Something big has been in the planning for over a year at UK Sails NW, and next month we will break ground on a new loft. The new loft will is designed to increase not only our productivity but capability. Over the last year we have been working to moving more of our capabilities back in-house. While the current trend is for outsourcing to China and other Asian countries we feel there is room in the market for your local sailmakers to still thrive. Although during peak season and for smaller production sails we will still rely on some of the larger UK lofts for production. The new facilities will double our floor space and we will be adding a larger sewing machine and a plotter to our arsenal. This will make us capable again of going from raw materials to completed sails.
This is going to benefit our customers in several ways,
•    Bigger loft means we are more efficient and therefore will help keep repair cost low.
•    Plotter means we are going not only be able to build sails 100% in house but also will control costs on things that we currently hand cut such as Sail number’s and mainsail covers.
•    Waterfront location means that we will be able to more efficiently pick up and drop off sails in the Sidney area. For larger projects and canvas work we will offer a service dock.

STAY TUNED FOR MORE DETAILS!

“Des is well respected by the loft owners in the UK-Halsey group,” said Butch Ullmer. “He will be key in getting the this group of independent business owners working together closer, which will help our customers around the world. Des has proved to be a smart businessman, a scientific sailmaker, and he is a good listener with a great sense of humor — all qualities that will help him run UK-Halsey International.”

Butch continues to be the sole owner of UK-Halsey International, the parent company of UK-Halsey Sailmakers, but Des will be running the company, which will give Butch more time to devote to the UK-Halsey New York loft. Des’s loft is in Cork, Ireland in its 40th year and is well respected in the Irish and English markets.

Des McWilliam has already been instrumental in getting a new loft to the join the group. Sam Haines’ loft in Melbourne, Australia joined the group a week after Des started working as the president of UKHI. Along with recruiting new lofts, Des plans to make the group stronger by getting the lofts of work closer together yet.

UK Sailmakers Northwest and Dave Cramb are joining forces to better serve the local sailmaker’s clients in the Greater Vancouver Area. This represents a ‘ramping-up’ of the more casual relationship that previously existed and positions Dave as a key component to UKNW’s ability to meet the increasing demand for new sail and repair service from Lower Mainland clients.

Dave is looking forward to combining his more than 40 years of racing and cruising experience with the renowned quality of UKNW’s sails and loft services to assist local boaters in getting the most from their time on the water. He’s easily recognizable from the many hours he spends both competing and volunteering at local events in addition to his on-the-water training and coaching activities. Dave’s ability to support winning programs was clearly illustrated recently when Dave and fellow crew members from ‘Absolute Kaos’ were awarded the distinction of being Royal Vancouver Yacht Club’s Boat of the Year for 2011.

SIDNEY, BC – September 5, 2011 – Local sailmaking mainstay UK Sailmakers Northwest is pleased to announce the successful transition of ownership from Tim Knight to Stuart and Joy Dahlgren. While the actual purchase took place earlier this summer, all parties were committed to ensuring a high level of continuity for customers and industry partners and thus executed a “soft handover” that has resulted in seamless service for both repair and new sail clients.
“I could not have been happier, Stuart and Joy have shown great aptitude and that coupled with the great staff, the business is actually invigorated with new energy and ideas. The old values that made the company the biggest Sail loft in the NW: Excellent Sails, Great Service and Great People are still the cornerstones of the Loft.” says Tim Knight. As Tim continues with the Company as a Sail Consultant and advisor, he looks forward to witnessing the youthful innovation the new leadership team will undoubtedly add to the business.
Stuart Dahlgren added “When we saw the opportunity to be involved with sailing on a full-time basis and combine our passion with business, Joy and I didn’t hesitate. I’ve always been drawn to pursuits that blend craftsmanship with modern technical advancements, which is a theme I recognized right away as a customer of the Sidney loft. So, while we will be looking to embrace new technologies, we will never forget that balancing it with old school craftsmanship is the key to our company slogan ‘The Fast that Lasts!’”.
The immediate plans for the Company include initiatives to enhance service coverage in sailing regions beyond the current UKNW lofts, an overhaul of the Company website to make it easier for clients to find information on sails and local events, and to continue the Company’s pre-existing mandate to support youth sailing programs in the Pacific Northwest.
About UK Sailmakers Northwest: Serving West Coast sailors since 1984, the Company currently owns and operates two full-service lofts. While community based, they also benefit from being a part of the UK Sailmakers International family. Their service area includes Western Canada, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Idaho, and Montana. The Company values its position as the region’s single largest employer in the sailmaking trade and the leading sailmaker sponsor of the Pacific Northwest’s premiere yacht racing events.