Wimbi Boats refocuses on France
The manufacturer of semi-rigid Wimbi Boats announced the installation of its boat assembly workshop in France and the passage of its company under the French flag. The company Wimbi Boats Limited, based in Hong Kong, has been closed in favor of the creation of a new entity, SAS Wimbi Boats, based in the Paris region, still managed by Hiro Teranuï. "For 7 years, we had been making our boats entirely in Australia. There was already an impetus to bring all the research and development in France. The cost of transport and logistics related to the Covid crisis has accelerated the process. The hulls are still produced in Australia, although we are looking to gradually find subcontractors in Europe. The assembly is now done in a hangar in the Paris region. The first 2 boats are currently being assembled. We also have a commercial base for customers in Cogolin" explains the manager.
The new production scheme should allow to secure delivery times. The current assembly capacity is about 15 boats per year, with Wimbi Boats focusing on a personalized offer for each boater.
A second range of Wimbi boats
In parallel to its RIBs, Wimbi Boats is working on a range of rigid hulls, oriented towards pleasure fishing. "We are working on hybrid or electric propulsion. The objective for this range would be to be 100% Made In France," says Hiro Teranuï, without revealing more details.
Renewing the brand's image
The challenge for Wimbi Boats is also to change its image. Identified as an Australian brand imported on the European market, it will be able to highlight its French roots, as evidenced by the fact that it has obtained a new approval for FR and not AU builder plates. "This makes sense in a context where consumers are looking at where the products come from, as our RIBs are mainly sold in France. This is one of the positive aspects of Covid", says the director of Wimbi Boats.
