Hutchwilco Group acquires Denray Marine Services

The Hutchwilco group has added another string to its bow with the acquisition of Denray Marine Services. Denray’s operations centre around liferaft, lifeboat and lifeboat davit supply and service, focusing on the commercial shipping market. Denray is the New Zealand distributor for Viking liferafts, and also offers helicopter underwater escape training (HUET), for organisations which operate helicopters over water.

Hutchwilco also operates Wilco Marine Services, based at Auckland’s Westhaven, which focuses liferaft and safety solutions for superyachts and recreational boats, as well as Actron Fire Services which specilaises in the service and inspection of fire protection systems. Hutchwilco operations manager Bernard Orme says the acquisition of Denray enables the company to increase its presence in this part of the market, while widening its offering.

“Viking is a significant player, and this is a great opportunity for us not only in terms of being able to grow that business, but also to build on the existing business we have with Wilco Marine and Actron Fire,” says Orme. “ These companies will continue to operate independently as they have previously, with similar but slightly different offerings.”

Hutchwilco is a leading player in the lifejacket, marine safety and watersports markets in New Zealand. The company was established in Wellington more than 125 years ago and is the distributor for well-known brands such as ACR, Zodiac, Ocean Safety and Jonbuoy, as well as its own branded products.

“Denray brings Hutchwilco a whole lot of experience as well as new opportunities, which will allow us to become more effective and efficient in what we offer, including a broader range of products and services,” says Orme.

Denray, which is based in Auckland’s East Tamaki, will come under Hutchwilco’s umbrella on 1 July, and the company will continue to operate as normal without disruption to existing customers.

“We are looking forward to building on Denray’s reputation and continuing to offer its customers the high-quality service they are used to, while exploring other opportunities for growth.”