Kharkiv, the stronghold of RIB manufacturing in Ukraine
The war in Ukraine is an unfortunate opportunity for many Westerners to discover the geography of this Eastern European country. The city of Kharkiv, close to the Russian border, has been at the heart of the news and the fighting for several days. It is also a little known stronghold of the nautical industry. The city is home to 3 well-known brands in the European RIB sector: Grand, Brig and Gala. The Grand shipyard also has a factory in Odessa, on the shores of the Black Sea.
Plants shut down and staff evacuated
It is difficult to know the exact situation on the spot. However, the information transmitted by Western importers of Ukrainian boat brands to our IBI colleagues is reassuring. The shipyards and production plants are obviously closed, but the personnel who wished to do so have been evacuated outside the combat zones.
It is obviously inappropriate and too early to consider the economic consequences of the conflict for the world nautical industry. The delivery of boats is now impossible from Ukraine. Building several thousand boats a year between them, these brands are among the major players in a particularly active transportable boat sector. As Brig claims to be the world's largest manufacturer with more than 2,500 boats delivered in 2019, the possible destruction of its industrial tool would not be without consequences.
