Farewell Brooms

[JawsOrca]

http://motorboatowner.co.uk/news.php

[Chelsea14Ian]

Will be interesting,They don't have that many hire boats 13, I think.On a selfish note I hope they keep there fuel,water station.

[LondonRascal]

Hmm I had wondered when Brooms may close however, I did not expect the decision to expand and invest in their hire fleet so it is mixed news really. Good that Brooms still will be there, but sad for the fact there will be skilled people loosing jobs (and just after Oyster went under too).

It is a shame that after so many years, this once iconic manufacture is to stop building. However, I think the fact is not so much that there are less people buying new boats but those who are buying have a very different idea as to what they are seeking and that was not something Broom could compete in.  It is hard these days building boats, keeping to a budget yet offering customers what they want in terms of modern refinements and technology. Keeping up with design changes and trends also costs a lot and your designs soon begin to look dated when competing in the market that Brooms has been.  Add into this all the economic uncertainties and overseas competition and cheaper labour and manufacturing costs  how can it be viable?

I hope though this may cause a new trend to have more quality boats being out for hire on the southern Broads, already we see the Broads Boating Co. taking on a lot at the former Alpha Craft site, NYA has their charter fleet, Broom are going to obviously put money into theirs.

[FairTmiddlin]

3 minutes ago, LondonRascal said:

 Good that Brooms still will be there, but sad for the fact there will be skilled people loosing jobs (and just after Oyster went under too).

I

See other thread Oyster have found a buyer

 

[Labrador]

Well, at least some of the boat builders will be able to move to the newly salvaged Oyster Yachts. When they say that they are coming out of building, I wonder if that includes their hire fleet expansion.

They should have plenty of cash with the sale of the land on the edge of Brundall for housing.

[oldgregg]

What I don't get is who is going to build and develop their hirefleet going forward...

It was always a way of showcasing the business and the models available, and developing new models is an expensive business.

Something still doesn't add up.

[Bedslad]

Hope those boat builders find employment double rapid.

 

[LondonRascal]

10 minutes ago, oldgregg said:

What I don't get is who is going to build and develop their hirefleet going forward...

Who knows, but we can all speculate. I recon it would work out cheaper to have 'off the shelf' boats made elsewhere and put in hire. Sure you have to pay for the boats to be manufactured but it is one off not having skilled staff to pay, pensions to worry about, larger site costs, suppliers you name it. I can see the likes of Haines may be the real regional success story.

[Chelsea14Ian]

9 minutes ago, oldgregg said:

What I don't get is who is going to build and develop their hirefleet going forward...

It was always a way of showcasing the business and the models available, and developing new models is an expensive business.

Something still doesn't add up.

My guess is they already have about 13 boats in there hire fleet,They may well build a few more to add to there hire fleet.No doubt they have some orders which will need to be Finnished also.

[Chelsea14Ian]

1 minute ago, LondonRascal said:

Who knows, but we can all speculate. I recon it would work out cheaper to have 'off the shelf' boats made elsewhere and put in hire. Sure you have to pay for the boats to be manufactured but it is one off not having skilled staff to pay, pensions to worry about, larger site costs, suppliers you name it. I can see the likes of Haines may be the real regional success story.

I must admit I prefer the way Haines fit out there boats, We looked at Brooms and Haines at the boat show.If I was to buy it would be Haines.However being based at Brundall I hope the outcome for the staff is good.

[vanessan]

If they intend expanding their hire fleet, they may need more moorings. Might this lead to a reduction in private moorings at Broom’s?

[marshman]

Why expect anything else from the people who bought it? They had grand plans to build a new factory - now it is to profit from that land being turned into housing.

My suspicion is also that they have been only been building up their hire fleet to keep them occupied as they may not have had other orders to keep the guys busy - a hire fleet that small is not sustainable so I wonder what plans they have for the yard as a whole? Am I just being cynical awaiting the planned development of the site for other uses. Sounds like a well thought out plan from the outset - you never want to think that but I cannot see any real investment having been made. Does it actually say in so many words they are going to expand their hire fleet? Is "developing" the same word? Lets wait before we all get too excited especially as we all know hire fleets alone. are not necessarily the way to making lots of money

However there are probably some people who will really benefit by trousering a wedge I guess, and its not the workers!! I would really really like to think otherwise and I hope I am wrong but like others, I have been very suspicious of this whole operation from Day 1 !!!

Somebody prove me wrong please!!!!

[Guest]

42 minutes ago, LondonRascal said:

Who knows, but we can all speculate. I recon it would work out cheaper to have 'off the shelf' boats made elsewhere and put in hire. Sure you have to pay for the boats to be manufactured but it is one off not having skilled staff to pay, pensions to worry about, larger site costs, suppliers you name it. I can see the likes of Haines may be the real regional success story.

Do Barnes, NBD or  Richardsons build there own from "scratch" or fit out shells molded elsewhere, or indeed buy them ready to hire?

[JennyMorgan]

My feeling is that Marsh is spot on with this one, all very sad but almost certainly very true. 

 

[Vaughan]

I know one thing - you can never make any money out of 13 hire boats, especially not new luxury ones. They will never repay the capital investment, nor the overheads, unless you have enough of them.

 

[ChrisB]

If they build appartments on the site with their own moorings I would be interested.

[NeilB]

Not unexpected but still a shame, think they have only built a couple of proper Brooms in the last 2 years or so.  English Harbour started out well but seems to have tailed off recently, wonder who Adam Greenward will get to build them now.

[Guest]

Have any of you talked staff today? I have , yes for the time being the fuel dock will stay but basically staff expect the worse n that's not including the all ready redundant boat builders , how long it can carry on for is anyone's guess , but as far as running a hire boat business then I trust Vaughan's input , as private boat owner this is Scarry stuff the nearest diesel outlet being reedham that's not good for the river or anyone who moors or operates in that area , all in all its bad news , speculate if you wish luckily for me I'm basically there every other week so have far more chance of finding out first hand via  those on the ground and affected via various decisions .

[Hylander]

What happens to boats that are booked?

[ExSurveyor]

21 minutes ago, Hylander said:

What happens to boats that are booked?

They are completing all order for new builds and concentrating on hire boats,  allegedly.

[teadaemon]

Well, looks like it's not just me that's decided there's no money (or at least not enough money) in the boat industry.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, psychicsurveyor said:

They are completing all order for new builds and concentrating on hire boats,  allegedly.

They are going to be "Friday afternoon specials"

[NorfolkNog]

Yes, I think MM has summed it up very well, unfortunately. I believe the owners now are property developers and the only thing these kind of people are interested is making maximum profit regardless of the human or environmental cost. I think as others have said the hire boats are probably just a smoke screen, it would be easy to sell them off if needed  I would imagine. Just think how many 'luxury apartments' they could cram into that river frontage.

I feel for the people losing their jobs and hope they can find something else.

[Guest]

27 minutes ago, Philosophical said:

They are going to be "Friday afternoon specials"

How sceptical can you 2 be neither of you has your finger on the pulse on week in week out situation talking to those affected , brooms build boats to a standard not a chance of a Friday afternoon specia ,  boat builders build with pride no matter the  situation or at least I do  . 

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Ricardo said:

How sceptical can you 2 be neither of you has your finger on the pulse on week in week out situation talking to those affected , brooms build boats to a standard not a chance of a Friday afternoon specia ,  boat builders build with pride no matter the  situation or at least I do  . 

I didn't mean to offend anyone.