Q&A: A boatbuilder with Downeast styles and a TV pedigree
Photo / Laurie Schreiber
Stewart Workman, founder of SW Boatworks in Lamoine, has expanded in the past decade. He may be best known for building a sport-fishing boat for the TV show ‘Wicked Tuna.’
Stewart Workman founded SW Boatworks in Lamoine in 2000. The shop has expanded substantially since 2009, after Workman purchased the Calvin Beal Jr. and the Young Brothers boat lines, long popular with fishermen for their Downeast looks and handling.
He’s expanded his facility and workforce to build hundreds of lobster boats, passenger boats, sportfishing boats and yachts. One of the best-known, named Tuna.com, was commissioned by a star of National Geographic Channel’s “Wicked Tuna.” Workman scaled back somewhat due to difficulties finding skilled workforce. But the production remains full-bore. Mainebiz asked about his growth strategy and recruitment and retention initiatives.
Mainebiz: How did the Beal and Young Brothers lines help the company?
Stewart Workman: I’ve taken proven designs and made them better. I also introduced them into the pleasure side of the business, which has been intriguing to some of the sportfish guys. It’s also been helpful to be able to supply boaters with a choice of models. Not one size fits everyone.
MB: How far-flung is your customer base? How do they find you?
SW: We have customers along the East Coast, into the Bahamas, Alaska, wherever the internet reaches. If they want a boat, they’ll call. A lot comes through the website. From here and into Massachusetts, a lot of it is word-of-mouth.
MB: Does Tuna.com serve as an advertisement?
SW: Yes, a lot of people reference that boat and I do, too. People call who think they might want a 44-foot sportfish boat. I ask, “Have you watched ‘Wicked Tuna?’” They say, “Yes.” I say, “Well, the black one is ours.” They say, “That’s an awesome boat!”
MB: What do you hear from customers about why they want a Maine-built boat?
SW: A lot of the people are trying to get a way from twin engines. They’re trying to get away from the maintenance and the excess fuel they’re burning. They want something that’s reliable and easy to handle. We also have a lot of people who are coming from sailboats. They’re getting up in age, and sailing a big boat is not an easy task without a crew. So they’d like a very stable boat to cruise along the coast. And these designs make awesome boats to go fishing with. They’ve been proven in Maine for stability. They’re very comfortable. These boats are hard to beat.
MB: What are your strategies for growing your customer base?
SW: Publications, online, boat shows, quality workmanship. We’re trying do a good job and keep busy and tell everyone about it. We’ve been to the boat show in Rockland for probably 10 years, the Fishermen’s Forum in Rockport probably eight years, the Maine Boatbuilders’ Show in Portland. We’ve gone to the Newport, R.I., show two or three times and we’re going there this fall. Newport has been a very busy place for us.
We’re desperately looking for crew, just like everyone else. We have a lot of boats to build and we’re shorthanded.
MB: What are your strategies for recruiting talent?
SW: We’re desperately looking for crew, just like everyone else. We have a lot of boats to build and we’re shorthanded. We’ve been advertising, on Facebook, in the newspaper, over the radio, word-of-mouth. At this point, if you get someone, they’re coming from another shop.
MB: How many more people could you use right now?
SW: Two. I started out wanting people with some experience in boatbuilding, because training slows us down. At this point, we’re willing to take somebody who has basic carpentry skills and knows how to use tools safely.
MB: What about retention?
SW: We’ve bumped up wages, have health insurance, disability insurance. We’re a small business with a lot of overhead, and it’s hard to balance. We have three boats finishing up now, two in layup, our next available spot to start a project is next summer, and we’ve got potential customers talking about boats down the road. It’s just getting it scheduled and trying to find crew.
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