As part of the company’s continuous commitment to offering class-leading luxury yacht marinas and the best customer experience for berth holders, MDL Marinas is delighted to announce plans to invest a minimum of £20 million across its 19 UK luxury yacht marinas over the upcoming five years. These plans mark the halfway point in its long term £34 million investment programme.
MDL has already shown it is committed to investing around £3 million of capital spend across its estate each year, meaning well over £14 million has been invested into its UK marinas since the start of the global recession in 2009. The group’s ambitious plans announced today take that ongoing programme to the next level, demonstrating MDL’s firm commitment to maintaining its high quality infrastructure. MDL’s commitment to these levels of investment reflects the general improvement in the wider economy and a growing level of optimism being seen within the marine industry.
In the past few months alone the group has confirmed an extensive number of individual site projects to get its marinas ready for the new season. A major £650,000 redevelopment project at Woolverstone Marina, near Ipswich, has enhanced the layout of the marina with all piles and pontoons on piers A to D replaced, giving a completely new look to the marina. Shamrock Quay in Southampton is also seeing £150,000 of investment in new facilities, including the full refurbishment of all shower and toilet blocks in time for the new season.
Other major projects over the winter months have included a complete re-decking of the catamaran berths at Sparkes Marina on Hayling Island, and comprehensive maintenance works at nearby Northney Marina as well as Hythe Marina Village in Southampton, whilst Mercury Yacht Harbour and Port Hamble Marina are also both seeing substantial refurbishment and improvement works. We’ve all heard a lot about dredging in the news lately; MDL has had a £0.5 million winter dredging programme in place for some years now across its marinas, and that will increase to £0.6 million per year under the new plans.
Eamonn Feeney, Managing Director at MDL Marinas, commented: “As Europe’s leading marina operator we are determined to lead the way by continually investing in our marinas and their facilities, and we have stuck to that philosophy throughout the recession. Our new plans announced today for an absolute minimum of £20 million to be spent over the next five years show a major step up in that commitment to keep improving and updating our marinas, to ensure our customer service and all our locations are of the very highest standards. Our ultimate goal is always to ensure our berth holders and visitors continue to get the very best out of their boating.”
