Riviera relishing new ownership

Lunch with new owner Rodney Longhurst

It’s lunchtime at Riviera’s waterfront café, but we are the only ones tucking-in. With 24 new boats in build during our factory visit this week, the iconic Australian boat builder is busy. No idle hands. No devils lurking. It’s game on.

This contrasts with so many other boat builders, some of which are struggling for orders, funds, or shutting up shop altogether. But as Rodney Longhurst (47), the new Riviera owner told us, the brand loyalty here is just “compelling.”

Since he bought Riviera from the banks on March 8, and it therefore exited receivership, the Coomera-based yard hasn’t looked back. In the ensuing seven weeks, it’s taken 17 orders for new boats.

Yet perhaps even greater testimony to Riviera’s brand power is the fact it sold 289 boats when in receivership from May 8, 2009 to March 8, 2012!

“I know I wouldn’t buy a boat from a company in receivership,” Longhurst says between mouthfuls of snapper and salad. “But it’s this faith from owners that convinced me in the end.”

“The opportunity was there… to wake up the sleeping giant,” adds Longhurst, his eyes widening with excitement. “Although this is just week seven [under his ownership], we’re already a more flexible and agile company.”

“Being out of receivership gives greater comfort to owners, especially those overseas,” adds Stephen Milne, Director Brand and Communications.

As if to prove as much, almost half of the aforesaid 17 new-boat orders are destined for overseas markets.

As though a switch was flicked, there’s suddenly renewed interest from Riviera dealers worldwide following the exit from receivership. Some 21 of them from Europe, the Americas and Asia will be winging it to the factory for the inaugural Riviera Festival from May 24-27, we’re told.

“In coming days,” Milne says, “we will have received 1,000 RSVPs to our event.” The prediction is for 1,500 or more at the Festival. And, remember, they are all Riviera boat owners and crews.

Meanwhile, Longhurst, a successful property developer, has landscapers replanting the garden beds, trimmers installing new clear curtains outside the café, and there’s a real buzz on the ground akin to pre-party preparations.

Neatly dressed, Longhurst wants the Riviera premises to look just right. Like his father, who built a huge lawnmower business, then Pride boats, and Dreamworld, you get the impression nothing is done by half.

History shows Longhursts are can-do people and brother Tony twice won the Bathurst 1000 in a touring car.

“Everything we’re doing with our factory and our boats has to do with quality,” Longhurst says, “that’s the proviso. And we’re going to be very good listeners. We’ll go out of our way to help owners,” he adds.

It’s also nice to know Longhurst is no stranger to boats. He has owned three Rivieras before buying the factory: a 40 Aft Cabin, a Mariner/Riviera M430, and a 51 Flybridge, which his Sydney-based uncle now operates. He is also the proprietor of The Boat Works, the Coomera-based servicing centre right alongside Riviera.

“I like a boat to look good, but it also has to be super functional. I just like things to work. Besides appearance functionality and quality, I want to create wow factor, adventure and romance,” Longhurst explains.

While Riviera is on target to build 70 boats this year, a far cry from the 450 in the champagne days, Longhurst says it’s back to being profitable. He’s confident of 100 next financial year and then 120 thereafter.

Emerging wealth in Asia and South America will help overseas sales. Locally, Riviera expects a bounce and will re-invigorate its apprentice program, we’re told.

Lunch consumed, we move to the new shed across the way. It’s there that we’re dwarfed by the Riviera 75. The reworked version of the 70 has a longer hull, extended flying-bridge deck and 33.2 knot top speed. It’s the seventh 70-plus footer the factory has built.

We also learn of a new 40-something that will be announced at the upcoming Riviera Festival. Earlier in the day, we'd driven the first 5800 Sport Yacht with triple Zeus pod drives and then the first new 53 with twin IPS 2 900s. But you get the feeling it isn’t going to stop there. Longhurst, colleague and cohort CEO Wes Moxey and Milne make a formidable team.

“I’m looking forward to going ashore with the kids, building sand castles, looking in rock pools, showing them life outside the modern-day world,” says Longhurst, a father of three under-five-year olds, before heading back to the coalface with a spring in his step.

But at the end of the day, it’s all about the owners. And for revitalised Australian-owned Riviera, there are plenty more to come.

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Riviera relishing new ownership

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