Riviera welcomes its 800th team member

Kylie Scott is looking forward to a fulfilling career with Riviera © Paul Bamford

Australia's world-class luxury motor yacht builder Riviera has welcomed a further 34 people to its Gold Coast manufacturing facility this week, taking the Australian team to more than 800 working onsite.

This continued expansion is in response to demand for its yachts, the strongest in Riviera's 41-year history and follows a successful showcase at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show where the company welcomed more than 25 luxury motor yacht owners to the Riviera family.

Riviera's 16.8-hectare world-class Gold Coast facility currently has 57 motor yachts under construction from across the 23-model range from 39 to 78 feet.

More than half of the more than 100 motor yachts the company builds annually are exported around the world and this year Riviera was named 2021 Exporter of the Year in the Australian Marine Industry Awards.

Joining the Riviera team this week is new trainee Kylie Scott, officially the 800th person working on the company's Coomera site.

At 39, Kylie is looking forward to a career change, working alongside Riviera's master craftspeople to develop her boatbuilding skills in Riviera's composite team, responsible for creating the flybridges, hardtops and swim platforms for selected models of motor yachts. She is keen to learn a broad cross-section of boatbuilding skills in the future at Riviera as her career progresses.

Kylie, who has five children and three grandchildren, grew up on a farm in Goondiwindi in south-west Queensland. She has had a passion for beautiful boats and has been enjoying the water since she was a child.

Kylie and her husband moved the family to the Gold Coast five years ago for a lifestyle change. Before joining Riviera, she took on various part-time roles to work in with the available time of a growing family.

"Now that my family has grown up, it's time for me to create a real career," said Kylie.

"I have a great interest in the look and feel of luxury motor yachts, and Riviera is the dream job for me, the opportunity of a lifetime really.

"Riviera motor yachts are immaculate from a design and finish point of view. I love working with my hands and I am looking forward to learning from the best people in the industry at Riviera. It's a place where I can start at the entry level and work my way up."

Kylie joined Riviera to begin this new phase in her working life because of the company's reputation for creating world-class luxury motor yachts and its award-winning training program.

Kylie is among 21 mature-aged trainees to join the Riviera team this week. The trainees will undertake a course in composites at the PARTEC institute in Brisbane as part of their specialist boatbuilding education. An additional 13 apprentices have also been welcomed on site, taking the number of apprentices at Riviera to over 100.

Riviera's Safety and Training Manager Adam Houlahan said Kylie had the qualities sought by Riviera.

"Kylie has a strong willingness to learn, a great attitude and she is eager to get started in the industry with us at Riviera," said Mr Houlahan.

"This is the best start for someone looking to create a fulfilling career in the marine industry and Kylie will be well supported by our experienced team to ensure she receives our superior level of training."

Riviera is seeking to grow its team of composite technicians and marine craft construction specialists even further over the next 12 months.

Riviera owner Rodney Longhurst welcomed the latest trainees to the Riviera team this week.

"Over the past year we have experienced strong growth in demand for our luxury motor yachts leading us to recruit more experienced craftspeople and trainees to work together to meet that demand," said Mr Longhurst.

"We're fortunate to have the best people in the marine industry on site, sharing a passion for building world-class luxury motor yachts. They are exceptional mentors for our trainees, guiding them on a path to be the master craftspeople of the future."