Oceania Marine Acquires Superyacht Interior Manufacturer SMI
Oceania Marine has reached agreement to buy SMI and should take over operations by 1st October. Oceania Group, already the largest Refit and Repair Facility based in Whangarei, New Zealand sees the purchase of SMI as the logical expansion to their existing ship yard facilities. They will now offer the services of world class interior joinery company to their ever expanding group of clientele. The two companies have a long association through refit and new build projects and are located close to each other in Port Whangarei, New Zealand. The principle of SMI, Grant Willis, is fully committed to marine projects in Croatia and has decided to base himself there for the duration. As a consequence the business was offered to Oceania Marine who gladly accepted.
Oceania Marine Managing Director, Martin Gleeson, comments:
“Marine interiors are often an important part of our projects at the shipyard and with the opening next month of the Port Whangarei Marine Centre we see this requirement growing. When SMI was offered to us for purchase two main aspects motivated us to say ‘Yes’. Firstly, SMI is a key sub-contractor and we wished to preserve the quality and competitive pricing that they offered us. Secondly, adding the SMI brand with its world class reputation and innovative processes to our stable would add massive value to Oceania Marine’s offerings to clients.”
SMI operates a modern efficient interiors factory and currently employs 20 staff completing the interiors for everything from super-yachts to warships to luxury residences. The backbone of the company is a gifted design team and a workforce experienced in travelling to all corners of the world for fitout. SMI while retaining its own identity – SMI Ltd, will be incorporated into Oceania Marine Group, who is totally committed to upholding SMI’s demonstrated core values those of flexibility, absolute quality and total customer satisfaction.
Oceania Marine has appointed Doug Black as General Manager who is very well known in this specialised sector of the marine industry. He is tasked with driving sales to grow the company. SMI has work in hand which Oceania Marine will complete including a large new interior for one of its refits currently underway in Refit Shed C at Oceania Marine’s North Shipyard.
