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Malaysia ex Machina

• By Kevin Koenig
• Updated: April 27, 2017

Johor Bahru, Malaysia, home of the Grand Banks Yachts factory, is quite literally on the other side of the world from large swaths of America. The time difference between there and the U.S. East Coast is a bracing 13 hours. Undomesticated dogs that resemble coyotes trot treacherously close to highways buzzing with motorbike traffic, each bike in some wild state of disrepair. Just a single degree north of the equator, the city gets baptized by the heavens every day at 4 p.m. during the rainy season. It’s a good time to be indoors. And it’s a particularly good time to be indoors in the Grand Banks ­factory, where visitors are transported from one world back into a whole other one that is clean, modern and tech-forward — all the way through the looking glass, or perhaps in this case, the handlaid fiberglass.

The Ground Floor

The overriding theme among the workers on the Grand Banks factory floor is pride in their skills and happiness with their jobs. There’s a ­surprising amount of longevity in the careers here. The ­woman in the photograph at right is Lily Arabian Bte ­Palalwee. She has been with the company for 22 years, mostly doing paint and varnish work.

She says her favorite part of the job is the people she works with.

“I’m happy here, and my co-workers are happy too,” she says. “There is no tension on the floor. When I ­started here, I was 17 and single. Now I am married and have three children — 11,13 and 17. I don’t know if I could have done that without this job. Also, sometimes they take us out on the boats when they are finished, and this gives me a great feeling of pride in my job.”

After some back-and-forth with a translator, I was able to ascertain that the man in the photograph at left has been with Grand Banks for 20 years, doing mostly varnishing. He clearly took a lot of pride in his work. And his distinct hat keeps things colorful and illustrates the general feeling of bonhomie among the local working class. My translator ran out of English, and my Malay admittedly needs some brushing up, so I couldn’t quite get the backstory on the hat, even though I wanted to learn more. But it didn’t matter. This was a happy, focused man ­fully invested in his work. That much was obvious.

SPOKES ON THE WHEEL

Grand Banks is a much-hallowed builder with a, dare we say, grand tradition. But that doesn’t mean the company isn’t forward-thinking. That attitude was cemented when Grand Banks bought Australia’s Palm Beach Motor Yachts in 2014, in a well-founded effort to round out its product offerings. Now both Palm Beach and Grand Banks yachts, as well as the company’s Eastbay line, are all built in the same facility in Johor Bahru.

Middle of Everything

Grand Banks takes great care to make sure its manual laborers are overseen by highly knowledgeable boatbuilders, many with pedigrees that include long stints at some of the Western world’s top yards. The (mostly) men work closely with the locals to ensure build quality.

One such overseer is David Oliver Smith (at left in the photograph top right), a 54-year-old Irishman who’s been building yachts for 36 years, many of them with Sunseeker. “I train these guys personally,” he says. “You’ve got to get them to the point where you can trust them with their tasks, and I’ve gotten to that point. I trust them. I’m learning their language, and that’s a little gesture, but it goes such a long way in developing trust among co-workers.”

Smith has bounced around the world building boats, and his wife and two daughters live in Australia. So how’d he wind up so far from home, in Malaysia? The Irishman lets a wry grin spread across his face: “Just drinking in the wrong bars, I guess!”

The Tom Berenger look-alike in the photograph at right is Angus Macneil, another supervisor, who hails from New Zealand and has 20-plus years of boatbuilding experience. He echoes Smith’s take on the workforce. “The Malaysians are wonderful people,” he says. “They have the best attitudes, and they’ll do anything for you. The boats we build here are beautiful, and having a workforce like this is a big reason why. And once we get going and things really ratchet up, we’re only going to get better.”

The Grand Banks 60 is at the forefront of the company’s push in a new direction. The yacht, with classic lines, will actually be 65 feet length overall and have a 19-foot-2-inch beam, while drawing 3 feet 6 inches. Among many notable traits, the 60 will have a cruise speed of 32 knots, a top-end of 37 knots, loads of carbon fiber above the sheer line and Express Joystick Systems at three control stations. This is the boat Grand Banks is betting on to forge a bright future.

The Hand That Rocks the Boat

Grand Banks is nothing if not a top-down ­company. When you’re building yachts in a country that doesn’t have a traditionally strong yacht-building culture, you have to import that culture. And when Grand Banks acquired Palm Beach, it did just that. The culture-setting all starts with Mark Richards. At about 6-foot-4 with pale blue eyes and a ­specifically Aussie machismo, Richards is a force of nature with a boating pedigree that humbles most. The eight-time Rolex Sydney Hobart champion knows as much about boats, and boatbuilding, as anyone in the industry. And he’s not the type of CEO who spends all his time out on the golf course slapping backs and making deals.

Richards is often in the factory, greeting all the workers by name and staying on top of details.

“Within a half-hour of seeing this factory, I knew we could make it work,” he says. “It’s a big pool, but I jumped into the deep end and started swimming. We’re changing the culture here. We’re all about precision. We’ve got an eight-axis router coming in. People may have questions about building boats in Malaysia, but I believe that you can teach anyone to do anything. And I think these new boats we’re building are proving that.”

Richards’ right-hand man, Hank Compton, agrees. “I think the technical quality of these boats, particularly the Grand Banks 60, is really going to impress people,” he says. ­“Everything above the sheer line is carbon fiber. Just think about how that translates into fuel efficiency, not to mention center of gravity. It’s highly technical stuff. The people that work here are clearly proud of what they’re accomplishing, and that’s no accident.”

Singing Praises

If you’re headed to the Johor Bahru factory, you’re most likely flying into Singapore, which is just a few miles away (though traffic can be a bear). Regardless, lucky you. Singapore’s Changi Airport has been voted the world’s best, four years running, at the Skytrax World Airport Awards in Cologne, Germany. Changi Airport has luxury shops, free Wi-Fi and even a movie theater. In an airport. And if you decide to stay in Singapore for your trip — not a bad option considering that Johor Bahru, though not without its charms, is a mostly industrial city — you’re in for another treat. Or, more accurately, you’re in for a bunch of treats.

None other than world-traveling gourmand and TV show host Anthony Bourdain describes the city-state like so: “For a gastro-tourist, somebody who travels to eat, any kind of serious eater, Singapore’s probably the best place you can go for maximum bang in a minimum period of time.” High praise indeed. So there you have it. Go for the yacht but stay for the Wah Feng wonton noodles.

VIDEO: Yachting Visits the Grand Banks Yachts Factory

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Grand Banks 60

The stunning new Grand Banks 60 is the most efficient cruiser in its class, with a ride that easily surpasses any yacht of its size on the water today. This beautiful, completely redesigned yacht pays homage to classic Grand Banks styling, with a special focus on performance and fuel consumption. Featuring wide-open entertaining areas, supremely comfortable furnishings and three staterooms, this true ocean-going long-range cruiser is ideal for passage making, and can easily be handled by two people.

The Grand Banks 60 can reach speeds up to 36 knots, has a range of more than 2,500 nautical miles at 10 knots, and uses an unbelievably efficient 29 gal/hr of fuel 20 knots. We believe we have created the most stable 60-foot monohull flybridge in the world, which performs confidently in even the roughest seas and will take you anywhere you want to go.

The Grand Banks 60 is their first foray into a new standard of fully infused carbon fiber construction, which results in a low center of gravity, inherent form stability at all speeds, and multiple advantages in strength, rigidity, weight and performance. This is next-level yachting.

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Gb60 layout, gb60ac layout, gb60sl layout.

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Grand Banks Yachts Sdn Bhd

Grand Banks Yachts is a luxury yacht manufacturing company based out of Malaysia, and listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange as Grand Banks Yachts Ltd. ( GBY:SP ) [1]

Grand Banks Yachts began as American Marine [2] , established by Robert J. Newton and his two sons John and Whit Newton. They are regarded as influential in making recreational trawler -style yachts iconic [3] . In 2014 Grand Banks Yachts acquired a 100% ownership stake in Australian luxury yacht builders Palm Beach Motor Yachts, acquiring its CEO Mark Richards , skipper of 8 times line honours Sydney to Hobart winning SuperMaxi Wild Oats XI , to run the enlarged company group [4] .

• 2 Redirection
• 3 References
• 4 sources updated, information verified

History [ edit ]

The original shipyard in 1956 was located on a small section of waterfront [5] in Kowloon, Hong Kong. Hong Kong was at that time a British Colony . Their first boat was launched in 1957 after 6 months of building, and Robert's other son Whit joined his brother and father, and they established American Marine Ltd building heavy sailboats and large motor-yachts for some of the world's top marine architects including Sparkman & Stephens , William Garden , Nat Herreshoff , Ray Hunt and others [6] [7] .  

In 1962, American Marine commissioned their own design through naval architect Ken Smith [8] , a 36 foot trawler named Spray that would lead into the future design of the Grand Banks 36 [9] . Within 1 year of launching Spray, American Marine ceased custom building to focus on their new 8-knot wooden cruiser, and over the next few years expanded the Grand Banks fleet to include the GB32, GB42, GB48, GB50, GB57 and GB62. The shipyard moved from Singapore in 1995 [10] and now trades out of a factory in Johor Bahru [11] , Malaysia with corporate offices in Singapore.

Redirection [ edit ]

Upon its acquisition of Palm Beach and appointment of new CEO Mark Richards , the shipyard in Pasir Gudang, Johor Bahru , underwent substantial refitting and development and Grand Banks moved from its previous dealership sales distribution network to a factory direct sales model [12] . The company ceased production of its line of legacy models to focus on developing more efficient and modern designs using new technology and production methods utilising carbon fiber , resin infusion and multi-axis CNC . Grand Banks is due to unveil its new flagship Grand Banks 60 in 2017 to commemorate the company's 60th anniversary.

References [ edit ]

• ↑ "Grand Banks Yachts - Company Information" . grandbanks.com . Retrieved 2017-03-06 .
• ↑ "Top 15 Trawlers" . Yachting Magazine . Retrieved 2017-03-06 .
• ↑ "Grand Banks to Acquire 2nd Brand" . Yachting Magazine . Retrieved 2017-03-26 .
• ↑ "American Marine Ltd boatyard, Junk Bay – great photographs – The Industrial History of Hong Kong Group" . industrialhistoryhk.org . Retrieved 2017-03-06 .
• ↑ "The Making Of a Grand Banks | | PassageMaker" . www.passagemaker.com . Retrieved 2017-03-06 .
• ↑ "Oh Wooden Aye" . www.powerandmotoryacht.com . Retrieved 2017-03-07 .

• ↑ ShareInvestor. "Grand Banks Yachts: Renewal Of 30-Year Lease At Pasir Gudang Industrial Area For S$6.2 Million. - ShareInvestor.com" . www.shareinvestor.com . Retrieved 2017-03-06 .
• ↑ "Grand Banks Yachts Annual Report 2016" (PDF) . Annual Report . October 11, 2016 . Retrieved March 26, 2017 .

sources updated, information verified [ edit ]

This article "Grand Banks Yachts" is from Wikipedia . The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Grand Banks Yachts . Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

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SINGAPORE (Aug 30): Grand Banks Yachts, the luxury yacht designer and builder, reported earnings of S$2 million for the FY16 ended June, reversing from its net loss of S$4.8 million in the preceding year.

Full-year revenue rose 49.7% to S$58.7 million as the group sold eight inventory yachts and received orders for all of its new models — Grand Banks 60, Eastbay 44 and 52, and Palm Beach 42. The group had also ramped up the manufacturing at its Pasir Gudang facility and more yachts achieved construction milestones.

Gross margins improved by 7.5 percentage points to 17.4%, after Grand Banks adopted a factory direct sales model and improved its manufacturing processes for better efficiency.

Furthermore, the group also received a one off gain from a deferred tax asset, which boosted earnings by S$0.7 million.

At end June, the group had an order book of S$34.1 million.

Grand Banks says it is mindful of the volatility in RM, AUD and USD that would affect its operations, but adds that its successful integration of its Palm Beach and Grand Banks brands will drive growth for the group in FY17.

The group did not declare any dividends for the current financial period.

Shares of Grand Banks are trading at 23.5 Singaporean cents.

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Singapore Exchange-listed Grand Banks Yachts Limited is a global brand known for its vast experience in manufacturing and selling luxury motor yachts. Headquartered in Singapore with manufacturing operations in Malaysia and marketing offices in Seattle, Grand Banks is recognized for superior quality and craftsmanship, and has built some of the most highly sought-after yachts available in the market today.

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Grand Banks Yachts Sdn. Bhd. (Malaysia)

Grand Banks Yachts Sdn. Bhd. is based in Malaysia. The head office is in Pasir Gudang. It operates in the Boat Building industry. It was established on December 31, 1990. It currently has a total number of 860 (2023) employees. In 2023, the company reported a net sales revenue increase of 44.56%. Over the same period, its total assets grew by 24.77%. The net profit margin of Grand Banks Yachts Sdn. Bhd. increased by 2.35% in 2023.

Headquarters Plo 488, Jalan Suasa, Pasir Gudang Industrial Estate Pasir Gudang; Johor; Postal Code: 81700

Contact Details: Purchase the Grand Banks Yachts Sdn. Bhd. report to view the information.

Website: http://www.grandbanks.com

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COMPANY DESCRIPTION

GRAND BANKS YACHTS SDN. BHD. was incorporated on 1990-12-31 in Malaysia with registration number of 0210310M / 199001018641 . GRAND BANKS YACHTS SDN. BHD.'s business includes MANUFACTURE AND SALE OF FIBREGLASS YACHTS

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DESIGN AND PURCHASE

It’s a fun and engaging process but one that requires clear and constant communication.

The last thing you need is a middleman who adds time and cost to the proceedings!

So, buying directly from the factory makes eminently good sense. You’ll have immediate access to the personnel who control every stage of the build. You’ll always have the opportunity to give your feedback to the right people at the right time.

This makes it a highly efficient way of working. It’s also highly enjoyable as it allows you to be part of the process and feel a real sense of ownership as the boat takes shape.

BE OUR GUEST!

Once construction of your yacht is underway, we’ll invite you to come and spend some time with us at our factory in Johor, Malaysia. Fly into either Kuala Lumpur or Singapore and we’ll collect you at the airport and bring you to the Renaissance hotel where you can relax and recover from your flight.

Next day, we’ll take you on the tour. Most of our guests are initially overwhelmed by the scale of the operation! With 650 staff working in 51,000 square meters, the factory is massive. But, as we guide you through the facility, you’ll soon understand how the layout and workflow create real efficiencies in the build and enable us to maintain exceptionally high standards of craftsmanship.

You will, of course, spend time on your own boat at whatever stage of completion it may have reached. And you’ll have the opportunity to meet with the department heads who will ensure the final detailing meets your exact requirements.

TIME ON THE WATER

Depending on the stage of your build, there may be the opportunity of taking it for a sea trial. If not, we’ll take you out on the water in a similar model.

We’ll have dinner together at the end of your stay and return you to the airport full of excitement and anticipation!!!

“For me, the ownership experience starts at the factory! You have to see it. The craftsmanship is incredible and the timber work is the best in the world. This is my first GB and I won’t buy any other brand again.”

David Berkman, GB60 owner.