No more Broom boats
- Thread starter CLB
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LittleSister
Well-Known Member
I thought that was announced a few years back, and then new managers/owners started again?
Montemar
Well-Known Member
The new managing director who joined recently has a track record for restructuring businesses, check it out on Linkedin. I thought it an outside possibility at the time!
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volvopaul
Well-Known Member
Just seen THIS news story. No more Broom boats being built. It's the end of an era
I’m not surprised ,
Last year they closed the brokerage division when long time employee Paul Pardon retired, they just gave the job away to NYA .
They have had no vision for a long time, I went to inspect a 450 last year for a client of mine, it was like trying to get blood from a stone when asking them to get the boat in a suitable position to trial it, the batteries were flat etc , get the picture .
I don’t think the sale went through as the list of jobs must have put them off, getting anything done sounded like torture .
Prime location for waterside property. Sad end , I bet Martin Broom would turn In his grave to see what’s happened .
Greg2
Well-Known Member
+1
We have owned two Brooms, both high quality boats from the era when craftsmen turned out a high quality product. Having the yard on our doorstep was a real bonus but unfortunately the writing was on the wall once Martin Broom relinquished ownership of the company.
Plans were afoot to move production to a site by the A47 on the outskirts of Brundall, which involved housing development on the current riverside site. Highly likely that this element will be a feature of current thinking I suspect.
End of an era and a great shame that they will no longer build boats.
paul salliss
Well-Known Member
I toohave had s lot of dealings with Broom. They made great bomb proof boats and mine was made to a high standard - however from a sales perspective my dealings with them were to use a phrase above like trying to get blood from a stone they moved about as quickly as an asthmatic ant with arthritis. If indeed this is the end my primary thoughts are with the guys and girls that worked there as they were proper old school craftspeople and I sincerely hope that they find work in a place that will reward their talents. Proper people
petem
Well-Known Member
Didn't they take over production of English Harbour Yachts? I wonder if they will continue.
Greg2
Well-Known Member
Moving elsewhere apparently.
Greg2
Well-Known Member
Whilst I am very sorry to see what has become of the company I always thought that they lived in the past in some regards. They always had a client base of repeat customers who weren’t short of a bob or two and loved their boats. This tended to mean that Brooms charged a lot for minor works and weren’t particularly responsive, working very much to ‘Norfolk marine industry’ timescales. I speak as a resident of the county and I love it - in many respects a slower pace is to be desired but in the modern business world I suspect that as the wealthy client base diminished (demographics) they just weren’t geared up to compete effectively. That and a whole load of other factors, not least the financial climate post 2008.
My lad did his work experience at school with the company and he loved it. Still have the wooden toolbox that he made under the supervision of skilled trades people - really feel for those that will be adversely affected by this latest turn of events.
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paul salliss
Well-Known Member
While I am not as closely associated to the company as you are I would say that your description of the culture that you clearly understand well was in line with my experience and as a very busy guy I struggled with the lack of responsiveness.
That said, as I have already said the staff who built the things were dedicated and highly skilled and I just hope that they are kept on. As stated before. Proper people with old school skills
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Deleted User YDKXO
Guest
Thats very sad. We owned a Broom 37 many years ago and it was an excellent boat and built like a brick outhouse. Unfortunately they got stuck in their old ways. Never really moved on from the old aft cabin/aft command position designs and completely ignored the Med market. Such a shame because, as builders like Pearl and Hardy have proved, it is possible to survive as a low volume niche builder
paul salliss
Well-Known Member
My 370 was without question the best built boat I have ever owned. Stronger and better put together than either of my two Fairlines.
Boat2016
Well-Known Member
I stopped there to fill up with fuel when visiting broads a couple of years back and the guy who looks after the pumps said the place was gradually going down hill, he said there were a lot of changes of owners and management in a short space of time which left no stability in the place and with all of the long term Broom staff gone it was like starting all over again. A shame to loose another great brand.
Greg2
Well-Known Member
Not that closely associated Paul, just my observations from being part of the boating community in the place they were based. Bought our first Broom from their Brokerage and the service was good.
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Deleted User YDKXO
Guest
I met the new owners at SIBS shortly after they took over the company and I came away disappointed because they didnt seem to have any plans for revamping the range. I came away wondering why they had bought the company. Of course there may have been good reasons why they did which had little to do with boating
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Deleted User YDKXO
Guest
I was reading about you whilst I was on the throne this morning! That Axopar looks to be a bit of a beast. Are you really going for the Brabus version?
Boat2016
Well-Known Member
I guess it will be Brundall's equivalent of Port Solent if permission is granted.
volvopaul
Well-Known Member
I wonder if there was some type of covenant set up when the Broom family sold out that the site couldn’t be altered in any way relating to different business use or housing application , there may have been a timescale on this to protect what must have been an old school workforce that would have protected there jobs for years to come .
Now the time is up it’s all to play for , perhaps a former employee and forum member fill us in on this , I know it was slippery slope for quite a while after the takeover, it wasn’t long before it wet into administration with a few boats in build , one belonging to a client of mine.
We all know that Brunswick only bought Sealine for the town centre Kidderminster site, soon it was in trouble the writing on the wall, cleverly split up taking smaller companies but the land secured to sell on, its now a retail park as far as I’m aware . Stand to be corrected , Brundall is a rabbit warren of waterside properties all around Brooms site so an addition wouldn’t take any planning dept by surprise.
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kashurst
Well-Known Member
A sad day, but I am not surprised. Great boats but too UK centric. If I was looking for a boat to cruise the UK/Scotland / Ireland or do inland stuff then it would be a Broom every time. Otherwise there is a lot of choice elsewhere. Always surprised they didn't do more in Scandinavia but could be many reasons for that
Portofino
Well-Known Member
Firstly did they keep the freehold ? Then lease the site(s) to the buyer ?
Second what can happen if the seller has 1/2 a brain and let the FH go ( buyers bank may want extra security) is write up a covenant with words to the effect -
“ if the site is sold on after [ insert timescale in years normally 20/25 ] then [ x % usually 50 % ] of the inflated development price has to be forfitted / reimburses / paid back to the seller .
So the Broom fam if that’s happened will be in different.
You get this with paddock s next to prime villages when say somthing like the HS2 line is floating around and theres a potentially increase of commuters forcing developers to hack up a green space to make it worth while .
A 4 acre nag field that cost £25 K - suddenly is worth £4 M with planing to Mr Barrat / Perssimion et al
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