Alumax Boats has entered into a joint venture in Vietnam with conglomerate Son Ha Group and shipbuilder James Boat, opening its first plant outside of the Netherlands.
The shipyard, in the Thuan Thanh Industrial Park in the northern province of Bac Ninh will be operated by Alumax Amsterdam.
“We have reached a historic milestone: the opening of our first Alumax plant outside the Netherlands, in Vietnam,” said Remko Germeraad, Alumax director.
“For Alumax, this factory is much more than a new production location. It is the beginning of a sustainable collaboration in which knowledge, craftsmanship and quality are central.”
Higher level of quality
He added: “We did not come to Vietnam to tell them how it should be done.
“We believe that the best results come when you share knowledge, respect each other and build a higher level of quality together.
“By combining our years of experience with Dutch quality aluminium boats with the ambition and craftsmanship of our Vietnamese colleagues, we create new opportunities for the Vietnamese maritime sector.”
Alumax specialises in building aluminium vessels, including those used in the Olympic games in 2012.
The company’s vessels have been sold into Vietnam through a partnership with James Boat for several years.
Under the new JV, Alumax will provide its aluminium boat building technology, while Son Ha will contribute industrial manufacturing capacity, management expertise and financial resources. James Boat will serve as the technology partner.
New standards
“Our mission is clear: to take safety, reliability and quality to a higher level,” said Remko.
“Not by just building boats, but by transferring knowledge, training people and together setting a new standard for aluminum boats in Vietnam.
“That’s what Alumax stands for. Not just building boats, but building people, trust and long-term partnerships.”
The facility will build a wide range of vessels initially from 6.5 metres to 16.5 metres in length including patrol boats, workboats, high-speed craft, passenger ships, yachts and catamarans for both the domestic market and export.
The JV has already secured orders for government service vessels and yachts worth US$20 million.
The partnership is expected to help establish Vietnam as a producer of internationally certified aluminium vessels and enhance the country’s competitiveness in the global maritime industry., opening its first plant outside of the Netherlands with conglomerate Son Ha Group and shipbuilder James Boat.
