MB92 has announced the opening of its new fittings centre, a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to the painting, service and storage of superyacht fittings. Located closed to MB92’s facilities in Barcelona, the installation covers a total of 1600sqm and adds significant capacity to the refit group.

“This service is something we have long wanted to offer our clients,” explains Jordi Ariet, MB92 Chief Operating Officer. “We have undertaken extensive research to develop the optimum environment to deliver the highest quality, efficiency, safety and sustainability. This facility really is a game-changer, providing numerous advantages to clients not just in terms of increased productivity and quality but also safety and control, with ATEX certification, comprehensive security throughout, and tracking registry of each fitting.”

According to MB92, the cabins have the capacity to control important variables such as humidity, airflow and temperature thanks to the latest in aero thermic climate control and scrubber technology. Not only does this facilitate better results in painting and curing but, alongside the residue treatment systems, supports the company’s drive towards more sustainable solutions.

“We are already seeing the benefits in just a short period of operation,” continues Ariet. “With fittings now centrally managed at the centre, we can monitor, and reduce emissions and VOCs more effectively. Furthermore, we can liberate space in the shipyard traditionally occupied by tents for other services. I am looking forward to seeing how we maximise the potential this facility offers.”

This recent development is one of many projects ongoing at MB92. In October last year MB92 released its first sustainability report and unveiled its five-year sustainability plan, which pledged its commitment to assuming a leading role in industry transformation. The plan consists of six pillars, five of them focussing on environmental issues and one on social wellbeing, with an equal amount of action allocated to each pillar every year to ensure balanced development.

“I hope that in the next 20 years we will see a complete transformation of our industry,” commented Pepe Garcia-Aubert, CEO of MB92. “We can see that owners are more and more ready to invest in new yachts with new propulsion systems. If we don’t do this in the next 25 years, the world will probably say: ‘Sorry, but you cannot use these boats anymore because we are in real danger of losing the oceans.’”

As well as developing its facilities in Barcelona and La Ciotat, MB92 has also placed a greater emphasis on developing its international presence, most recently by appointing Saif Al Rahbi as the group’s business development consultant for the Middle East. The move has been designed to account for the high density of large-superyacht owners in the Middle East.

“We want to increase our presence in the Middle East and we felt that Saif’s appointment would benefit us for a number of reasons,” explained Henk Dreijer, MB92 Group’s chief business development officer. “Saif is the ideal person to build our business in the Middle East because we needed someone local who knows the culture and the language, as well as having a deep understanding of yachting. This is a business development strategy that has been widely employed by new-build yards, but not really by the refit industry to date. This will allow us to get closer to our clients and provide them with a better service.”

Arguably, however, the most significant project ongoing at MB92 is the development and commercialisation of its new 4300t shiplift, which is expected to be operational at the end of the year.

“The launch of the new shiplift and its six additional spaces represents a major event for the Group and our local community and is an exciting commercial challenge. I have much faith in Joe who is a great addition to our growing team and a highly regarded professional in our industry. He brings extensive refit experience to the company and will be an added value to our existing and future clients,” commented Vincent Escallier, commercial director of MB92 La Ciotat.

It is generally accepted that MB92 is one of the superyacht market’s premier refit groups and the various developments ongoing across its facilities, as well as its determination to grow its international footprint, suggests that in years to come MB92 will further cement its position as a market leader.

MB92 recently sponsored The Superyacht Refit Report, within which The Superyacht Group’s team of expert journalists and analysts, as well as a number of renowned market commentators, explore the trends, nuances, challenges and opportunities associated with the refit market. Click here to join The Superyacht Group Community and gain access to our full suite of content, products and events.

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