ANDREW CHAPMAN, COO OF GOLD COAST CITY MARINA & SHIPYARD (GCCM) REFLECTS ON THEIR 25TH ANNIVERSARY.

What is the significance of the 25th anniversary to GCCM?

The secret to the longevity at GCCM is the incredible team that operate the marina and shipyard. Twenty-five years ago, this area was just farmland on the side of the Coomera River. The strength of what is here today was built from the pioneering spirit and vision of our Chairman Pat Gay, one man who took a risk and developed a world leading marine precinct which caters for superyachts through to small recreational vessels.

The original concept of a one-stop-shop boating facility, something that hadn’t been built in Australia at the time. So, boats would come to GCCM, they would get lifted and all their repairs and servicing could be sorted in the one location.

The key elements that have continued throughout the last 25 years are the strength of our trades, our levels of customer service and the exceptional project management we offer. We are very proud of what’s been achieved here at GCCM over the last quarter century, and we’re looking forward to building on that proud tradition with the commencement of works down in the Titan Yard, our new development.

Over 90 marine trade businesses are located on site at GCCM. How pivotal have these business been to the ‘one-stop-shop’ concept GCCM is known for?

The strength of our marine trade business partners has been key to the success of GCCM. They are not tenants; they are integral partners. People that select GCCM to service their vessels do so because they want access to the best tradespeople and technicians.

Some of our business partners have been here through the whole 25 years. Those businesses have flourished and grown with GCCM, some over generations. Our marine trade partners have incredible experience and deliver far beyond customer expectations, whether they’re undertaking a superyacht refit or lifting a 20-foot ski boat.

Let’s talk about your team at GCCM. How integral have they been to the success of GCCM?

The secret to the longevity at GCCM is the incredible team that operate the marina and shipyard. The customer focus and can-do attitude of our team demonstrates the pride that has evolved over time. We have a very strong focus on customer service at GCCM. We focus on saying yes. We want the customer to get what they want. It’s not always possible, but whatever we can do for our customers, we do. That comes through a dedicated team who have been here a long time. With the majority of the key team members being long term at GCCM it’s inevitable that relationships have been built with customers over time.

Many of our customers come back year after year for their annual servicing. They’ll ring up and know they can speak to the same person who has been in charge of lifting their boat for the last five years. It’s like old friends coming back to see you each year. I think that is the key to delivering good service. Our customers know what to expect when they come here, they know the level of care we will have for their vessel.

We also invest heavily in the training and development of our team. I’ll never ask any of our team members to do anything I wouldn’t do myself. If there’s late night lifts or launches, Shaun Quinn our Operations Manager or I will be there. We make sure that we’re hands-on with supporting our team and valuing what they do.

Tell us more about the range of vessels GCCM caters for.

We’re not purely focussed on the superyacht sector, because without a doubt, the success of GCCM has grown on the back of all the local boats on the Gold Coast. We have a great diversity of vessels and a wide cross section of customers we look after.

We have around 300 boats in our dry store, which are all under 34 feet, and we have a dedicated team who lift and care for those boats. Equally, on the hard stand and in the superyacht basin, we have berths and lifting capacity for many commercial vessels.

Tell us more about GCCM’s new Titan Yard development.

GCCM’s Titan Yard will be a multi-phase project. We’ve started the preliminary works in preparation for the new factories to be built down there. We are finalising the engineering designs for the lift bay and the sheds at the Titan Yard at the moment.

A number of factories will be built as part of Stage I of the Titan Yard. There will also be a new lift which will increase our capacity from the existing 300 tonnes, which is the limiting capacity here, not just for ourselves but for the whole of the Coomera Precinct. We’ll be increasing that with the placement of an 820-tonne lift in the Titan Yard, which will the first new lift installed. That won’t be our biggest new lift we’ll install in the Titan Yard, it’s what we’ll install initially. We’re very excited about what’s to come.

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