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A Shipyard Oceans Apart

A Shipyard Oceans Apart

One of the true innovators of the Australian marine industry, Gold Coast City Marina & Shipyard opened nearly 16 years ago after five years of planning and construction, as a purpose-built facility designed specifically to remove the pressure points of boating. It was one of the first facilities in Australia to adopt the philosophy of ‘marine clustering’—putting marine-related businesses together in one convenient location—almost like a shopping centre for boaties. Now under new ownership and management, this team of passionate boaties are ready to keep on innovating so customers can enjoy ‘a lot more boating and a lot less hassle’.

 

In 2000, the gates at GCCM opened to what was and still is the most comprehensive facility of its kind in Australia, featuring a world-class marina, dry storage and shipyard facilities, plus over 60 specialist on-site businesses employing over 500 marine-related contractors. Since then, this boating mecca has lifted, maintained, refitted, repaired, stored and built over 50,000 vessels, from jet skis to super yachts. It has become an international benchmark that many have imitated and is a vital part of the Gold Coast Marine Precinct on the Coomera River.

 

Today, the team at GCCM are focused on continuing to lead the way in the marine industry and continuing to innovate in order to provide every conceivable marine solution so the customers can enjoy maximum boating pleasure. This focus is fuelled by a team of passionate mariners who go to great lengths to provide the services and facilities to get boats back on the water as quickly and efficiently as possible. “That’s the bond that glues this team together,” says Director Trenton Gay. “It’s part of the DNA of GCCM.” When he refers to ‘this team’, Mr Gay means the tenants and staff alike.

 

“We’re all boaties, so we understand that every boatie’s boat is his or her happy place. We understand how hard people work to get a boat and how hard they work to maintain a boat, so we want to see them get as much enjoyment out of their boat as possible. That definitely doesn’t mean more time than necessary on the hardstand or in a refit shed. That’s why GCCM was created. Everyone here loves getting boats back out on the water where they belong and keeping them out there for as long as possible,” Mr Gay enthuses.

 

One of the most iconic examples of this team’s passion for getting boats back on the water, was the support they provided to Jessica Watson when she collided with a freighter in Moreton Bay in the lead-up to her bid to become the youngest person ever to sail solo around the world. Over 40 workers and volunteers worked around the clock and donated over $50,000 worth of repair costs so Jess could get out and achieve her boating dream. It’s a story that speaks volumes about the passion this crew of boaties have for helping other boaties.

 

“A lot of our customers rave about the facilities and equipment at GCCM. But what we also hear time and time again is that it takes way less time to complete work here than at other marinas. That’s not simply because we have the most comprehensive offering in the industry, it’s also because our trades are the best of the best. We all like working together to achieve the best result for our customers,” shares Gay.

 

In 2014, the Gay Group Of Companies took sole ownership of the facility. In 2015, the newly consolidated team were pleased to achieve a raft of industry accolades including Best Marina & Boatyard Facility 2015/16, Best Dry Storage Facility 2015/16 and Superyacht Australia Business of the Year.

 

“Pleased, but never satisfied,” says Steve Sammes, Chief Operating Officer of GCCM. “We have spent the last 24 months working hard behind the scenes on plans to take the level of convenience and customer service on offer to the boating industry to a whole new level—a level beyond compare.”

 

In June this year, GCCM launched a new website that makes it easier than ever before for boaties to make enquiries and obtain estimates for all of their boating requirements. “We wanted to make light work for our customers as we know many of them are time-poor. The new website makes everything easier. There is a great business directory for our onsite services and enquiries and estimates can be requested at the touch of a button,” explains Sammes.

 

“Yes, it’s about upgrading and creating new facilities. But it’s also about creating the right team, the right culture and customer experience, and the most efficient processes to get boats back on the water faster and for longer than any other facility. That’s always been our number one goal. But we have to keep focusing on our customers and raising the bar year-in year-out,” adds Sammes.

 

Customer focus, collaboration and innovation are central to GCCM’s future plans. Gay states, “The Gold Coast City Marina & Shipyard that you see today was realised by people who wanted and could envisage better for all boaties, regardless of whether they were local or travelling from the other side of the ocean to get here, and regardless of whether they had a 10-foot tinnie or a 200-foot super yacht. For the past two years, we’ve been dreaming it all up again. And this year, we have begun the process of putting it all into action.”

 

So far, the feedback from customers have been outstanding. They are enjoying a whole new level of convenience, service and satisfaction. And the crew at GCCM just want to keep raising the bar.

 

Discover more about the new look GCCM at gccm.com.au.