www.schighcotton.com HIGH COTTON 25

ne of the most internation-ally respected names in sailing yachts has found its

perfect match in South Carolina.In the heart of the Pee Dee, just

50 miles due east of Myrtle Beach

and 30 miles east of Interstate 95,Beneteau USA is building on its stellar reputation for superior design,quality and value. And for nearly 20years, this company has staked thisreputation on the business climate

and workforce it has found in the Palmetto State.

Beneteau’s rich history dates backto 1884 when Frenchman BenjaminBeneteau began building sailboats for commercial fisherman. After a

The Beneteau sailboat plant in Marion has become one of the largest sailboat manufacturing plants in the United States. Management says

the secret of success is its workforce, and their passion for creating floating dreams! Text: Trisha Ostrowski. Photography: Ted Borg and Jay Vaughan.

Floating Dreams

Floating Dreams

O

26 HIGH COTTON MAY 2005

All Beneteau boats more than 37 feet long are designed and equipped to cross oceans. The spinnaker is an option.Designed to be sailed by one person, the mainsail is furled into the mast.

www.schighcotton.com HIGH COTTON 27

century of success in Europe, thecompany crossed the Atlantic inresponse to North American demandfor its products.

Beneteau chose South Carolina asits home away from home. In 1986,the company opened its state-of-the-art production facility in Marion.Within four years, Beneteau hadbecome one of the top three sailboatmanufacturers in America. By 1990,the company celebrated the makingof its 1,000th boat in Marion.

Then in 2001, Beneteau USAnearly doubled its size and invest-ment bringing its total to about $25million of capital invested in the U.S.Today there is almost a quarter of amillion feet of facility space in what isundisputedly the most advancedAmerican sailboat plant in use.

The productivity of that facilityand its staff led Beneteau to latermove its U.S. operations entirely toSouth Carolina, establishing a head-quarters office in Charleston.

The result has been even moreaccolades and rewards for the compa-ny. The Beneteau 423 was named“Boat of the Year” by Cruising Worldmagazine and also won SAIL maga-zine’s Top 10 Sailboats for 2003.

Winning awards begins withinnovation and excellent workman-ship. From the beginning of its Marion facility, the company hasinvested in the most sophisticatedproduction machinery and methodsand has attracted one of the greatestteams of craftspeople anywhere.

Today, a loyal team of 240 Ameri-can families living in South Carolinacraft 400 to 500 “floating dreams” eachyear. These sailing high-end sailingyachts range from 31 to 46 footers.

Beneteau is the third largestindustry in Marion. Already, the tradition of boat building is beingpassed down from one generation to the next – much as it has for more than 100 years at Beneteau’sEuropean sites.

A team of sailing enthusiasts leadsthe company. President Wayne Burdick, a Connecticut Yankee, iscurrently sailing his 26th boat – aBeneteau 411. He has been activelyinvolved in the boat business formore than 30 years. Meanwhile,South Carolina native MichaelLecholop, vice president of sales, hasbeen with Beneteau USA for morethan 15 years.

Among the secrets to Beneteau’ssuccess, company officials cite thestrong work ethic found in MarionCounty. In addition, they point toSouth Carolina’s central location onthe East Coast with quick, easy accessto the country’s interstate system.

“Beneteau is very fortunate to bein Marion County where there aremany citizens that still hold the tradi-tional values of wanting to work forthe betterment of their families, theircommunity, and their country,” Bur-dick said. “Though a fast-pacedindustrial attitude might not benative to the Pee Dee, with the help of a work values training program

A diesel auxillary motor is in every boat,

from 18 horsepower in the smallest, up

to 100 horsepower in the 47-foot model.

supported by the state, our team atBeneteau USA is showing progresstowards our goal of building world-class yachts in the most efficient waywith the best quality in the safestenvironment. We are very proud ofthe Beneteau USA team’s dedicationand ability.”

Burdick also points to Beneteau’schoice of a South Carolina as key tothe company’s far-reaching accom-plishments. “South Carolina hasmany programs which Beneteau USAhas found very valuable for the train-ing and selection of team members.As one example, the great crew at Florence Darlington Technical Col-lege has designed a professionaldevelopment skills program for ourmanagement staff under a generousstate grant at a very reasonable value.Our experience has been that manystate agencies are truly wishing topromote the best atmosphere for pos-itive business conditions while care-fully considering the impact on thepublic’s best interest. Case in point isthe proposal to have South Carolinaadopt the MACT standards for emis-sions for boat builders, which willprotect the environment while alsoallowing the many boat builders inour state to have a known achievabletechnology available.”

For the company, though, the goalisn’t merely quantity. Beneteau hasbeen so successful in the U.S. marketbecause of product quality. That’swhat the workforce in Marion hastruly delivered.

Their production process is alsoleading edge, increasing efficiency andoutput through the use of a manufac-turing model similar to an automotiveassembly line. The innovative processrelies upon the use of cranes suspendedfrom ceiling tracks, which transporthulls and decks between worksta-tions. Workers and their tools remainin the same location and actually havethe boats brought to them. Beneteauclaims to be the only boat builderusing such a system.

The materials used in a typicalMarion-built Beneteau are sourcedthrough hundreds of the finest OEMsuppliers, the vast majority of whichare American companies.

The Marion facility houses morethan just production space, it alsoincludes on-site engineering facilitiesand even a testing pool to make sureeverything checks out before the craftleaves the premises. Boats producedin South Carolina are then soldthrough a dealer network consistingof more than 40 dedicated salesoffices throughout the country.

“We are proud to be a US companyinvolved in the greatest freedom ofexpression – sailing,” Burdick explains.“If there is one thing that is the secret for success at Beneteau USA,it’s our people and their passion for reaching the goal of carefully creating floating dreams. From thedesigners of the boats to the manage-ment at our plant onto the wholewonderful team that actually craftsthem, a passion for the exquisite

28 HIGH COTTON MAY 2005

The keel on a 47-foot boat

weighs 8,000 pounds. “They just don’t

turn over,” an employee said.

www.schighcotton.com HIGH COTTON 29

Finished boats at the Marion plant ready for shipping. The masts are installed later by the dealer. At the lower left,boats are being water tested, just to be sure there are no leaks.

beauty of a Beneteau is the differencebetween just doing a job and theexcellence of delivering a boat thattruly brings joy to the owners andtheir families. This passion for the sea and boats has existed sinceBeneteau began in 1884 and it continues today in Marion.”

The company’s commitment toSouth Carolina is evident. And inMarion, the Beneteau team is manu-facturing some of the highest qualitysailboats on the market. Today thecompany is nearly twice the size ofits nearest competitor, supplying sailboats that have logged more off-shore miles than any other builder inthe world.

Beneteau is the only foreign sail-boat manufacturer to operate a pro-duction plant in the United States,which has helped the company estab-lish long-term relationships with itsNorth American customers. As aresult of this investment in customerrelations, Beneteau was recognizedwith the Marine Industry CSI Awardfor Excellence in Customer Satisfac-tion last year. It’s a testament to theSouth Carolina craftsmen and techni-cians who build the vessels, as well asthe outstanding service the companyprovides before and after the sale.

And the company continues to grow. In 2003 Beneteau intro-duced its first step into a new market: powerboats.

The Swift Trawler 42 is “a naturalprogression for Beneteau USA,” says

Wayne Burdick, president, and vicepresident of sales Mike Lecholop,right, show off one of the company’smost popular models. Burdick is from Connecticut, a lifelong sailor,while Lecholop grew up in Conway.Burdick says the Beneteau boats allhave an interstructural grid systemthat provides exceptional strength.“Strong and light is what we arelooking for,” he says.

The company has

invested in the

most sophisticated

production

machinery and

methods and has

attracted one of

the greatest teams

of craftspeople

anywhere.

HIGH COTTON 31

32 HIGH COTTON MAY 2005

www.schighcotton.com HIGH COTTON 33

Burdick.“As our market continues to grow, we have seen an increasingdemand for sailors and power boaters alike ready to make a switch toa new generation of passage makers. The Swift 42 fulfills that demandby offering a performance safe, seaworthy hull in combination witha sumptuous interior highlighted by the lustrous joiner work thatBeneteau is so well known for.”

While the powerboat line is new to Beneteau USA, the parentcompany has been making them for years. The Trawler Swift 42made waves with its introduction, garnering praise from around theboating community. Power & Motoryacht referred to it as “a power-boat that’s as romantic as an old Bogart flick” and Boater’s Life sug-gested Beneteau would “steal the show and our hearts with this one.”

Quality service and an excellent product lead to a different kindof problem for the company.

“Beneteau’s biggest challenge will be to make enough units to fulfill the demand,” said Burdick.

And with that kind of craftsmanship, service and dedication,there’s no reason to think Beneteau won’t continue to enjoy a floodof accolades and awards.p

The inside of a Beneteau boat is just as beautiful as the outside. Theliving area (top left) and the berth (bottom left) feature luxuriousaccommodations for a number of guests. The 57-foot boat (above) ismade only in France, but all sizes are designed for the utmost incomfort. Worker Lakisha Pee (left) installs the manufacturer’s decal.