Cornish boatbuilder Cockwells is expanding and creating jobs after seeing “unprecedented” demand for its vessels.
The Mylor-based company said its its Duchy Motor Launches, Hardy motor yachts and superyacht tenders are so in demand it is taking on new staff to support its continuing expansion.
Cockwells Modern & Classic Boatbuilding said its has a strong forward order book for its bespoke craft after tasting success at the 2021 Southampton Boat Show and Monaco Yacht Show, when it marked 25 years of building “beautiful bespoke craft for a discerning clientele”.
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The company’s recent acquisition of The South West Shipyard at Ponsharden, between Falmouth and Penryn, which is currently in the process of being transformed into a professional boat building facility, will enable Cockwells to build even more of its larger vessels, including all-new Hardy explorer yacht designs.
It is now recruiting across a range of roles, from marine electricians to boatbuilders, GRP technicians to laminators, a yard hand to a trainee CNC (computer numerical control) operator, as well as various jobs within the finance team.
The company is not only seeking to hire experienced tradespeople, skilled crafts personnel, and professional office staff, but is also looking to recruit employees with transferable skills from other industries and those who wish to embark on a new career and retrain.
“Cockwells is a family-run business and a reputable brand that is respected in the international boatbuilding industry,” said founder and managing director Dave Cockwell. “We are looking forward to exciting times ahead – expanding the range of high-end craft we design and build; investing in the company and our workforce, and creating new career opportunities.
“Working at Cockwells is a career; a life choice, not just a job. You become part of a family – proud of what we achieve as a team. With a strong forward order book well into 2024 and a diverse array of boats in build, there has never been a better time to join us.”
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Technically advanced in all areas of its operations, Cockwells works at the extremes of both construction and electronic technology, and fuses advanced engineering techniques and modern materials with craftsmanship to build custom and semi-production vessels at its Mylor Creek Boatyard HQ.
Cockwells’ design director Henry Ward, who joined shortly after graduating with a degree in transport design, has recently celebrated his 10 th anniversary with the company and said: “The journey since has been incredible and I have been lucky to work with Dave Cockwell and the passionate team that has helped this company to become the globally-respected brand it is today.
“I have had the pleasure of working on some of the most exquisite superyacht tenders and motor launches, and I am looking forward to the future projects that we have in the pipeline.”
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The shipyard at Ponsharden comprises two large sheds that equate to 25,000sq ft of undercover space. The acquisition, which united the two previously separate sheds, its quay and slipway, was 100% funded by Cockwells and its shareholders.
In 2020, the firm acquired the assets of Hardy Marine and will continue to build its world- class seafaring motor yachts to their original specifications as well to reimagined designs.
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