Mike Burnham News

Halmatic, part of the VT Group, has acquired the Cara Marine Limited commercial craft designs and moulds. These will be added to its existing comprehensive range of workboats and related craft. Cara Marine will now concentrate on its strategy to build leisure craft. Although Halmatic supplies mouldings to the leisure boat market, it does not actively market designs or supply complete craft for this sector. Halmatic Managing Director Mike Burnham commented: “It is difficult to combine the differing approaches demanded by commercial and leisure boat customers. This also has an impact on price and profitability. By concentrating on our respective strengths…

VT Halmatic said that Professor Bob Cripps, currently Engineering Manager at the RNLI, will be joining VT Halmatic as Technical Director as of May 9, 2005. Professor Cripps worked at Lloyds before moving to the RNLI and has extensive technical knowledge and experience of small craft and composite technology. The continuing challenge for technical excellence is essential to the VT Halmatic business plan. Professor Bob Cripps will lead the technical team supported by Dr Andrew Humphries, Marine Design Manager and Dr Robin Mableson, who heads up the Composite Technology Centre. The VT Composite Technology Centre (CTC) was formed in 2001 by the amalgamation of composite expertise from various divisions within the VT Group.