Future Fibres founder, Tom Hutchinson, explained the plans for the new venture.
“At Future Fibres we have built a strong reputation for producing the lightest, strongest, most proven and reliable composite rigging in the market, and now we plan to bring that same scientific, evidence-based approach to the design and construction of masts for customers at the top end of the market.”
Future Fibres is going into the new venture with Bergamo-based mould specialist Persico, who have over 40 years of experience in moulds, composites and engineering from the aerospace, automotive and marine sectors. CEO of Future Fibres, Ewan McLellan, believes Persico is the perfect partner for this new business.
“We wanted a technical partner who could also bring in new ideas from outside the marine industry, and Persico brings a wealth of experience from the automotive and aerospace world. I think the marine industry can learn a lot from other sectors, and it’s that wider perspective that we’re looking to bring to Future Spars.” In technical terms, Ewan says Persico’s experience with high-quality moulds will make it possible to design and build carbon masts that are more easily customised to an individual client’s specification.
“We have been listening carefully to our customers and what they are looking for when commissioning a composite rig,” he said. “They want to be involved in the design process as partners and our design flexibility will enable us to fulfill their needs.”
Future Spars has spent the last six months attracting some of the most experienced, respected names in the industry to ensure the new business hits the ground running. At the forefront of Future Spars are, Tom Hutchinson, David Barnaby, Tim Meldrum, Mark Webster, and Mark Somerville, supported by, amongst others, Dave Hurley and Bruce Thompson.
But what does this mean for Future Fibres? Ewan Explains:
“This offers a huge benefit for both Future Fibres and our customers. Our cable business will continue to lead the composite rigging industry with significant investment in research and development, across the full spectrum of fibres, in search of optimum cable performance. However, as the technology matures, performance gains will increasingly come from closer integration between mast and rigging and both sets of designers working side by side, with a common goal, is a very exciting prospect.”