Marine Concepts has officially opened a new 24,000sqft (2,230sqm) composite engineering and boatbuilding space at Lee-on-the-Solent, a development that has taken more than a year to construct.
The new building – a £2.8 million investment – has been constructed to cater for an increase in demand for Marine Concepts’ services.
It has been constructed on the site of the former historic Overlord Hanger, opposite to Marine Concepts existing Dunning Building, a 60,000sqft CNC tooling and production facility.
The new facilities will provide temperature controlled clean areas for pre-preg and infusion laminating, as well as assembly and finishing processes.
“As we see increased demand for more advanced materials such as carbon fibre, aramid and other ballistic resistant materials, and methods of composite manufacture such as resin infusion and pre-preg, the new facility will in part be a dedicated temperature controlled and secure clean area to accommodate the needs of these clients and the advanced materials and manufacturing methods including a high temperature 5m2 curing oven,” explained Marine Concepts MD Jason Stubington.
“We seek to grow into the commercial and defence marine space as well as extending offerings to the leisure and luxury marine industry. The other part of the factory will be used as a GRP gel coat finishing and visual carbon polishing area.”
The company will continue to use its Dunning Building for the manufacture of CNC patterns and moulds for all industries, plus for fibreglass and carbon fibre yacht, RIB and other marine components.
The company is able to manufacture a range of products from deck hatches and consoles through to superstructures, hulls and hardtops.
“As well as the construction of the parts, we have inhouse specialist finishing and paint teams,” added Jason.
“We have a large 13 metre spray/bake booth and we also offer assembly of components such as wetbars and flybridges including installing teak decking and fitting glass and Perspex screens.”
In addition, Marine Concepts has five CNC machines including what is thought to be the largest in the country measuring 44 metres in length.
The business was founded in 1998 by partners Terry Stubington and Peter Hill who hand-built patterns for prestigious yacht makers.
It has since grown into one of the UK’s leading composite development and production facilities employing around 100 people with various accreditations including ISO 9001, JOSCAR, Cyber Essentials and DNV approval either in place, or in the process of being implemented.
 composite engineering and boatbuilding space at Lee-on-the-Solent.){kind=link}