Neil Marine reinforces biz ties with Netherlands’ Vetus B.V.

5 October 2015 06:30 pm Views - 2467

Vetas B.V. Export Sales Manager Roy de Vette (Left) and Neil Marine Strategic Marketing and Business Development Director Roshnatha Adhihetty (Right) at the event held to officially announce the two companies working relationship 
Pix by Samantha Perera


By Lahiru Pothmulla
Neil Marine of Neil Fernando and Company Pvt. Limited, one of the foremost customized boat building manufacturers in the island officially announced its working relationship with the Vetus B.V, a Netherlands-based marine engines, generators and technical equipment developer, manufacturer and trading company.

Neil Marine had been appointed as the exclusive distributor of Vetus Brand in Sri Lanka since 2012 and the two companies had been working on Business-to-Business (B2B) solutions since then.

The working relationship of two companies was officially announced at an event held on board of the 8 Degrees Floating Restaurant, which was also built by Neil Marine.

Roshnatha Adhihetty, Strategic Marketing and Business Development Director of Neil Marine said Neil Marine has been in the boat building industry for over 47 years and had been using Vetus equipments in building boats since the very beginning.

“Due to the good quality of the products, many stakeholders in the boat industry came to us asking whether they can buy the products from us. There were instances where we even gave one of the equipments brought for our boats, to them. Subsequently, we decided that it was time for us to look into selling equipments as well as manufacturing boats. In 2012, the company was appointed as the exclusive distributor of the Vetus brand in Sri Lanka,” he said.
He said the growing trend and interest in personal boating and increasing water related tourist activities had made them to declare their partnership of the two companies to the market in a broader manner.

“We clearly see the potential in the industry today. There are no restrictions on building or owning a boat like in the past. Some of the hotels had requested us to build more floating restaurants similar to the 8degree at Cinnamon Lakeside. Within next three to four years marine water related tourism will take a new turn,” he noted.

Adhihetty said Neil Marine was providing the maximum warranty period for Vetus products, which is three years.

He said Neil Marine has a range of boats including fishing boats, whale watching boats as well as pleasure boats and are exported to countries like the UK, Netherlands, Australia, Seychelles, Maldives, India, Tanzania and Djibouti.

Meanwhile, Roy de Vette, the Export Sales Manager of Vetus B.V. said they were delighted to do business with Neil Marine as the company has experience about the industry in Sri Lanka with a vast knowledge about the boat industry.