Sales of the nautical industry on the rise
On the occasion of the traditional back-to-school conference of the Federation of Nautical Industries (FIN), Yves Lyon-Caen, its president, presented the statistics of the profession on the year 2018. The cumulative turnover of the industry has exceeded in 2018 the 5 billion euros to reach 5.09 billion. The increase is +5% compared to 2017. The number of new boats sold in France is growing by 3.4% and that of second-hand vessels by 3.5%.
The export share is still increasing. It reached 76.4% in 2017/2018, up from 75.1% in the previous year. The European Union and distant exports each account for about half of these international ship sales.
Recruitment issues
The number of employees in the water sports companies increased by +3.6% compared to 2018. The FIN announces in its presentation the creation of 1,000 positions per year over the past 3 years in the industry. The trend is expected to continue. 70% of manufacturers plan to recruit in 2019-2020, including 45% in permanent contracts.
These hiring offers are mainly linked to the dynamism of the market, through the growth of existing companies or the creation of new ones, as well as to retirements, particularly in the pleasure boat building sector. As a result, recruitment is proving difficult. The most critical areas are the use of composite materials and the interior design of boats.
To meet these needs, FIN has announced several initiatives. In particular, it wishes to create an initial training course in nautical construction with the French National Education system and to work on the adaptation of the 12 Certificates of Professional Qualification of the branch to meet the needs of the market.
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How does this compare with the pre-crisis period of 2008?
FIN also welcomes the return of the yachting industry to levels higher than those prior to the 2008 crisis. Indeed, the turnover of 5.09 billion euros exceeds that of 4.9 billion in 2008. But the size of boats has increased significantly and their price with it. As a result, the number of sailboats and motorboats sold remains lower than in 2008. The number of boat owners is thus more limited. If boat rentals partially compensate for this trend, manufacturers could find themselves weakened. The news of the year and the liquidation of several manufacturers has unfortunately shown the difficulty for small shipyards selling few units to face potential problems with a buyer.
