FINE YACHTS FROM POLAND In north-eastern Poland, surrounded by lakes and forests, is the stunning city of Olecko. This beautifully situated town has a rich tradition in sailing and is home to Delphia Yachts’ boatyard. Delphia was launched in 1990 and has become the largest builder of yachts and sailing boats in Poland. Piotr Sadowski writes.
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fter 20 years of developing a successful business, the Delphia brand has become known throughout the global sailing community for its unsurpassed build quality, innovative designs, comfort, durability and performance. “Looking at our most recent history, two key events need to be mentioned,” explains Wojciech Kot, founder and owner Delphia Yachts. “We purchased the Maxi Yachts brand, a purchase which will involve significant amounts of work over the next two years. We also introduced a new integrated IT system. This was a costly, but certainly necessary and important decision, as it greatly contributes to further strengthening our processes.”
Strong performance The market position is changing as many smaller companies are forced out of the market; there is also an ongoing consolidation in the European market for sailing boats and yachts. Within this environment, Delphia continues to perform very well. Growth for the end of this year, compared to 2012, is expected to reach 13 –14 per cent. This growth is not as big as that recorded in 2010 over 2009, when it reached 38 per cent but
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taking into account the slump which occurred over the last couple of years, it is still an impressive increase in production, dictated by incoming orders. “The department with the highest level of activity is the manufacturing preparation department,” says Mr Kot. “This is because, in addition to sailing yachts and motorboats, it also deals with activities such as manufacturing forms for other shipyards and serves clients in industries such as aviation, railways and road infrastructure.”
Continuous development The company has fully reorganised its system of modernising motorboats and moved into linear production. In fact, there is only one other shipyard that undertakes such a process in Europe. The production of motorboats has also been changed and from the beginning of August they are being manufactured only using laminates. Delphia is also continuing to introduce new products. Recent additions to the offer include Delphia 31, Delphia Escape 800. Delphia NANO and Delphia Escape MC. Under the acquired MAXI brand one new yacht – Maxi 1300 – will be introduced at the upcoming ORST trade fair in Sweden. As Mr Kot
points out, from September onwards new features are being introduced to existing models, such as, for example electronic systems. All such activities – including a change towards using eco-friendly renewable energy – are part of the overall drive to continue developing Delphia Yachts.
Acquisition of Maxi Yachts Maxi Yachts has always been synonymous with well-constructed vessels whose build quality has earned them great respect throughout the sailing world. Since its establishment, the boatyard has delivered over 16,000 vessels. Delphia regards the acquisition of Maxi Yachts as part of the company’s strategic development, going the extra mile to meet clients’ expectations, always seeking new solutions and continuously increasing its product range. “As a constantly growing company seeking new challenges, we feel that acquiring Maxi Yachts presents a great challenge,” says Mr Kot. “It is a challenge that takes preparation, investment and time to achieve the desired results. By acquiring Maxi, we are able to expand our dealership network and further strengthen our market position.”
