Maritime service provider celebrates major milestone

75 years of service to the maritime industry

SOUTH AFRICA: With a history dating back to 1949, Seascape Marine Services is celebrating a 75-year milestone this year marking a journey of resilience and adaptation that saw the company develop out of its origins within Industrial Machinery Supplies (Pty) Ltd (IMS), an entity established by Conart Holdings which was founded as an agent for German companies, with MAN Diesel Engines being a key partner.

“It’s this foundation and legacy that has helped Seascape establish itself firmly as a reliable service provider. The business is designed for continued longevity in the maritime sector,” says James de Jong, Director.

Soon after being established as a Johannesburg-based company, IMS began to understand the need to establish a branch in Cape Town to meet the needs of its expanding marine related business. Initially operating out of Maitland from 1962, the company relocated to a rented premises in Paarden Island before securing land in 1980 to build their own premises.

It’s the same building that Seascape occupies today. The strategic decision allowed the construction of a purpose-built workshop, warehouse and administrative facility in the industrial district that has become known as the gateway to the Port of Cape Town for many iconic maritime companies.

“This is an integral part of our business. The building itself is a major advert for the company and we can accommodate all the aspects of our operations,” says De Jong who adds that it provides consistency.

But before the company became Seascape Marine Services, it was sold to Zest Electric Motors in the mid 2000’s. Interested primarily in the generator side of the business, Zest moved this aspect of operations to Epping, while the marine services remained in Paarden Island and evolved into Seascape Marine Services.

Today, however, Seascape is no longer part of Zest. Although the shareholders sold their stake in Zest, they have maintained an interest in Seascape. The main shareholder, James Blakemore is a keen sailor and has a strong interest in the maritime world.

An engine for growth

De Jong emphasises the importance of their long association with Yanmar as a key driver of the company’s success. “Seascape took on the Yanmar agency in 1983 to support the growing demand in the leisure boat market,” he says.

It’s a brand that has helped propel their growth within both the leisure as well as commercial boat market and De Jong highlights the achievements of the local boat building sector as having played an important role in the success of the company.

“Much of our growth can be attributed to the boat building industry and those that continue to put South Africa on the international map,” he says.

Representing an iconic brand such as Yanmar has also powered this growth. “As an accredited service provider, customers know that they can contact us and we provide support throughout Africa,” he adds.

As an agent for the Japanese engine manufacturer, Seascape also benefits from the continuous research and development undertaken by Yanmar.

“Yanmar is already well on the path towards electric propulsion and hydrogen fuel technology,” he says explaining that extensive testing is undertaken before releasing new models and technology into the market.

“We are extremely fortunate to work with a company like Yanmar because they are at the forefront of green technology development. And we are assured that when they release these updates there won’t be any issues,” says De Jong adding that the new E-Saildrive range, Yanmar’s first steps into electric propulsion, is due to be launched at the Cannes Yachting festival this week.

De Jong believes that Yanmar’s approach to the robust development process means that their loyal client base is content to wait for well-tested new technology from the OEM before opting for quick-to-market alternatives.

Seascape’s association with Yanmar has also served to establish their reputation to handle other complementary international maritime brands. The company has steadily added significant products to their inventory since 2005 including Hamilton Jet, Kohler Generators, Zipwake, Cox diesel outboards, Halyard, Neander Diesel outboards, Exalto and Eliche Radice.

Well stocked

Drawing on their long track record in servicing ships and boats, Seascape has long understood the need to hold stock for clients to minimise downtime for their customers.

“Each commercial customer has a dedicated rack in our warehouse with all the parts needed to service their vessel. We keep dedicated stock for each client and make sure that we order and re-order the parts required for the required regular services,” he explains.

“There’s nothing worse than having an engine that you can’t get spare parts for, so this is important for us.”

Seascape also has a large stockholding for pleasure boats. “There’s nothing worse than having an engine that you can’t get spare parts for, so this is important for us,” says De Jong.

For De Jong, who has been at the forefront of the growth of the company over the last two decades, it is this mix of brands, people and service that has underscored their success – and which is destined to see Seascape Marine Services continue to provide an important value proposition to the maritime sector for many more milestones going forward.