New Zealand yachting icon, Matrix Masts, officially became Hall Spars and Rigging on 14 December 2007.
Hall Spars and Rigging already has manufacturing plants in Holland and
the USA and a sales and service office in Italy. The company supplied
spars to America's Cup winner Alinghi.
The acquisition will see Hall's New Zealand plant making the transition
to mandrel-moulded seamless masts, thanks to investment, training and a
new plant.
The new owners arrived with a year's worth of stickers and transfers so that all carbon product delivered after the sale went out with the new branding.
Matrix Masts had 15 staff at the time of its acquisition by Hall, all
of whom have been retained, including former owners Garry Hassal and
Murray Jones, who remain as managing partners. Mike Elley and Dave
Ridley, who oversaw Matrix's engineering and shop operations
respectively, stay on to perform similar duties.
Hall Spars & Rigging's Dutch operation in Breskens also had 15 staff six years ago when it was founded. It now has 80 staff and has almost completed new buildings that more than double the size of the existing plant. The new carbon shop is be 63 metres long - long enough to build masts for the new 90-foot class America's Cup boats in one piece.
With the purchase of Matrix Masts, Hall is now able to offer its clients worldwide the Oceanfurl furling boom, developed in New Zealand by Matrix at its West Auckland factory. Currently produced only in New Zealand, tooling will be completed in the Dutch and US factories in due course, so all three Hall factories can produce identical products.
Oceanfurl furling booms are constructed from autoclave-cured carbon with a nomex honeycomb core, making them one of the lightest carbon furling booms on the market for large yachts. Matrix Masts have been producing the booms since 1996.
Hall Spars & Rigging's Dutch operation in Breskens also had 15 staff six years ago when it was founded. It now has 80 staff and has almost completed new buildings that more than double the size of the existing plant. The new carbon shop is be 63 metres long - long enough to build masts for the new 90-foot class America's Cup boats in one piece.
With the purchase of Matrix Masts, Hall is now able to offer its clients worldwide the Oceanfurl furling boom, developed in New Zealand by Matrix at its West Auckland factory. Currently produced only in New Zealand, tooling will be completed in the Dutch and US factories in due course, so all three Hall factories can produce identical products.
Oceanfurl furling booms are constructed from autoclave-cured carbon with a nomex honeycomb core, making them one of the lightest carbon furling booms on the market for large yachts. Matrix Masts have been producing the booms since 1996.
