and what airports are backlogged before all has been booked. We continue to work with contractors and suppliers to come up with a fast and efficient ideal local solution where possible…. Good old number 8 wire kiwi mentality.”


Question 4.

THERE WERE REDUCTIONS IN SUPERYACHTS COMING INTO NZ COMPARED TO WHAT WAS EXPECTED FOR THE AMERICAS CUP. HOW HAS THIS AFFECTED INDUSTRY PLAYERS AND WHAT ROLE HAS THE AMERICAS CUP CURRENTLY FULFILLED FOR NZ BUSINESSES?

Response:

“Charter Brokers have been busy, we have seen many requests for wealthy New Zealander’s unable to travel abroad looking at chartering yachts, but also with the Americas Cup, this placed a great spotlight on Auckland and our Hauraki Gulf for anyone in New Zealand looking to charter a yacht.

Agents in general have been coping well, from our perspective the season overall has been a standard summer season as any other with visiting yachts. What has changed is how they plan and spend their budgets as the owners can’t easily fly into NZ, the crew can’t rotate and many of the crew end up being part time fill ins. With this change, given international owners can’t use their boats, the spend to prepare the yacht for the owner is reduced.

The Americas Cup has been a saviour as I see it for New Zealand, many may disagree.  We are the endorsed Yacht Agent for the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron – Home of the Americas Cup which saw the Yacht Club reach their 150-year milestone and after years of planning, almost every yacht who entered New Zealand 2020/2021 to date was solely for the Americas Cup. However almost all the yachts had been hopeful the border controls would change, and the owners would be allowed to enter and cruise their yachts across our pristine coastline, sadly this was not always the case.

We have estimated there are 12 Superyachts over 30m available for charter in New Zealand currently.  For New Zealand this is massive compared to other years of seeing 4 or maybe 5 yachts.  This increase is seen as being due to the forward planning around the Americas Cup.”


Question 5.

ARE CONSUMERS STARTING TO BUY LARGER VESSELS, OR WITH COVID ARE CONSUMERS LOOKING TO SPEND MORE RECREATIONAL TIME WITH THEIR FAMILY ON A MANAGEABLE SCALE AND LOOKING AT SMALLER, EASIER TO MANAGE VESSELS?

Response:

“I do see throughout the industry that consumers are indeed upgrading across the board.

Larger and newer models for sure. Since New Zealand has reached maximum capacity in our marinas, the upgrades are limited to what can fit into the current berthing available.

Recreational time on the water has been busy this summer, I have never seen so many recreational fishing boats out in the Hauraki Gulf for some time, it is great to see people getting out and enjoying time with family or colleagues.”


Question 6.

WHAT IS THE HORIZON LOOKING LIKE IF BORDERS REMAIN CLOSED?  WHERE WILL BUSINESS COME FROM?

Response:

“This is an interesting question. Where will business come from? We ask ourselves this every day.

Hard to secure international business with borders closed.   We have adjusted our business model to also service the local market, and this is all about service, service, service. It is exciting to hear this week that the borders may soon be opening between Australia and NZ, currently it is only open one way with people coming from Australia still having to quarantine. Hopefully, other South Pacific countries will follow suit.”


Question 7.

IS THE NZ GOVERNMENT SYMPATHETIC TO THE PLIGHT OF THE SUPERYACHT INDUSTRY AND FACILITATING THE ENTRY OF INTERNATIONAL VESSELS?

Response:

“I truly believe in New Zealand we have the world’s best Customs and Immigration teams doing whatever they can to make the border controls work for Superyachts.

They see every day how this industry provides a huge economic impact across a wider group of segments, not just in the marine sector.

We continue to push government and we continue to thank our Customs and Immigration officers who really are trying to open the doorway for change. Captains will often tell us what a warm welcome they have received on entering New Zealand.

The government itself understands the superyacht industry, but they are wary about the public perception that billionaires are buying their way into NZ.  This is a number 1 issue, with the industry trying to ensure the public are well informed of the economic value and jobs this industry creates for New Zealanders. Everyone has their own views, and we accept that, but when you look at the fact New Zealand borders are closed but the government is allowing the *WIGGLES* to enter New Zealand for a 3-week tour for parents to pay for their little kids to go watch, compared to the economic value of a $5million superyacht refit which will keep 1,000 New Zealander’s employed for 2 months…. the system seems flawed. The system should allow both as all in their own way benefit NZ, is it government”?

I do feel it is solely with government, our legislation like most countries isn’t easily changed but in a country like New Zealand where the marine industry is a significant revenue earner and job creator we must start to review decisions made that affect our economy and opportunities for jobs.  However, no matter how much I can disagree with the systems in place, we work within our current systems and create new processes to facilitate a friendlier environment for our clients.”

An example of this issue re regulations that has been widely reported is regarding MY BOLD which had recently received Ministry of Health approval and Border approval to enter New Zealand for much needed refit works. Sadly, on final application for crew visa’s it was highlighted that 7 of the crew could not be ruled essential for the vessel movements and were declined visa’s to arrive into NZ.  Unfortunately, due to New Zealand’s legislation on what makes a Marine Crew and what makes an Essential worker – Superyacht Crew do not fall under our legislation to easily be approved.  For a yacht willing to spend $750,000 over the space of 3 weeks in New Zealand and to have to cancel everything because of 7 crew being denied entry is heart breaking for the industry that so desperately needs yachts to enter for Winter.”


Question 8.

HOW IMPORTANT ARE TRADE ASSOCIATIONS IN REPRESENTING AND SUPPORTING THE INDUSTRY IN THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT?

Response:
“I have always looked at Associations as “Old Boys Network” and under current restrictions now more than ever we need to be united and strong as an Industry. A strong leading association for the marine industry is key, ensuring every supplier, contractor, seller has a voice. It is important for that voice to be heard near and far to ensure the populous understand what we are faced with, especially now we are at the end of the Americas Cup.  Whilst this event has been significant it could be seen by some as too little too late. We needed to maximise our industry exposure whilst the world looked at New Zealand. Borders closed is not an excuse to lower the voice or actions and is the perfect time to inject new minds, new thoughts, and new processes to show the world what is on offer and what can be done.  Associations need to ensure they capture the whole industry.  Unfortunately for many associations they are unable to be targeted across one segment within an industry without upsetting another part of the industry.  We as a business are solely focused on Superyachts and everything to do with Superyachts so we forge on ensuring our clients get the attention required in pursuit of 100% satisfaction. I suppose in any trade association you want them to create a positive environment for your industry and we all need to see clearly the benefits provided.”


Question 9.

WHEN INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOWS RESUME, WILL THEY BE AS IMPORTANT AS BEFORE?

Response:

“I have never been one to see a Boat Show as a key critical tool for our business, yes they are important to show face but having been locked into a country for 12 months and not seeing new clientele for some time, I now feel the boat show will be a significant step in reconnecting with the world. But with the reconnect we will be implementing new future proof tools to ensure we never lose connection again… watch this space.”


For further information
Maryanne Edwards
Email: medwards@gmba.blue or info@gmba.blue
Mobile:+61412916036
Website: www.gmba.blue

N.B. Global Marine Business Advisors and its associated website www.gmba.blue are not registered legal entities. GMBA is a network of independent marine industry advisors.

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