
In an effort to expand production capability, Pacific Asian Enterprises (PAE), Inc.’s long-time partner factory, South Coast Marine (SCM), has built a brand new companion yard to its main China facility. Located in Taiwan, the new yard will house the production of the Nordhavn 625 and Nordhavn 80.
Thanks to an order book that has grown increasingly full the past two years, SCM sought out to improve its production capabilities. Obtaining additional space was the first necessary step but finding ways to increase efficiency would prove crucial. SCM president Tsai Wan Sheu studied the manufacturing approach used by PAE’s other partner factory, Telgeren & Partners in Turkey, which builds the Nordhavn 41 and 51. Telgeren implements the external fabrication of furniture and other sections of interior which are then placed into the yacht modularly, rather than SCM’s practice of crafting the interior entirely from within. Mr. Wan Sheu embraced the new production style and invested in state-of-the-art specialized patterned carpentry and cabinetry machines. The building was also designed with specific zones dedicated to different parts of construction such as painting, milling and equipment storage. “We couldn’t be more excited about this new modern facility South Coast has produced,” said Mike Jensen, project manager of multiple Nordhavn models built by South Coast, including the N625.
The new SCM yard is located in Kaohsiung, about an hour south of PAE’s other partner factory, Ta Shing. In moving to Taiwan, the new SCM facility also seeks to combat tariffs imposed on Chinese-built boats.
Last month, SCM completed the relocation of the N625 and N80 molds to the new Taiwanese facility. Work is currently being done on the first of the N625 hulls and N80#4 expects to begin laying up next week.