The German yacht builder HanseGroup, which comprises the brands Hanse, Moody, Dehler as well as Fjord, is moving its yacht and speedboat production to its German parent plant in Greifswald, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. As of August 2012, the final assembly of Dehler yachts and the production of various small parts for Hanse yachts will be concentrated in Greifswald.
Hanse 54 charter yacht YIANNIS 65 S
The current Dehler site in Freienohl (North Rhine-Westphalia) will be closed at the end of the year. HanseGroup hopes that by moving the models to the Greifswald site, they can create synergy effects to implement customer-specific requests and to apply their research and development expertise. Once the move has been completed, Hanse, Dehler and Moody sailing yachts and Fjord speedboats will be produced in Greifswald.
Despite the fact that Dehler yachts are intended more for competitive sailing while Moody yachts are geared more towards the needs of long distance sailors, both types require the implementation of a large number of individual customer-specific requests. For this reason, the production of Dehler yachts will be grouped together with Moody’s semi series production. Bundling production activities at one site is the logical consequence of an increasingly close collaboration.
“Ever since the acquisition of Dehler three years ago, we started adapting the general production process of both brands. As a result, the move is relatively easy”, says Dr Peter Barth, the HanseYachts AG Director of Production.
Bringing the production of Dehler yachts to Greifswald will have a considerable positive effect: research and development facilities are located near Greifswald, making it easier to test and optimize the yachts because they are produced directly on the coast and there is no need for a complex logistics system as the sites are no longer 600 kilometers apart.
The move will in no way complicate matters for Dehler customers as the first Dehler yacht will be integrated into the production process at Greifswald from as early as September 2012. Orders taken at winter trade fairs will have been completed on time for the 2013 season. The new, very popular 38-foot class, available from Dehler as from the fourth quarter of 2012, will also be produced at the main site in Greifswald.
“We would like to stress that our 89 employees in Freienohl are doing an excellent job and that we are offering each one employment on the coast”, emphasizes Director of Production Dr Peter Barth.
HanseYachts AG was established in 1990 and the company is now the world’s third largest series producer of sailing yachts on the market. Since its initial public offering in March 2007, HanseYachts AG shares are listed on the General Standard of the Frankfurt stock exchange.
In 2011, the majority share of HanseYachts AG was acquired by the Munich-based AURELIUS Group. HanseYachts’ strong brand portfolio includes the core brand Hanse and also traditional brands, such as Dehler and Moody. HanseYachts also produces Fjord speedboats.
Ever since the early 1960s, the Dehler brand has been associated with sporty sailing yachts. After a number of cases where associates were forced to go into administration, Dehler was acquired by the HANSEGROUP in 2009. Dehler’s product range currently includes five models with lengths of 29, 32, 35, 41 and 45 feet. The 38-foot model will be added to the portfolio in the fourth quarter of 2012.
