Konekesko heads to 2014 with confidence
Despite the challenging market situation, the Konekesko company acquitted well in the period gone by. The market overview for recreational vehicles in 2014 is cautiously positive. They look forward to success at the Helsinki International Boat Show, traditionally the main event of the year in Finland, after which they will have a firmer basis for forecasting the coming season’s sales.
“In 2013, there was cause for satisfaction in the fact that, despite shrinking markets, we were able to retain our market share, and even grow it in certain product ranges. Yamarin has long been one of the Finnish market leaders among registered fibre reinforced plastic boats. As Finland’s second most-bought boat, Yamarin recorded its largest ever market share in 2013. Konekesko‘s Suvi boats, on the other hand, already attained fourth place in the registration statistics. Among registered outboards, Yamaha’s market share is approaching 50 percent.
In 2013, Konekesko had around 4,000 boats manufactured, and delivered EUR 27 million worth of such boats to retailers. Since 1972, over 70,000 Yamarin boats have already been built.
Competition is tough in a market crowded with good products. Strong professional skills, high quality and good service are the means by which we can differentiate ourselves in the face of intensifying competition.
We can now cast a positive glance ahead to the season just begun, and look back with satisfaction over last year. Based on advance sales in the autumn and winter, Konekesko expects the outboard motorboat market to remain at least at last year’s level, or even to grow a little. We too have observed the changes in the nature of leisure boating. People have a multitude of hobbies: the number of distance cruising is falling while day cruising and fishing trips continue to grow. Yamarin boats are ideal for these purposes. Interests related to other types of boat are also growing in number, water sports being the largest of these new hobbies. Konekesko aims to meet this challenge by investing in its Jobe water sports products and gearing its product development towards fulfilling consumer preferences. For the first time, Konekesko will participate in the Uusi Aalto (New Wave) event, exhibiting its Jobe water sports products at stand ua20.
All Yamarin and Suvi boats are built in Finland. This has a direct employment effect in Finland of around 200 jobs. We aim to keep boat production in Finland. “We are delighted to have been able to keep the plants of our five Finnish contract manufacturers running normally throughout the production period,” says Director Kari Rautanen, and adds “the popularity of the new aluminium-hulled Yamarin Cross boats, which has exceeded expectations, has even led to growth in capacity at our aluminium hull producer in Ähtäri. This is an exceptional development over the last few years in which manufacturers in the sector have been offshoring in search of cheaper labour.”
As a highly successful exporter, Yamarin has established itself among the top three in Scandinavia overall. It is also investing in the growing Russian boat market, where its partner Yamaha will enjoy worldwide visibility as an official partner of the Sochi Winter Olympics. Over half of Yamarin boat production is exported.
The number of visitors to the Düsseldorf boat show, held in late January, grew by ten percent over last year. We also look forward to a highly successful event at the Helsinki International Boat Show. We will display all of the new Yamaha, Yamarin and Suvi models for 2014 at the Helsinki International Boat Show.
The latest flagships of the Yamarin range, the Yamarin 79 Day Cruiser and the hefty, impressive, aluminium-hulled Yamarin Cross 75 Bow Rider will feature in all their glory. Both have Yamaha 300 hp engines. We will also take along some smaller new flagships: the Yamarin 56 Bow Rider designed for all boat lovers and the aluminium-hulled Yamarin Cross 57 Bow Rider. Suvi boats will be represented by the season’s latest arrival, the versatile, light and friendly-on-the-wallet 4750 SR Duo and the renewed Suvi 4180 R, Kala-Palta R and Kala-Kaveri R models. TG’s new cabin model, the TG 6.9, will also feature.
Engines will include the pick of new arrivals from Yamaha for 2014, such as the lighter and more economical F115B, now featuring the Variable Trolling RPM Switch and, in a completely new power category, the F175. The smaller 4hp, 5hp and 6hp engines have been given a new design familiar from the larger engines.
Yamaha‘s newest Waverunner personal watercraft include the FX SVHO Cruiser, the FZS SVHO and the FZR SVHO, the second of which will be displayed at the show. These craft have up to 20% more power than previous models”.
