It’s onwards and upwards for the Eastern Cape’s Butt Catamarans which has re-launched its Gqeberha facility following a major upgrade.
The facility was gutted by fire last year, prompting a major overhaul and several improvements.
Co-owner Michelle van Kempen said the fire, while hugely damaging, at least had the silver lining of fast-tracking various improvements, such as high-quality smoke detectors, cameras, a bigger flammables room, and solar energy infrastructure. “It has now become a world-class facility,” Van Kempen says.
“The facility has been upgraded and is bigger for us. We have expanded the footprint.”
She says the Company is now primed to benefit from a resilient boat market that continues to outperform other sectors. A healthy order book means the factory is fully operational and fully subscribed until 2025.
That’s an impressive turnaround from last year when the Company lost five boats, three of them nearly complete, when fire ravaged their Gqeberha facility. The team weathered the storm and are now looking ahead to success in both the local and export market.