Oyster Yachts is undertaking an expansion programme, which will see the boatbuilder acquire an additional 27,000sq.ft at the Hythe Marine Park, Southampton, increasing its facilities by 70 per cent.
The company will create a state-of-the-art production facility for the new Oyster 495 yacht. The expansion follows on from growth at Oyster’s manufacturing facilities in Wroxham, and the creation of a specialist technology centre in Ashmanhaugh, both in Norfolk.
Oyster’s owner and CEO, Richard Hadida, said: “With several Oyster 495s already sold, investment in this dedicated production facility fits seamlessly with our growth strategy. We have great plans for Hythe Marine Park. This location is already a centre of excellence for boat building, and it is the ideal location for our expansion of Oyster.”
Oyster Yachts is moving into the historic Grade II listed buildings known locally as the Admiralty Shed or the Flying Boat Hangar, which produced sea planes for World War 1, before becoming a key facility for Vickers Supermarine and later the maintenance base for the pioneering Empire flying boats. More recently it saw the production of the test boats for the 2017 America’s Cup campaign and Alex Thompson’s 2020 Vendée Globe racing yacht.
To accommodate the expansion Oyster will be increasing its Southampton workforce by a further 70 employees.
