Nav Station buys Busfield Marine
Specialist marine electronics company, Nav Station has bought one of New Zealand's best-known brokerage firms, Westhaven-based Busfield Marine.
'Peter Busfield, Executive Director of NZ Marine Industry Association'
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The two businesses will continue to run out of joint premises at 23B Westhaven Drive.
Nav Station managing director, Bill Rutherford, says he was attracted by the brokerage's long history of integrity and honesty.
'When Peter Busfield (now executive director of the Marine Industry Association) founded Busfield Marine, he set very high standards,' he says, 'and these have been faithfully maintained in the years since.
'Busfield Marine has a rigorous set of standards which ensures both parties are completely protected through all stages of the sales process. We use only independent surveyors and all deposits are secured in a trust account.'
Busfield Marine, which was founded in the early 1980s and which has remained in the same building all of that time, currently employs two well-established and experienced brokers.
Colin Rees joined the company 11 years ago after sailing to New Zealand from South Africa. Not surprisingly, he is a specialist in offshore cruising boats. The other broker, Peter Broadhurst, specialises in New Zealand yachts and launches and has been with the company for six years.
Busfield Marine has the exclusive New Zealand distribution rights for the French Dufours range of quality yachts. These are available in two model ranges: the performance line, which ranges from 10.4-13.8 metres and a cruising line, which ranges from 9.75-15.9 metres
They also exclusively market the Bill Upfold designed 12-metre Espresso sedan-style motor cruiser. This is currently on display on Busfield Marine's high profile Westhaven hardstand area, adjacent to Swashbucklers restaurant.
The company also has a substantial number of sales berths in Westhaven marina.
Rutherford, who also has a long history of selling boats and has been in the marine industry since 1967, believes the two businesses will work well together.
'Because some of the boats on our books are ones the Nav Station originally helped outfit or refit, we know these vessels very well.
'That certainly gives us an edge, as does the fact we have a lot of experience in electronics and engineering systems. These are such a big part of a modern vessel and we are able to help both buyers and sellers understand what is happening with these systems.
'We are also able to help those buying an older boat and wanting to then modernise the electronics or engineering systems.'
Rutherford says Nav Station will continue to specialise in upgrading electronics packages for moored boats and installing modern marine computing technology for navigation, communications and audio-visual systems.
More at www.navstation.co.nzor www.yachtworld.com/yachtsnz
by Jeni Bone 
Aldgate, SA
