Oyster Yachts Wroxham welcomes MP Norman Lamb to reopened plant

Earlier this month, local MP Norman Lamb visited Oyster Yachts Wroxham for a tour of the plant, which resumed manufacturing in May this year following CEO Richard Hadida’s successful takeover of Oyster in March. The tour was led by Terry Day, Workshop Manager at Wroxham, who has worked with them for over 18 years.

The North Norfolk MP met with a range of employees at the Oyster Yachts Wroxham facility, from senior executives such as CEO Richard Hadida, CMO Abigail Comber and CFO Becky Bridgen, to apprentices and craftsmen on the shop floor. The average tenure of an Oyster employee in the Wroxham plant is over nine years, with 227 staff currently working at the site.

As Chair of the House of Commons Science & Technology Committee, Mr. Lamb took particular interest in Oyster’s commitment to technical excellence and innovation. He noted the injection of skilled jobs into the local area, with the apprenticeship scheme building key skill-sets in Wroxham – which has a proud history of British ship-building – and setting a platform for further growth in the future.

Mr. Lamb expressed this admiration of the plant, saying: “I really enjoyed visiting the Oyster facility. It is clear the business has been given a new lease of life under Richard’s ownership and importantly brought high skilled, vital jobs back to the region. I was impressed with the technical skills inside the operation, combined with the very clear commitment to quality, which sets British boat building apart. I look forward to keeping in close touch with the Oyster team as the business moves from recovery to growth.”

Six yachts are currently in-build at the Oyster Yachts Wroxham site, but Mr. Lamb was shown around one particular vessel that was being taken out of the workshop and is set for commissioning in the New Year.

The CEO Richard Hadida shared his delight at having Norman Lamb MP visit the facility, saying: “It was an honour to welcome Norman to our re-opened Wroxham plant, a vital part of Oyster Yachts’ heritage and pivotal to our future success. My colleagues and I had real pride in showing him those yachts which are currently in-build, as well as updating him on Oyster’s progress over the past few months. Norman’s passion for technology and innovation shone through, and I know those colleagues who spoke with him thoroughly enjoyed explaining the attention to detail in every aspect of our yachts which contributes to the overall build quality.

“The experience, technical skill-set and quality of craftsmanship our colleagues at Wroxham provide were some of the key reasons I was so keen to re-open our Wroxham site upon taking on ownership, and why I am so proud of the excellent work being delivered there on a daily basis. We hope to remain in close contact with Norman and continue to play a significant role in the local community.”