Specializing in the construction of aluminum boats (one-off, refit), the Caen shipyard Normandy Yacht Service has just been taken over by the French group Grand Large Yachting. On June 14, the Caen court accepted the group's takeover bid, which will keep the company's 18 employees. Vincent Lainé, site manager, explains: " Business continues. On the whole, the yard will be concentrating on refit work, while boiler-making will be unbundled, and more for Cherbourg. So there's bound to be some transfer of skills. "With this new acquisition, Grand Large Yachting (Allures, Garcia, Gunboat, Outremer brands) becomes - even more! - a key player in the travel boat market.
In Normandy alone, Grand Large Yachting has three production units in Cherbourg, Colombelle and Condé, in addition to the 4,000 m² site in Caen.
No stopping GLY
Founded by Xavier Desmarest and Stéphan Constance, two friends from the same engineering school, Groupe Grand Large Yachting comprises five shipyards and two service companies based in France and the United States. In 2003, the two founders created Allures Yachting in Cherbourg (aluminum blue-water cruising yachts), before successively acquiring the La Grande Motte-based Outremer shipyard, specialized in 45- to 60-foot composite cruising catamarans, the Normandy-based Garcia (custom aluminum blue-water cruising yachts) and the Nantes-based Alumarine Shipyard (aluminum workboats).
More than 1000 employees
This was followed by the acquisition of Ocean Voyageur (day charter catamarans), the American Gunboat, Griffon Marines and RM Yachts from La Rochelle... there seems to be no stopping the French duo, who have made a name for themselves in the blue water cruising category, and have also focused on service provision, notably in the training field.
The Group's total workforce has now passed the 1,000 mark. This compares with "only" 400 in 2020 and 200 in 2017... Sales are approaching the 100 million euro mark.
