HP Watermakers opens flagship warehouse in US
HP Watermakers is opening a new ‘flagship’ warehouse in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The Milan-based watermaker manufacturer, which produces fully automatic watermakers for yachting and luxury resorts, says the new warehouse will serve as a base for the US, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.
The news comes a few months after the firm, which is said to export 80 per cent of its production, strengthened its presence in the Middle East market with a new Dubai showroom. It adds to the branches already operating in the Maldives and South Africa and to the 50 dealers operating in as many countries around the world.
“Currently, the priority is to guarantee our customers have the best and most timely service because, as is our established policy, we do ensure not only high-quality standards, but also a prompt and professional after-sales service,” says co-founder and sales manager Gianni Zucco.
“An emblematic example is what happened a few weeks ago: a US-based Absolute dealer contacted us for a replacement for a card that had burnt out and asked if it could be obtained within a fortnight. I phoned our partner in Fort Lauderdale, David Di Meco, and the new card was delivered exactly one and a half hours after the first e-mail. This is what I mean by customer support, but it is only the beginning.”
HP Watermakers supplies leading shipyards, including Azimut, Benetti, Absolute, Sanlorenzo, Alia Yachts and Bering. The firm says it was the first company in its sector to develop its own interface (Part-NET) that is fully compatible with the on-board electronic systems of brands such as Raymarine, Garmin, Furuno, Simrad, B&G and Lowrance.
This is said to allow the user to control the entire desalination system, including pressure and all other operating parameters, from the plotter on the dashboard, or even from a smartphone when an internet connection is available, without any manual intervention required.
“I make no secret of the fact that the objective immediately following the first important step of opening our US ‘flagship warehouse’ is to also make it the driving force for further penetration into the American market, by creating a network of sub-dealers and increasing our presence in many local shipyards,” says Zucco.
“Our participation, for the second time, in the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (stand #498) is a further step to begin a new expansion path with great prospects that we had already planned with IBEX in September, which was unfortunately cancelled due to Hurricane Ian.”
The HP Watermakers flagship warehouse in Fort Lauderdale is located at 1017 SE 17th Street at F3 Marina.