Q-West
Q-West Boat Builders, founded 1994 in Whanganui, New Zealand, is a custom aluminium and steel vessel builder serving ferry operators, government agencies, ports, research institutions, and tourism operators with new builds, repairs, and refits.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersWhanganui, New Zealand
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Q-West does
Q-West Boat Builders Limited, founded in 1994 and headquartered in Whanganui, New Zealand, designs, builds, repairs, and refits aluminium and steel commercial and pleasure marine vessels. Operations are conducted from a single waterfront yard on the Whanganui River with three fabrication workshops capable of vessels up to 40 metres and a 150-tonne capacity slipway. The firm employs approximately 36 staff led by Managing Director Myles Fothergill (40+ years in the marine industry) and CEO Colin Mitchell (30+ years). Q-West serves enterprise and government clients across maritime transport (Fullers Group, Auckland Transport), law enforcement (NZ Police, NZ Customs, Victoria Police), port authorities (Port Taranaki, CentrePort Wellington), marine research (University of Auckland, NIWA), tourism (Whale Watch Kaikoura), and private owners.
The company's technology stack centers on marine-grade aluminium construction with proprietary expertise in foil-assisted catamaran hull forms and HamiltonJet waterjet propulsion integration, alongside hybrid electric-diesel propulsion (HamiltonJet EHX). Vessel design is delivered in-house via CAD and in collaboration with external naval architects including Teknicraft Design, Incat Crowther, and Camarc Design. The yard operates under Lean manufacturing principles with documented project management systems, and Q-West claims a 100% on-time, on-budget delivery record across more than 40 vessel types.
Q-West generates revenue through three streams: one-off custom vessel construction contracts (typically valued in the low-to-mid single-digit millions NZD per build), ongoing repair, maintenance, and refit services for Q-West-built and third-party vessels, and marine consulting and project management engagements. Pricing is bespoke and quote-based; contracts are secured via direct enterprise sales, RFPs, and tenders, with no reseller or distributor channel. The firm maintains long-term repeat relationships with anchor clients such as Fullers Group (5+ vessels over 25+ years) and Whale Watch Kaikoura (7 vessels), and has begun expanding into the Australian and Pacific Island markets.
Q-West firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Q-West
- Legal name
- Q-West Boat Builders Limited
- Website
- https://q-west.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Q-West Boat Builders, founded 1994 in Whanganui, New Zealand, is a custom aluminium and steel vessel builder serving ferry operators, government agencies, ports, research institutions, and tourism operators with new builds, repairs, and refits.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Q-West industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Commercial Shipbuilding
- NAICS
- Boat Building (336612), Ship and Boat Building (3366), Ship Building and Repairing (336611)
- SIC
- Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Catamaran & Multihull Leisure Craft Manufacturing (IMAJAEAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Luxury Yacht Hull & Superstructure Fabrication (Composite/Aluminum/Steel) (IMAJAMAG), Luxury Yacht Refit, Rebuild & Lifecycle Upgrades (MRO) (IMAJAMAJ)
Keywords
Where Q-West is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Whanganui
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Q-West business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Custom Vessel Construction: Design and construction of custom aluminium and steel marine vessels including ferries, pilot boats, patrol boats, research vessels, and pleasure craft. Projects are one-time, bespoke builds with prices typically in the millions (e.g., Fullers ferry project costing around $7 million).
- Repair and Maintenance Services: Ongoing repair, maintenance, re-fit and fit-out services for vessels built by Q-West and other builders. Includes shipwriting and technical servicing.
- Project Management and Consulting: Marine consulting and project management services for vessel construction and modification projects.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Custom Vessel Builds - Quote-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Q-West product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Q-West Boat Builders designs, constructs, repairs, and refits custom aluminium and steel marine vessels for commercial, government, and pleasure applications. The company manufactures high-speed ferries, patrol boats, pilot boats, research vessels, and tourism craft from its Whanganui, New Zealand facilities, with capabilities spanning vessels up to 40 metres in length. It also provides ongoing repair, maintenance, re-fit, and marine consulting services across the vessel lifecycle.
Product overview
Q-West Boat Builders operates as a custom boat building company offering two primary product lines: aluminium boat construction and steel boat construction. Their services span the complete vessel lifecycle including design and development, construction, repairs and maintenance, re-fit and fit-out, shipwriting, project management, and marine consulting. They specialize in manufacturing high-quality commercial vessels including passenger ferries (Te Kotuku, Kororā, Clipper V), pilot boats (Mikotahi, Te Haa, Wakatere), patrol and rescue vessels (Hawk V, VP01, Lady Elizabeth IV, Lion Foundation Rescue, TECT Rescue), research vessels (Te Kaihōpara, Ten Seventy), tourist vessels (Te Ao Marama, Wheketere, Te Puia Whakaari), and work boats (Vanguard mussel harvester, ARRRGE barge). The company is recognized for foil-assisted catamaran designs and works with design partners including Teknicraft Design, Incat Crowther, Camarc Design, and Bakewell-White Yacht Design.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Custom Aluminium Vessel Construction Bespoke design and construction of marine-grade aluminium vessels up to 40 metres for commercial operators, government agencies, port authorities, and research institutions. Vessels include fast ferries, patrol boats, pilot boats, research vessels, and pleasure craft.
- Custom Steel Vessel Construction Custom boat building services specialising in steel marine construction for commercial vessels, work boats, and barges requiring higher structural strength.
- Marine Fabrication and Engineering Services Marine fabrication and engineering services for defence, fisheries, oil and gas, civil defence, environment impact, coastal protection, passenger transport, and tourism industry clients.
- Vessel Repair and Maintenance Repair and maintenance services for vessels constructed by Q-West and other boat builders, including scheduled servicing and technical support.
- Re-fit and Fit-out Services Vessel re-fit and fit-out services including shipwriting and complete interior and exterior refurbishment for commercial and government vessels.
- Marine Consulting and Project Management Technical consulting and project management services for marine projects, including design co-ordination, vessel construction oversight, and modification project leadership.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% of vessels delivered on time and on budget
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Q-West
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Q-West technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Q-West partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and preferred.
- Teknicraft DesigncoreLong-standing design partnership for foil-assisted catamarans and high-speed vessels. Teknicraft is a New Zealand naval architecture firm providing design services for many of Q-West's vessels including ferries, patrol boats, and passenger vessels.
- Incat CrowthercorePartnership for larger passenger ferry designs including the 34m Kororā and Tōrea vessels for Fullers Group, and the 32.2m hybrid passenger catamarans for Auckland Transport.
- Camarc Design (Scotland)strategicScottish design firm providing pilot boat designs including Mikotahi for Port Taranaki and Te Haa for CentrePort Wellington, built to Lloyd's Register Class standards.
- HamiltonJetcoreLong-standing relationship as the largest installer of Hamilton waterjets in New Zealand. Q-West has installed more jet units for HamiltonJet than any other builder. Partnership includes installation of hybrid propulsion systems such as the Electro-Hybrid Drive (EHX) system.
- Fullers GroupcoreMajor repeat client for over 25 years, commissioning multiple vessel types including the Waiheke Island ferry, Te Kotuku (NZ's largest fastest ferry), Kororā, and Tōrea. Deep collaborative relationship in vessel development.
- Whale Watch KaikouracoreLong-term partnership spanning 7 vessels for whale watching operations, including the 25.25m Te Ao Marama and sister ship Wheketere with advanced viewing features.
- ScaniapreferredPreferred marine diesel engine supplier for many vessels. Q-West specifies Scania engines (DI13, DI16 series) across their vessel fleet.
- CumminspreferredMarine diesel engine supplier used in various vessels including the Kororā ferry (QSK50-M engines) and research vessels.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Q-West competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Brødrene Aa: Norwegian builder of carbon-fiber and aluminum high-speed catamaran ferries. Closely comparable in technology and fast-ferry end-product, but operates primarily in European ferry markets.
- Wight Shipyard Co: UK aluminum vessel builder producing fast ferries and workboats. Comparable product portfolio and customer segment, but UK/European geographic focus.
- Fjellstrand: Norwegian aluminum catamaran and fast-ferry builder. Comparable in materials (aluminum) and propulsion technology (waterjets), but geographically focused on Scandinavian/European operators.
Broad incumbents
- Austal: Listed Australian aluminum shipbuilder producing commercial ferries and defense vessels at scale. Comparable in material technology (aluminum hulls) and end-markets (fast ferries, patrol craft), but operates globally and serves defense primes.
- Damen Shipyards: Large Dutch shipbuilding group with broad portfolio including fast ferries, patrol vessels, and workboats. Overlaps with Q-West in pilot boats, patrol craft, and commercial vessels but at vastly greater scale and global reach.
Direct peers
- Salthouse Boatbuilders: New Zealand-based custom aluminum boat builder producing commercial vessels. Direct NZ competitor serving similar commercial and government segments with comparable mid-sized vessels.
- Incat: Australian aluminum catamaran builder specializing in high-speed ferries, with significantly larger scale than Q-West. Both yards compete for the same fast-ferry and commercial-passenger segments globally.
- McMullen & Wing: New Zealand custom boat builder specializing in high-end aluminum and composite vessels. Comparable in craft specialization and bespoke build model, with similar reliance on NZ/Australian clients.
- Strategic Marine: Aluminum shipbuilder with operations in Australia and Southeast Asia producing fast ferries and crew transfer vessels. Comparable end-products and customer base (ferry/crew transfer operators); larger global footprint.
- Echo Yachts: Australian custom aluminum vessel builder producing superyachts, workboats, and commercial craft. Comparable in materials (aluminum) and custom-build model; competes for similar large-yacht and commercial clients.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Q-West social profiles
Digital presenceQ-West financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Q-West leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Q-West funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Q-West M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Q-West
What does Q-West do?
Q-West Boat Builders designs, constructs, repairs, and refits custom aluminium and steel marine vessels for commercial, government, and pleasure applications. The company manufactures high-speed ferries, patrol boats, pilot boats, research vessels, and tourism craft from its Whanganui, New Zealand facilities, with capabilities spanning vessels up to 40 metres in length. It also provides ongoing repair, maintenance, re-fit, and marine consulting services across the vessel lifecycle.
Is Q-West a public or private company?
Q-West is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Q-West founded?
Q-West was founded in 1994.
Where is Q-West based?
Q-West is headquartered in Whanganui, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Q-West make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Custom Vessel Construction is the primary driver. The others are repair and Maintenance Services and project Management and Consulting.
Who are Q-West's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Brødrene Aa, Wight Shipyard Co and Fjellstrand. Broad incumbents are Austal and Damen Shipyards. Direct peers are Salthouse Boatbuilders, Incat, McMullen & Wing, Strategic Marine and Echo Yachts.
Does Q-West have an API?
No public API is recorded for Q-West.
What industry is Q-West in?
Q-West's product category is Commercial Shipbuilding. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAJAEAC, Catamaran & Multihull Leisure Craft Manufacturing, with a secondary code of IMAJAMAG, Luxury Yacht Hull & Superstructure Fabrication (Composite/Aluminum/Steel). Its NAICS code is 336612 and its SIC code is 3730.