Marinetek marks 30 years

Finnish marina systems builder Marinetek has carved an international place for itself over the past three decades. Co-founder Markku Rantanen and CEO Santeri Suoranta look back, and look forward, as they speak to Marina World on the company’s 30th anniversary.
A personal journey: Markku Rantanen

When Ilkka Seppälä and I started Marinetek in 1994, we had both already worked in the marina industry for more than a decade. We knew how the business was done but wanted to do things a little differently: our goal was to be an international company that offered modern, high-quality concrete pontoons that were built to last for decades.
Also, instead of offering just standard pontoon models, we wanted to use our experience to serve customers better by helping them design their marinas and then – when needed – design custom pontoons to meet their needs and optimise the marina’s performance.
Reliability naturally became our core value, and it came from our hearts and our actions – our slogan is “more than marinas, we deliver peace of mind”. We’ve always paid extra attention to durability, from product design to manufacturing and marina design to delivery and installation. And we’ve always been true to our principle of not overpromising or under-delivering. That meant that, at times, we turned down projects where the circumstances for a marina were not right and we couldn’t guarantee optimal performance, durability and lifespan.
I’ve enjoyed working in the marina industry immensely. The company’s values are my values, which means I haven’t had to force anything or do something I don’t approve myself. It has been great to see how the industry and technology have developed in past decades – and to have been able to answer to the need of larger and more heavy-duty pontoons with the continuing growth of the size of modern yachts and the size of marinas.
Sustainability aspects have been getting more important in recent years and I’m happy to say that our dedication to building pontoons and marinas that have a long lifespan has always also been a sustainability matter. When you build something that lasts, it does not have to be built again anytime soon, which minimises the use of natural and financial resources.
Of course, we are not just relying on that to meet modern sustainability needs. Constant product development and the search for better solutions have always been part of our company culture and we aim to be industry leaders also in sustainability.
I’m proud of the way we’ve been able to grow the company over the years. We started our business with international projects, which I’m sure helped our reputation to grow. We quickly became the market leader in our domestic market in Finland, but also we were able to expand our reach internationally.
With our growth there have been some very memorable milestones in different parts of the world. In 2005, with the founding of Marinetek Adriatic in Croatia, Marinetek grew strongly in the Mediterranean area. At the same time, we were working on a multi-year project in Dubai. When it was finished in 2007, Palm Jumeirah Marinas was the largest marina project in the world.
During those hectic years of growth, Marinetek also expanded its operations to North America and the Caribbean. Delivery in phases of the luxury marina of Port Louis in Grenada started in 2009 and was completed in 2010. Also in 2010, Marinetek North America delivered its first project: Palm Harbor in Florida’s West Palm Beach, which was immediately acknowledged as the Marina of the Year in Florida.
Conquering the world did not end there. The first Marinetek project in Southeast Asia was completed in 2015, and Phuket Yacht Haven in Thailand is now widely regarded as the first port of choice for superyachts in the tropical Andaman Sea.
I have many favourite projects but Port Louis Marina in the Caribbean and Ocean Village & Marina Bay & Superyacht Marinas in Gibraltar are on the top of my list. Palm Harbor Marina in Florida, Aker Brygge in Norway, Port Hercules in Monaco and Limassol Marina in Cyprus also stand out. And we must never forget Palm Jumeirah Marinas in Dubai, which was a game-changing project for Marinetek.
Sustainability and growth: Santeri Suoranta
Q: Where is Marinetek currently operating and have there been any significant changes to its market reach?
A: We have our Group headquarters in Helsinki, Finland, and our own factories in Finland, Latvia and Croatia. Our other units are strategically located to cover central and northern Europe, the Mediterranean, Middle East and Africa, Southeast Asia and North America – with focus on the east coast. These have been our main markets in recent years.
Q: Five years ago the owners looked to distance the company from generic ‘floating solutions’ and refocus on the core business of designing, manufacturing and supplying pontoon systems for marinas. Have you continued with this?
A: Yes. We are focusing on being recognised as the best designer and supplier of recreational marinas. Outside the marina business we offer our know-how and technology for selective floating solutions projects, which we consider case by case.
Q: What are your strongest markets and where do you see most growth?
A: We see Europe as our home market, and we are also strong in the Middle East. Further growth is coming from the North American and Southeast Asia markets.
Q: Have you redesigned any aspects of your range or worked with any new materials?
A: We work constantly on product development and sustainability to improve our products and at the same time lower our environmental footprint. This includes production methods and materials. A lot of this is not instantly visible in the product itself, but results in longer product lifespan, improved durability, and lower CO2 emissions.
Q: Is new thinking in terms of the environment and the increased implementation of smart technology affecting the design of marina systems?
A: We have a strong focus on sustainability. We follow and scientifically measure our CO2 emissions and aim to decrease our footprint. This is done through product design and materials as well as energy consumption at the factories and use of green energy where suitable.
We are supporting marina owners and operators in developing smart technology for their marinas and making the marinas ready for e-boating. We have partners who can supply charging stations and versatile solutions to marinas – both for the pontoons and shore areas. We are closely following the smart technology development and adapting to the changes quickly.
Q: How do you see marinas developing in general over the next 30 years?
A: Recreational boating brings positive experiences to people. We believe this will continue as a trend and marinas will develop further to be oases in urban areas, not just parking spots for boats. I see more services, like restaurants and boat rental companies, developing in marinas and marinas therefore becoming more popular places for people who don’t own boats; links between land and water, and cool places for people to hang out.
From a technical viewpoint, electrification of boats will change the infrastructure in marinas and the number of boats as well as the size of boats is increasing, which will create demand for bigger marinas.