UPDATE, SEPTEMBER 25, 2015: A spokesperson for Holland Jachtbouw tells us that Palmer Johnson did not acquire the yard. We have asked what the business arrangement between the two companies is, but have not received a reply.
Read on for the original article.
Following its announcement earlier this month that it is moving all production to The Netherlands from the United States, Palmer Johnson says it has acquired Holland Jachtbouw.
In a statement released today, Palmer Johnson states that Holland Jachtbouw’s “reputation built on excellence and open approach to innovation” were the convincing factors behind the acquisition. Established in the early 1990s to build traditional flat-bottom Dutch boats, Holland Jachtbouw has gone on to build prominent power and sailing superyachts. Located in Zandaam, near Amsterdam, Holland Jachtbouw is particularly known for its work on J Class yachts, including Rainbow and the recently delivered Topaz. Both yachts employ a hybrid propulsion system with lithium-ion batteries and a variable-speed genset, too, created in-house by Holland Jachtbouw. A new-build motoryacht signed by the shipyard a few months ago, known as Project 009, will also feature a hybrid propulsion system designed in house. In terms of construction materials, Holland Jachtbouw has employed aluminum, steel, and carbon composite. The maximum LOA it builds to is 246 feet (75 meters), following a recent expansion of its facilities. That expansion (above) has resulted in offices for project managers and owners’ representatives directly looking out over the construction floor, and in additional build sheds to handle projects.
The Palmer Johnson announcement made no reference to whether its management team was taking over the build of Project 009. There was no mention either of the exclusive construction rights that Holland Jachtbouw has to J9, a never-built J Class design. We’ve requested commentary from Holland Jachtbouw and will update this story accordingly.
In the meantime, Palmer Johnson is re-emphasizing that it’s moving to Europe for business purposes. Earlier this month, it released a statement from Timur Mohammed, the owner of the yard, explaining that “offshore competitive pressures have escalated” and that it believed the move was a necessity. In the new announcement, Palmer Johnson states, “Despite the U.S. being the most important market, there is a limited network of suppliers, subcontractors and no clusters of yacht manufacturers as exists in Europe. PJ was procuring up to 90% of materials and subcontractor services from overseas in a strong dollar environment, which erodes its competitiveness against the European builders.” Palmer Johnson further states that the American workforce has “for decades consistently produced the quality for which Palmer Johnson yachts are known.”
Palmer Johnson was established in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin in 1918.
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