Doyle's: sailmakers to the rich and famous

Business

Related Photos

Heather Mancini

Discussion

The Salem News has a real-name policy for commenting. Users may sign in using the Facebook Connect tool above the comments field. Once your first comment is posted by a moderator, all future comments will post automatically. If you prefer not to use Facebook, send an e-mail with your comments user name (which must be the same as your real name), city or town, street address and daytime phone number to comments@salemnews.com. A staff member will contact you directly to confirm your identity. It may take a day or two before you can post comments. Only your user name will be public. All users are required to follow our rules for commenting, which can be found here.

comments powered by Disqus

July 8, 2008

By Chris Cassidy The Salem News Tue Jul 08, 2008, 12:11 AM EDT

SALEM — Before they end up on the boats of the rich and famous, the carefully engineered sails of Doyle Sailmakers start out in Salem.

Inside a newly renovated factory on Swampscott Road, Doyle's designs and manufactures the sails that guide Ted Turner's yacht as well as the Maltese Falcon, one of the world's largest private sailing yachts, which was featured last fall on "60 Minutes."

How did Doyle's do it? We caught up with CEO Robbie Doyle.

Q. How did your company become the sailmaker for the Maltese Falcon?

I met (Maltese Falcon owner Tom Perkins) on a plane by chance. We got to talking and he had heard of Doyle Sailmakers from someone. So basically, it was by chance. I talked to him for a while, he gave us a chance, and the sails worked out very well. We've been their sailmaker ever since.

Q. What other yachts have you supplied?

The Mirabella V, the world's largest sloop, which is owned by Joe Vittoria, the former owner of Avis. Basically, the wealthiest people in the world, the largest private boats in the world — not all, but a good percentage — use our sails.

You do a good job and you have a little luck. Someone notices you and says you do a good job. They talk to someone else and it goes from there.

Q. At a time when businesses are dealing with a slower economy, your company is actually expanding its Salem factory. How do you account for the good business?

Partly, the low dollar is helping. We do a lot of work in Europe. We're busy. A lot of orders take two to three years. These are big, big sails that take a lot of engineering. We work with builders and designers. It's like building a big building. It takes a lot of designing and planning to make these things work.

We're looking to hire people right now. We probably need a half-dozen people.

Q. How has the work changed over the years?

It's become a very scientific process now. When I first started, I was an applied physics major in college. I took a very scientific approach, which is probably one reason we did as well as we did. I'd say the whole basic industry has gone that way. It's very engineering-oriented, whereas before, they were very craft-oriented.

Q. Your company moved to Salem from Marblehead just over a year ago. How do you like it?

It's working out very well. Honestly, the mayor was very, very helpful. Without some of her assistance, we probably wouldn't have done it. ... The land and the building we needed was available at the right price, but long range what does worry us is the business tax rate here. It's quite a bit higher than Marblehead and other towns.

Text Only | Photo Reprints

Business

Fidelity: 401(k) balances little changed over 2011

Workers stashed money away in their 401(k) retirement plans at a faster clip last year but didn't get an immediate reward for their savings strategy. Fidelity Investments, the nation's biggest 401(k) administrator, says the average account balance was essentially unchanged in 2011, compared with 2010.
Tourism Trends

Even a region as beautiful and interesting as the North Shore can't sell itself.
That's why it was good for local businesses to learn, at last Friday's tourism summit at the Peabody Marriott, that the North of Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau has recovered from recent economic challenges and found new ways to promote Essex County as a tourist destination.
New studio space builds on Beverly's reputation as artist destination

BEVERLY — Jesse Chamberlain, 30, is a Salem jeweler who specializes in creating wedding bands and engagement rings. Though she previously worked in Lynn, she saw an opening on Craigslist for a new studio space in Beverly, and last week moved her tools to a newly remodeled studio at Porter Mill.

1 Photo
Chamber to host Beverly Business Awards

BEVERLY — The Beverly Chamber of Commerce has a new executive director, a new office and a new event that will recognize some of the city's top businesses and business people.
The Beverly Business Awards will be held tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. at the Danversport Yacht Club in Danvers. The evening will include the announcement of winners in six categories: Businessperson of the Year, Corporate Citizen of the Year, Large Business of the Year, Small Business of the Year, Family business of the Year and Young Entrepreneur of the Year.
Business briefcase

People
Wenham resident Kathy Schweitzer has joined J Barrett & Co. real estate as executive vice president. Schweitzer previously was chief operating officer of Coldwell Banker Schweitzer Real Estate, one of Michigan's largest real estate franchises. She also co-founded the Detroit chapter of Childhelp, which rescues abused and neglected children and raises funds for organizations.
Business Calendar
Verizon to set up streaming service with Redbox
Obama, GOP spin recent energy stats
For Facebook 'Hacker Way' is way of life
Prius gas mileage getting low
Economy likely started 2012 with solid job growth
2011 home sales down
Wheeler is named Beverly Cooperative Bank president
Peabody farmer scoops up West Newbury land
Business Calendar
Business Briefcase
College endowments show growth for FY 2011
Euro, rich-poor gap proved key issues at Davos
Twitter's new censorship plan rouses global furor
Auto Scanner: Avoiding top-dollar replacement of Cadillac shocks
Obama to target rising college tuition costs
User-friendly health plan summaries at risk
A FEAST FOR THE EARS 1 Photo
Beverly-based Fantastic Sams bought by French firm
Business Calendar
Business Briefcase
New rules could boost New England renewable power
Wood heat heats up as homeowners give boot to oil
All 2011 unemployment insurance benefits taxable
Mass. Gov. to seek hike in cigarette tax

Click here for more Business stories

Business

Search Results

Related Photos

Discussion

Doyle's: sailmakers to the rich and famous

Site Map

Reader Access