PlayDate
Well-Known Member
Many of you have contacted Restoration Marine about laminates used by Sea Ray on cabinets from 2004 models on. For most of these boats, Sea Ray used Leeuwenburgh Fineer BV out of Norway. Their manufacturing process creates a real wood veneer on a polycarbonate substrate. We do not stock these laminates although we have tried to build a relationship with Leeuwenburgh.
I received a notification today from an executive of Leeuwenburgh Fineer that Ultrawood, their US distributor, has gone out of business. We recently referred at least 30 CSR members to them and their phone number and email went dead last week.
While this may present a business opportunity for us it is really complicated by high cost of off-shore manufacturing, shipping, inventory requirements and reshipping costs. Further, the material requires skilled woodworkers for installation which have been equally hard to identify.
Of specific concern is that there is not an existing inventory of material stock used on Sea Rays for us to purchase. In fact the only US stock (limited finishes) is with Sea Ray and some at FPmarine (very limited). Leeuwenburgh indicated that Restoration Marine would have to fund production runs (50 sheets for each finish) to reproduce the material used on Sea Ray models which would be a material financial investment for us. Boat manufacturers are a small part of the their global business.
I'm posting this so that CSR members have the latest information and that those members who reached out to us understand the situation. As it currently stands, existing material in inventory can still be ordered through your Sea Ray dealer.
-John
I received a notification today from an executive of Leeuwenburgh Fineer that Ultrawood, their US distributor, has gone out of business. We recently referred at least 30 CSR members to them and their phone number and email went dead last week.
While this may present a business opportunity for us it is really complicated by high cost of off-shore manufacturing, shipping, inventory requirements and reshipping costs. Further, the material requires skilled woodworkers for installation which have been equally hard to identify.
Of specific concern is that there is not an existing inventory of material stock used on Sea Rays for us to purchase. In fact the only US stock (limited finishes) is with Sea Ray and some at FPmarine (very limited). Leeuwenburgh indicated that Restoration Marine would have to fund production runs (50 sheets for each finish) to reproduce the material used on Sea Ray models which would be a material financial investment for us. Boat manufacturers are a small part of the their global business.
I'm posting this so that CSR members have the latest information and that those members who reached out to us understand the situation. As it currently stands, existing material in inventory can still be ordered through your Sea Ray dealer.
-John
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