The international credit crisis has undoubtedly affected the major manufacturers of luxury goods, which naturally include sailing and motor yacht manufacturers in particular more strongly than the consumer goods industry. A few days before the beginning of the Düsseldorf boat exhibition BOOT, Greifswald-based Hanseyachts AG, which is one of the world’s leading and highest-selling yacht makers, now sees clear signs of a more permanent recovery in the water sports market.
“After many years of strong growth of up to 50% per financial year, we suffered a major drop in sales,” says Michael Schmidt, executive board chairman and majority shareholder of the HanseGroup. “Overall, we lost 50% of sales in the first year of the crisis – just when we had introduced new and very modern production-line manufacturing methods.”
The HanseGroup has learned its lesson and has freed itself from the crisis. Through the acquisition of the Dehler shipyards the company with its current four sail yacht brands Hanse, Moody, Dehler and Varianta is placed perfect in the market. And the well known Fjord motor yacht brand documents with the new Fjord 36 Open that this business field is more than alive.
As recently as last financial year (2009/2010), sales rose by 25% again. Now, in the new financial year, incoming order capacity has increased again by 25%, so that production capacity is actually fully utilised. Michael Schmidt attributes these increased planned purchases not only to almost all the markets served by HanseGroup worldwide but also to the new and very offensive model policies. Since
BOOT 2010 the HanseGroup presented 7 new models, all well accepted by customers.
The Group will introduce two further world innovations to an international trade public – the Hanse 495 (15,40 metre) and the radical motor yacht Fjord 36 Open (10,80 metres).
The Hanse 495 (15,40 metre) Sailing yacht - Credit HanseGroup AG
The company is consistently pursuing this successful strategy. For the next 15 months Hanseyachts AG has planned another 7 new models to stabilise this trend and to generate a stable growth and good profits.
