Christophe Lavigne took over as president of the Beneteau Group's American brands in October 2018. BoatIndustry was able to meet with him and ask him a few questions about his background, current events and plans for the Scarab, Glastron, Wellcraft and Four Winns brands.
You have just taken over as head of the Bénéteau Group's American brands. Can you tell us about your career path to these responsibilities?
I have three nationalities: French, Canadian and American. After my studies in France, I went to Quebec to work for Jeanneau in international cooperation with Doral. When Jeanneau had problems, I stayed in Canada, managing the product. Then in 2007, I joined Four Winns. After the bankruptcy in 2008, I helped reconnect with the Bénéteau group. I was in charge of products and customer service.
What is your role now within the Bénéteau Group in the USA?
Until now, there was only a position of President of Bénéteau US, in charge of all aspects, but mainly commercial. My newly created position of President of the US brands corresponds to a more industrial management. I am responsible for the Cadillac production site, including the manufacturing of the French brands' boats in the United States. The group employs 625 people in Cadillac. It is one of the 5 biggest players in the USA.
How do you work with the Bénéteau Group in France and in Europe?
We are starting to work on co-design. We are no longer just Americanizing the normative and electrical parts. We are mixing cultures. US design is efficient and often less expensive. We are starting to be involved in the design of French boats.
For production, one of the group's strengths is its ability to produce in Europe. The construction of boats for American brands in Europe is accelerating and is scheduled to begin in less than a year. This is a strong desire of the group and of Hervé Gastinel. It is a long-term strategy, particularly for small boats, which are weighed down by transport costs.
Is there also a Europeanization of American boats?
It started a long time ago. The RecBoats group had a strong export culture and a foothold in Europe. Today, Wellcraft is performing very well, especially in France and Spain, because the brand has been very well understood at Jeanneau. It's a little more complicated for Scarab, whose growth is weaker. We have therefore taken over direct management from the United States. The 3 other brands remain distributed through Jeanneau and Bénéteau.
What measures are you taking in the face of US tariffs and European retaliation?
Since the reprisals in July, we have helped our network with discounts. On the other hand, sourcing through the various entities of the Bénéteau Group is a good lever for managing tax issues. We are seeing a shift towards outboards rather than sterndrives. Paradoxically, Wellcraft's high-end connotation is also an advantage over Boston Whaler.
Is the Bénéteau Group's US brand portfolio set to grow?
With Glastron, Scarab, Wellcraft and Four Winns, we cover all the US markets well. We have a jet range, a center console offering, a cruiser and a run-about. There is no need to expand today, as the rest of the sector is covered by our French brands. Rather, there are gains to be made on our product lines. 2 million has been invested in Cadillac this year to reopen boat building lines that were closed 10 years ago during the crisis.
