North empire expands South

Parent company North Technology Group has announced the acquisition of Future Fibres by one of its brands, Southern Spars. The purchase of the Spanish manufacturer of carbon rigging components will complement the New Zealand based buyer’s bespoke rigging solution operations.

"Future Fibres has long been an innovator in the field of advanced fibre rigging," said Tom Whidden, CEO of North Technology Group. "With NTG's support, Southern Spars now has the resources to provide our customers with a wider range of advanced rigging options. Future Fibres has been built on three main brand values: performance, innovation and dedication. We see the same values within the companies that form North Technology Group. This made acquiring Future Fibres a natural fit."

In an exclusive exchange with SuperyachtNews.com, Southern Spars’ CEO Richard Lott said that, despite the acquisition, Future Fibres would continue to operate under its own banner.

Furthermore, as far as integrating the companies’ logistics, “Southern is very used to operating in various locations around the world with the communication speed that requires”, Lott clarified. “Many of our plants supply sub-assembly for other plants and vice versa, so that path is also well embedded. We see it as a great opportunity to provide enhanced application-specific products to our customers.”


In this most competitive sectors technological competition is fierce, and the recruitment of Future Fibres’ expertise is obvious. “Future Fibres understand the use of PBO fibre for furling cables and have a lead on solid carbon cables”, Lott explained, while, “Southern has the ubiquitous ECsix multistrand carbon fibre rigging which is presently on the Volvo boats.”

He added that the Volvo Ocean Race fleet is actually a working example of how the new operation will function in practice. In that instance the cost of servicing the cables both companies provide will be reduced by running servicing through one team.

"Future Fibres' DNA is technology based and customer friendly," explained founder Tom Hutchinson. "The ability to continue to innovate with North Technology Group is something that will allow my original dream to prosper. I very much look forward to working with all at Southern Spars and all of NTG." 

This ‘dream’ has recently manifested itself in an industry-lauded load monitoring system for Perini Navi’s Perseus³, and the company has also made progress in the realm of mast mould production.


“They have made some very nice progress [while] Southern has focused on the technology of rig design and integration. Joined together we have the ability to produce the perfect rig - both bend and aesthetics, straight out of the box, living up to Southern's ‘Just Push Play’ mantra”, Lott concluded. “It is a tough business - the mast game. But it is not for want of technical advancement.”

Profile links

SOUTHERN SPARS

Future Fibres

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