Viking Yachts Celebrates 60 Years of Success
Generous amounts of ingenuity, determination, courtesy, and respect are deeply woven into the winning composition of the Healey family and Viking Yachts. These, and many other, qualities have enabled Viking to dominate the U.S. boat building industry over the last six decades. “Early on, my father Bill drove home the point that Viking was about building a better boat every day and Uncle Bob insisted that, we like the view from the top of the mountain and plan to stay there. Almost six decades later the Co-founders’ statements are stronger than ever,” explains Pat Healey, President and CEO of Viking Yachts.
“We’re not smarter than our competition, we just work harder.”
Matching Philosophies
One of those discerning mariners was the founder of Bluewater Yachts Sales, Chris Hall III, who started selling new boats on the Chesapeake Bay over 55 years ago. A partnership forged in 1985 boosted the growth of both the Bluewater and Viking companies and established family ties and friendships that continue through to this day, nearly forty years later. At the time, Chris and younger brother Earle met with Tom Carroll, Sr. and a young Pat Healey after a phone call to address a warranty claim on a Viking 46 for a Bluewater service yard customer.
Today, Bluewater team members frequently visit the Viking factory in New Gretna, and the Valhalla factory in Mullica, New Jersey for facility tours, educational sessions, and of course to drop in on customers’ boats under production. In addition to overseeing the construction of many customer orders, Bluewater and Viking’s partnership extends to a long-standing commitment of ordering many new spec boats to demonstrate and show throughout the years Recently, Bluewater team members Blake Tice and Carl Beale have been back and forth frequently between Virginia and New Jersey to check on the company’s new Viking 64– and 48-foot convertibles that will be available for sale this summer.
“The scale of Viking’s operations is really impressive,”
explains Bluewater’s General Manager Wyatt Lane. “The vast majority of every boat is crafted in-house including wiring harnesses, cabinetry, soft goods, manufactured parts, hardware, and more.” Viking’s ability to produce an entire boat and most of its components on site is a testament to the big investments made over the years in equipment, facilities and workforce.
Taking Care of Business
The Healeys believe in having the proper tools for the job, and that a quality work environment is critically important. For his entire career, Bill Healey could be found on the production lines and in the shops checking on boats and meeting with employees. From early on, he would stand at the door of the facility each evening and say goodnight to each employee by name. “One of the most impressive aspects of Viking is how they take care of their employees.” Bluewater’s Scott James continues, “They have this unique culture within the plant, even with thousands of employees in multiple locations, they are all like a big family.” Taking care of employees is not just figurative, the company literally has an on-site medical department.
Reinvestment in their facilities, operations and workforce have been a cornerstone of Viking’s success. In addition to over 1,500 team members, Viking employs two five-axis CNC-machines to expertly cut the plugs for nearly every fiberglass component on a boat from the hulls, foredecks and cabin tops to mezzanines, lounges and helm consoles. The original five-axis router is still in service, shaping the course of the sportfish industry for two decades now.
More to Celebrate
Viking Yacht Company is family owned and operated with the third generation of Healeys now working their way to the helm: Pat’s three children, Sean, Justin and Kaitlyn each have roles in sales and marketing. “We are grateful to all of our Viking shipwrights, our Valhalla Boatworks boatbuilders, our fabulous Viking domestic and international dealer networks, vendors and Viking owners for their support and dedication over the years. And most especially to Bill and Bob Healey, who started this wonderful company and helped make us number one,” says Pat.
The site of the 10th Annual Viking Key West Challenge also became the first official celebration of Viking’s 60th anniversary this year. The party is sure to continue throughout 2024 around the Mid-Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, as the Viking fishing demo team works the tournament circuit in the all new Viking 82 C.
