British boatbuilding has been in the news recently for all the wrong reasons. Administrators at Fairline and job losses at Princess.
So it was good to learn that on the eve of the opening of the London Boat show Sunseeker International has announced that it is now looking to recruit 225 new skilled staff, an increase on its original plan for 100 new employees to support the introduction of several new models planned for 2016.
The new roles will be based at its manufacturing operations in Dorset, covering construction trades including
- Carpentry
- Plumbing
- Electrical
- Boat Building
- Mechanical Engineering
- GRP Laminating
- GRP Finishing
Commenting on the recruitment drive, the company’s CEO Phil Popham said: “We are pleased to announce these recruitment plans which give a clear signal of the positive times ahead. We have a clear and robust business plan to invest in long term growth and sustainable success, backed by our majority shareholder Wanda Group whose stable ownership and strong financial backing enables us to plan and invest for the future. Our forward order book for 2016 and beyond is looking very strong, currently up 55% over the same period last year.
Expanding our highly skilled workforce is a key part of our planned investment, and with the introduction of a number of new boat lines in 2016 we are able to recruit 225 new skilled staff to support future growth. This recruitment drive is underway and will conclude in the first half of the year, bringing our total employee number to around 2,150.”