Yacht builders in Poland say goodbye to the crisis.  In this year 2011 both productionand employment have increased.

Manufacturers of boats have taken the wind in their sails.  Industry which until recently was struggling with a lack of orders caused by the crisis and had to severely reduce employment, have now increased production and taken on new employees .  In 2011 we will sell about 570 yachts , over 100 more than last year – says Andrzej Janowski, founder and head of the oldest Polish boatyard “Janmor” in Glowno.  
Sales of yachts up to 10 metres in length from the boatyard “Galeon” in Straszyn  near Gdansk increased by about 250 percent.  Large units – nearly one third.  We have contracts for the smaller yachts until the end of the year says the head of marketing at “galleon” Alex Brzozowska.

“Delphia Yachts” boatyard in Olecko, one of the largest in the country, expect to increase production by 15 – 20 percent this year.
“Sunreef Yachts” in Gdansk will this year provide or will commence  the production of yachts worth 35 million Euros.  These include four 21 metre units with a value of 2 million Euros each, and two more to be delivered to customers next year.
“Sunreef” has also begun construction of a double-deck catamaran worth 4.5 million Euros.  We expect that the number of orders will increase after the September Trade Fair in Cannes.  Each year turns out to be a real springboard in sales – says Eve Stachurska of “Sunreef Yachts”.

Poland, in the production of boats, is a real tycoon.  According to the Polish yachting industry and Water Sports Polboat they hold the second place in the world for the production of yachts  up to 10 metres long.  We are just behind the leaders, the United States of America.  Almost 95 percent of the boats go abroad.  2007 was the best season for the industry when the total production reached a level of 22,000 pieces. The situation changed radically with the global crisis.  Orders dropped dramatically as customers stopped buying.  One reason was the limiting of loans or leasing – large and expensive yachts are  not usually purchased for cash.  As a result the boatyards were at a standstill and began to release workers.  The suppliers also began to experience trouble and some sought refuge in other industries.  Railing manufacturers switched over to the production of such railings for construction companies.  Since last year the condition in the industry is gradually improving.  This is still not a pre-crisis level but progress is visible  - says Deputy editor of the industry magazine “H2O”  Marek Slodownik.
According to the vice president of “Polboat” Sebastian Nietupski , this years production of the Polish yacht boatyards could rise to 15,000 boats compared with about 10,000 during the crisis.  It will also increase the number of jobs: for example “Janmor”, which in 2008 reduced the number of employees to about 30, now employs 86 people and by the end of the year hopes to have about 100 employees.

Adam Wozniak – “Rzeczpospolita” – the magazine
Department of Economics.