In a move to increase production for its powerboats under 40 feet, Groupe Beneteau has acquired the Rodman Lusitania shipyard in Portugal.
Located in the northern part of the country, Rodman Lusitania is the second facility the builder has added in Portugal this fall to expand production of its powerboat line under 40 feet. In late October, the company acquired the Starfisher site, about 10 km from the Rodman yard.
“This acquisition will enable us to consolidate our presence in Portugal to serve the very dynamic market for small powerboats (under 40 feet) for dayboating. It will support the Polish and American sites dedicated to these markets, which lacked production capacity,” said chairman and CEO Jérôme de Metz in a statement.
The Rodman Lusitania yard comprises a total of 645,000 square feet. Idle for some time, Groupe Beneteau expects to resume boatbuilding there in 2022.
The boatbuilder said the sites will be called GB Portugal Lda, with a goal of producing approximately 1,000 vessels per year and employing 700 people.
