Mercury sells its stake in Bella Boats to Swedes
Flying Finn’s trailer boats business traded to Swedish high-end motor yacht maker. Aussie business not affectedSwedish boat-maker Nimbus Boats will buy out US outboard engine maker Mercury Marine’s stake in Finnish group Bella Boats, Mercury’s parent company has announced.
US-based Brunswick Corp said in a statement released overnight that the Scandinavian joint venture's buy-out will end a 15-year association between Mercury and Bella, which has seen the Finnish trailer boat-maker fit its fibreglass and aluminium boats with Mercury’s outboard engines.
Under the terms of the deal, Mercury would continue to supply its outboard engines to Bella as a “strategic partner”, Brunswick Corp said.
Under the deal, Nimbus has also bought out the 70 percent share of Bella Boats owned by the company's founder, Ramio Sonnien. Under the buy-out arrangement, Sonnien will continue to own the factories in which the Bella boat range is made. He will also act as an adviser on product development.
Bella Boats officially launched in Australia at the 2018 Sydney International Boat Show. Its three-model line-up sold here includes the Bella and Flipper fibreglass boats, and the Falcon aluminium-fibreglass hybrid.
Dan Hanoumis, from Bella Boats' Australian distributor, Euronautica, said he had contacted the company and it would continue to be "business as usual".
“We look forward to continuing to distribute the Bella portfolio in partnership with new owners Nimbus," he said. “All brands have been well received in Australia since our launch only 10 months ago," Hamoudis said.
“There are some fantastic, innovative models in the pipeline which we have had direct design input to for the Australian market.
"Importantly there will be no material change to manufacturing in the immediate future which is the cornerstone of the quality represented in the brands and such high-quality Scandinavian boats,” he said.
Alloy ambitions
Nimbus, meanwhile, produces a range of luxury boats running in length from 33 feet up to 44 feet. Earlier this year it announced it had bought out Fellow Swedish alloy boat-builder Alukin, which specialises in cabin cruisers and professional boats.
Nimbus also builds boats under the Sweden-based Paragon Yachts brand.
>> Bella Boats from Finland lands in Australia
The size of the Bella buyout was not disclosed, with the takeover expected to be completed by the end of this year.
“Bella Boats has been a great partner for Mercury in key European markets,” Marty Bass, Mercury Marine’s European market chief, said. “We couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity to continue the Bella relationship through Nimbus.”
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
