Former vehicle service manager turns passion for boating into a business

A keen boater has turned his hobby into a business.

David Emms worked in the motor trade for more than 30 years before a change in circumstances led him to set up his own boat valeting firm.

A former service manager for Vauxhall, Mr Emms spotted a gap in the market and seized his chance to fill it after being made redundant when the dealership he worked at was shut down.

The 50-year-old, who has owned his own boat for about eight years, is building a regular client base but also takes one-off jobs.

“This is a different way of life, it is completely alien to me but since we have started it is getting better and better,” he said. “It could be two jobs a day, it depends on how big the job is – i am doing one at the moment that is going to take me two weeks which is a very large boat.”

Mr Emms lives in Felthorpe but works around the region, having tended to boats in King’s Lynn and Ipswich.

He received support from Broadland District Council to get the business started.

David Emms, who launched David Emms Marine Valeting after leaving his job as a vehicle service manager. Picture: C/O David Emms

Story by Bethany Whymark for the Eastern Daily Press.