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MarineNews spoke with Todd Roberts, Vice President of Marine Group Boat Works, located in Chula Vista, Calif., about his background in the industry, the boat building mar- ket his company serves and how Marine Group Boat Works is investing for the future. How did you come to be involved in the industry? I knew at a very young age that I wanted to work in the maritime industry. I started sailing at four, varnishing boats in local marinas at 13 and interned at Flagship Cruises (formerly San Diego Harbor Excursion) before college. I went to the California Maritime Academy where they equipped me with a basic set of skills needed to do virtually any line of maritime work upon graduation. After a couple years at sea as a deck officer, I went ashore to return to work for Flagship Cruises as its director of operations. I managed a fleet of boats and designed and managed the construction of two vessels ranging 100 to 200 feet. Eventually, I was hired to close down a sister company — a boatyard that had fallen by the wayside. However, upon evaluation of the site and the current business operations, I saw enormous potential. With the owners’ full support, we invested $6.5 million to expand Marine Group Boat Works to what it is today — a boat repair and construction facility for private, commercial and government vessels up to 660 tons (220 feet). What kind of projects has Marine Group Boat Works been involved in? Having been on the other side of the counter, I manage Marine Group Boat Works from the point of view of the customer and that has been a major factor in our growth. I made it a primary focus for us to provide impeccable, high-quality repair work. As a result, we experienced an 87% growth in the first year and have seen about a 30% growth each year thereafter. With my team’s combined experience in project management and boat construction, it was natural for us to start building boats. In 2009 we were awarded a three-vessel contract with the Navy to build 114-ft Range Training Support Crafts (RTSC-110). Currently, we’re delivering boat two while boat three is under construction at our facility — all early and within INSIGHTS Marine Group Boat Works Todd Roberts, VP 10 MN April 2011 The 114-ft Range Training Support Craft (RTSC-110) built by Marine Group Boat Works for the U.S. Navy. Photos courtesy Marine Group Boat Works
