Gulf Craft's Erwin Bamps about new markets

Erwin Bamps is one of the industry’s youngest Chief Executive Officers. Holding the fort at Gulf Craft where he took the prestigious position of CEO a little under a year ago, his time with UAE based shipbuilders began in 2002 as an Executive Manager. Several years later, he rose up the ranks to take the role of Chief Operating Officer in 2009 before progressing to his current position.

Passionate and dedicated, SuperYacht Times recently talked to Bamps, who revealed further details regarding the new Gulf Craft facilities to be built in the future, as well as shed some light on the ever developing differences between European and American clientele as opposed to their predominantly Middle Eastern and Asian clients.

Speaking of current projects at the yard, Bamps told us that a second hull of the Majesty 155 already in build. The only issue? Space. He says, “The problem is fitting the big hulls here in our current yard. We have moulds and pieces outside the production sheds because we just can’t fit anymore!” This obstacle, however, is soon to be solved with the addition of a brand new shipyard with much bigger facilities.

He continues to describe the new facilities. “The big shipyard is twice the size of our Majesty Yachts site. We will have to keep this facility as well as there is not enough space. We don’t feel that we have reached our maturity in existing markets - not in the Middle East, not in Southeast Asia, and not in Europe.”