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, andmany 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. While Viking’s story may have begun like many other boat builders: old metal building, dirt floor, a small crew of shipwrights and craftsmen; they have grown tremendously, driven by an appetite for innovation and outpacing the competition. Healey states matter-offactly, “We’re not smarter than our competition, we just work harder.” It all started with strong engineering, quality workmanship and ultimately delivering a superior value and customer experience to their customers. It wasn’t long after their introduction in New Jersey in 1964 that Viking’s wooden sportfishing and crusing boats caught the eyes of discerning mariners. However, it was their long-term conviction and fortitude to overcome all challenges, which ultimately vaulted Viking Yachts into the position of unquestioned industry leader. 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. The Viking team saw Bluewater’s operations, both the sales and service operations, as top shelf and admired how they reinvested in their business and facilities. It seemed many values aligned between the Healeys and the Halls. They shared the confidence at the time— and it is now well proven today—that both companies possess the endurance to run the long race. 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 longstanding 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. Gri t Endurance x 9 2024 SEASON
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