First Philippines-built Mustang Marine sports cruiser

by Jeni Bone on 22 Jun 2009 Australasia Marine Alliance Corp. (AMAC), based in Subic Bay, the Philippines, has completed its first leisure yacht for Mustang Marine.

The 28-feet Mustang Marine 2800 Sports Cruiser worth AUS$120,000 was built by Filipino boat craftsmen. It is one of the smallest boats under the Mustang brand name.

AMAC Managing Director Henry Co said the Mustang Marine 2800 Sports Cruiser has passed intensive sea trials with “very impressive performance.”

The new Sports Cruiser range which will include the 2850, 3350 and 3850 will be manufactured by AMAC. Sports Cruisers destined for Asian markets will be fully built at the production facility in the Philippines reducing shipping costs and improving lead times, however boats sold via Mustangs Australian and New Zealand dealer network will be assembled to a partial stage in the Philippines and completed in the Mustang facility on the Gold Coast.

The 2850 will be the first Sports Cruiser in the range and be released in December 2009. It will reflect the new European-inspired styling, exceptional quality and performance that Mustang features across their entire range.
Chris Heaton, CEO at Mustang Marine says that AMAC, as the contract manufacturer is ideally located on Subic Bay and has impressive facilities, strong local knowledge and the background of managing director, Henry Co as its main assets.
“We are very pleased with the Philippines’s set up and Henry Co is a dynamic, knowledgeable contact. All production met Mustang's strict quality requirements. Building in the Philippines is a way of continuing to build smaller, entry level boats.”

Henry Co, MD at AMAC, is the former Chairman of Ford Philippines. “So he knows how to work lean,” says Heaton, adding that he has visited the Philippines a number of times and feels there is a lot of potential in the region. “AMAC is based in Subic Bay, which is an ex-American naval base with a lot of facilities that have been under-utilised for a long time.”

According to AMAC, the Philippines is an ideal location for manufacturing leisure, recreational and sports boats, thanks in part to “excellent management capabilities, very skilled and readily available workforce, lower cost and proximity to Asian markets.”

“The Australian boat making industry is facing a number of serious challenges, including, workers scarcity, rapidly rising salaries, rising Australian dollar, cheap boats from overseas makers,” observes Co. “Partnership with AMAC is an effective way of addressing many of these challenges.”

The new 2850 will be priced to meet market expectations. The 3350 and 3850 will
be released in early 2010. The original Sports Cruiser range, which sold in excess of 500, will no longer be produced.

More at www.mustangmarine.com.au