E-Tech Yachting – A complete electrical solution for the yachting industry and beyond!
I met with Svante Borgenas, CEO of E-Tech Yachting (ETY), along with recently appointed Oliver Rduch, Commercial Director, to find out more about the expert services the company has been providing for more than 40 years. Having completed over 1,000 projects and electrical refits during this time, Svante’s knowledge and expertise, as well as his Scandinavian management style have resulted in a solid and successful company that is not only used as a reference in the marine industry but is also the largest yachting electrical engineering and electronic specialist in Spain.
How did you make the transition from regular Electrician to the marine sector?
Svante: “Many moon laps ago I started working in Sweden but quickly understood I wouldn’t get anywhere if I didn’t have an education so I trained to be an Electrician. I soon realised that thanks to my logical thinking skills and clever hands, I could fix anything, do anything with no limitations – and women were happy with them too, even though I have short fingers!”
(I soon realised that this senescent Swede has a rather devilish streak as I waved my fan a little more furiously to hide my blushes!)
Svante: “So I had some friends who had a boat with electrical problems and they tried to fix the boat in America but they couldn’t, so they asked me to go over. I arrived young and happy with my tool bag in one hand and a bag of underwear and t-shirts in the other and got stuck in. I then went down to Antigua and worked there for 3 years and slowly made my way to Mallorca where I started a small company based in Portals which just grew and grew!”
How would you describe your clearly successful management style?
Svante: “I never pushed hard to grow the business, it just gradually happened. The highest priority in life for me was to sleep good at night, do a good days work with no messing around. I’m very flexible with my team and if they need time off we help each other out and create a family-like bond by sharing energy between us, and this has proved to work incredibly well. I have always run the company like a small family business with everyone involved in everything.”
Can you tell me about your innovative BLUEWAVE™ system?
Svante: “BLUEWAVE™ is a system we have developed that enables the complete electrical integration of the vessel’s power management, navigation, alarm monitoring systems and switchboards. It uses real-time signals on board to alert you to any potential issues before they become critical. ETY can then go online and log into the boat’s system remotely, check everything and instruct via video call if/when necessary. This means a fix can be completed almost immediately without the huge cost and time it takes to fly a specialist Electrician to the vessel’s location, therefore avoiding downtime of essential system components and, of course, disruption to the owner’s time on board.
BLUEWAVE™ is designed, built and tested by ETY and each system is personalised and fine-tuned to every vessel’s individual specification and can be installed at the time of build, or as part of a refit as each BLUEWAVE™ system integrates seamlessly with any existing system. With this, the yacht owner can rest assured that his vessel’s entire electrical and mechanical system will be maintained to the highest level possible, with nothing being neglected, ultimately ensuring its longevity. We also use readily available advanced components making them easy to source from anywhere in the world as we do not believe in making nice little white sealed units with our branding on that can only be accessed by us and only use components bought from us at a hyper-inflated cost to generate us extra income. We have the complete reverse thinking and offer total transparency with our pricing and our system is so successful and our standards so high that we do not need to be greedy and act in this way to yield further revenue – both our product and service speak for themselves.”
Do you supply the BLUEWAVE™ to any other vessels apart from superyachts?
Svante: “Yes, we are working in commercial areas such as wind farm vessels and small service vessels and this has meant we are selling our systems big style now. We are also working with a company in Scotland that build bridge consoles and put our alarm monitoring system, switchboard and distribution board into the console, and then crate it to the shipyard in the UK where the boat is being built. Now, they are also exporting to America as the electricians in America are so expensive that it is cheaper for them to buy the pack and send it there where it will be installed, and we commission it remotely.”
I hear you have set up a new partnership in the USA – can you tell me more?
Svante: “Yes, we have launched a cooperation with Vanguard Tech Services LLC in Florida. They have direct representation in Fort Lauderdale and will assist us in enhancing sales and service support of the BLUEWAVE™ system in the Americas. Their CEO, Garvis Paisley, will be using his vast knowledge, experience and leadership skills to further improve the network support required by the increase in systems refits on yachts, as well as commercial vessels. There will be an official launch celebration at the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show this October.”
Oliver, I understand you will be taking over the helm from Svante – what is your background?
Oliver: “I’m an Economist and Business Developer and have worked many years for large industrial companies, mainly in Germany as I am German. I’ve spent many years developing markets in the Middle East for construction machinery such as mobile cranes, tower cranes, etc, for a company called Lapare, and then for a Japanese competitor, Tadano, who I set up the European markets for. It was heavy machinery that was very capital-intensive and needed a lot of servicing and if it breaks down, it needs to be fixed very quickly. Having that understanding of the importance of immediate support was essential and is the same here with a vessel’s systems – you need help immediately, especially if you are out on the water or if you are in dock and need to go somewhere.
Having developed dealers in larger regions such as the Middle East that sell and service these larger construction machines, for me it was natural to see that this is a good, developed, mature product that we now need to find distributors for to roll it out and see how we can initially install and support, and then help them to grow and do their own installation and support. We can then guide them and check the system remotely to ensure everything is correct and ready for the local party to take it for the sea trials.”
So Svante, when do you envisage handing over the reins and finally putting your feet up?
Svante: “When….? 15 minutes, 14 years!? The more plans you make, the more disappointed you will be so there is no pressure and everything comes when it is ready. When I’ve done my work well, it means I have no more things to do, so I can back off more and slowly disappear.
Over the past 5 years, I have set up for the next generation of super yachts and commercial vessels and have succeeded very well. The company is now in a place where I wish I was 20 years younger having recently teamed up with Vanguard in America and developed a presence in New Zealand and Australia, so things are just going to explode from here. But I believe that at this stage in life it is important to do the things you want to do while you can still do them. It is important to give the younger ones a chance and you must take care of yourself and your family and enjoy life – this is the balance. Therefore, Oliver will be taking the reins into his capable hands as I slowly back off.”
It is clear to see Svante’s very deserving pride in what he has created and achieved with E-Tech Yachting. From an exceptional product/service package that will be invaluable to vessels for many years to come, to a solid team that has flourished under his well-balanced management style. Svante can rest knowing that he has left a seriously impressive and innovative legacy in the yachting world………and beyond!
Written by Lisa Thompson
E-Tech Yachting S L
Muelle Viejo (Edificio STP)
Palma de Mallorca 07012
T: +34 971 43 11 55
