A new era for Blohm+Voss?
Blohm+Voss has announced a restructuring process that will see the shipyard incorporate its refit and new build divisions. In an exclusive conversation with SuperyachtNews.com, sales and marketing director, Patrick Coote provides an insight into the process, as well as an update on the progress of the BV80 project.…
Recently appointed Blohm+Voss CEO, Fred van Beers has unveiled a new restructuring and investment strategy, which will place renewed emphasis on the German shipyard’s superyacht construction.
This process will focus on four key areas: the merger of Blohm+Voss’ new build and refit operations, with its headquarters to reside in Hamburg; further investment in the development of the BV80 project; the expansion of the sales team; and the introduction of a turnkey solution, which will see clients’ vessels supported by Blohm+Voss for the entirety of their lifecycle.
Patrick Coote, Blohm+Voss’ sales and marketing director, spoke exclusively to SuperyachtNews.com about the progress of the BV80 project, which has received much fanfare since its introduction, and the need to reinforce some of the company’s core values to the market.
“As many people know”, Coote explained, “At the Monaco show a letter of intent was signed. That letter of intent has now been extended because we are still in discussions about the details of the client’s customisation of the project. But even without the contract in place, given the high levels of interest we have in the product and design, we have decided to proceed with purchasing the steel and the major components.”
This pre-emptive process, involving pre-engineering and material procurement means that Blohm+Voss says it can now deliver a BV80 to a client just 30 months from the point of sale, despite the high level of customisation. The ‘semi-custom’ element comprises the hull platform, crew spaces and technical areas.
This steps distinguishes the yard as one of a handful on the market to actively seek clients for both custom and semi-custom superyachts of 80m-plus.
“We have a foot in both sectors and I’d say about two-thirds of our projects are custom, while one-third are semi-custom projects, but we don’t have any intention of sitting exclusively in one or the other”, he explained. And because of the level of customisation still available on a BV80 project, Coote feels it represents a more attractive proposition for clients seeking a more competitive price and a shorter delivery time.
One might question how much of a restructuring process this really is, considering the shipyard’s current service provision. However, the amalgamation of operations will now see all divisions under one roof, further reinforcing the yard’s turnkey approach.
In the past, Coote said, “they haven’t worked as closely together as they could have done and we’ve lost out on certain benefits. We now intend to realise those benefits by having the best knowledge and expertise from both facilities brought together in one hub of best practice.”
“It seems somewhat crazy that you can get a two-year warranty on a kettle but in the yacht industry you get the best part of 12 months. If you look at Lady Moura, Eco or Golden Odyssey, you see ships that have left us and remain in great working order decades later. To offer clients a 12-month warranty and then wave goodbye to them makes no sense to us.”
This process will focus on four key areas: the merger of Blohm+Voss’ new build and refit operations, with its headquarters to reside in Hamburg; further investment in the development of the BV80 project; the expansion of the sales team; and the introduction of a turnkey solution, which will see clients’ vessels supported by Blohm+Voss for the entirety of their lifecycle.
Patrick Coote, Blohm+Voss’ sales and marketing director, spoke exclusively to SuperyachtNews.com about the progress of the BV80 project, which has received much fanfare since its introduction, and the need to reinforce some of the company’s core values to the market.
“As many people know”, Coote explained, “At the Monaco show a letter of intent was signed. That letter of intent has now been extended because we are still in discussions about the details of the client’s customisation of the project. But even without the contract in place, given the high levels of interest we have in the product and design, we have decided to proceed with purchasing the steel and the major components.”
This pre-emptive process, involving pre-engineering and material procurement means that Blohm+Voss says it can now deliver a BV80 to a client just 30 months from the point of sale, despite the high level of customisation. The ‘semi-custom’ element comprises the hull platform, crew spaces and technical areas.
This steps distinguishes the yard as one of a handful on the market to actively seek clients for both custom and semi-custom superyachts of 80m-plus.
“We have a foot in both sectors and I’d say about two-thirds of our projects are custom, while one-third are semi-custom projects, but we don’t have any intention of sitting exclusively in one or the other”, he explained. And because of the level of customisation still available on a BV80 project, Coote feels it represents a more attractive proposition for clients seeking a more competitive price and a shorter delivery time.
One might question how much of a restructuring process this really is, considering the shipyard’s current service provision. However, the amalgamation of operations will now see all divisions under one roof, further reinforcing the yard’s turnkey approach.
In the past, Coote said, “they haven’t worked as closely together as they could have done and we’ve lost out on certain benefits. We now intend to realise those benefits by having the best knowledge and expertise from both facilities brought together in one hub of best practice.”
“It seems somewhat crazy that you can get a two-year warranty on a kettle but in the yacht industry you get the best part of 12 months. If you look at Lady Moura, Eco or Golden Odyssey, you see ships that have left us and remain in great working order decades later. To offer clients a 12-month warranty and then wave goodbye to them makes no sense to us.”
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