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CORPORATE HISTORY
Neil Pryde Limited started in 1970 as a large scale manufacturer
of sails for the boat building industry.
This company was built on our OEM business and in the early
1970's Neil Pryde was undoubtedly one of the largest supplier of
sails to boat builders with major accounts including Albin,
O'Day, Beneteau,
Hobie Cat, Jeanneau
and others.
In the mid 70's, the boat building industry took a disastrous
dive and we were fortunate in that at that time windsurfing took
off. As a major supplier of sails, it was natural that the
important manufacturers of boards looked to Hong Kong and to Neil
Pryde for their sail requirements. From 1977 until 1988, the
boardsailing business carried the company through both its high
points and low points.
It was inevitable that in that situation, management should focus
on the boardsailing business and unfortunately this to a certain
extent led to a neglect of our yachting business. While the
business had not dramatically decreased, it had certainly not
grown and our customer base shrank as boat builders went of
business or reduced the number of boats that they build.
By the latter part of the 1980's, we saw that the boardsailing
business had matured and the need for diversification had become
apparent.
This was achieved in two ways. First, to take a long hard look at
expanding the Yachtsail business, which formed the very
foundation Neil Pryde. And secondly, to look at three new lines
of business.
In late 1987, we took the decision to re-launch our yachting
business in a new direction bringing in new people with new ideas
in order create a market position for Neil Pryde Yachtsails. The
boat building industry was no longer a basis on which to develop
this business and it became clear that we had to develop the
capability to supply custom sails to individual yachtsmen around
the world.
This represented a complete change in direction not only in
marketing but also in manufacturing.
From a mass producer of sails for boat builders we became a
custom maker of sails for the individual yachtsman. Obviously
this change in direction required a completely different approach
to sales and manufacturing. Custom sail making is a service
oriented business where close communication with end user is
critical. Neil Pryde took the view that centralized efficient
manufacturing, employing to maximum effect the productivity and
excellent skills of the Chinese work force was the direction we
should take.
We therefore developed a business plan based on centralized
manufacturing with distribution through strategically located
selling offices close to the customer in the important sailing
centers worldwide. These agents would all be experienced local
sailmakers or yachtsmen and women who could give their customers
the local service they need, but backed up by a design and
production facility that enable them to call the latest design
technology and materials.
 Today we acknowledge our
37th anniversary in the Marine business
and as we do, we are continuing to expand our agents network
worldwide and intend to stay at the front of the fleet with our
quality and performance.
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