How we work
We work for and with you to maximise long term value through quality, reliability, and functionality.
OUR
PHILOSOPHY
Our core philosophy is to provide our customers with the best possible long-term value by understanding their needs and priorities, and developing solutions that will reliably and optimally meet or exceed these expectations across the vessel’s lifecycle.
The motivation for our ‘customer first’ philosophy, which we instil across our workforce and operations, is simple: what is best for our customers is ultimately best for us, as past and future clients judge and remember us not based on the boat’s price but the outstanding and reliable performance the vessel provides across many years of operation.
The success of this philosophy, for both ourselves and our clients, is verified by the decades of business success our company and our clients have achieved, and the references and repeat business our customers provide us.
So, despite operating in highly competitive markets where competitors and some clients often regard price as a key buyer consideration, our approach focuses on enhancing customer value through better outcomes not lowest initial cost. We therefore adopt an ‘old fashioned’ approach of providing high quality products and workmanship that continue to benefit our customers for many years.
In our business the adage that “Quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten” certainly holds true.
OUR APPROACH
Robust design and equipment selection; extensive collaboration with our clients, design partners, and suppliers; and the application of proven construction and project management processes ensure each project we undertake continues our track record of meeting or exceeding client requirements.
We put our long-term customer value philosophy into practice through a methodology that makes design, materials, equipment, and manufacturing decisions across the project lifecycle (planning, through execution, to operational support) that:
- Benefit from our own vessel operations and maintenance experience to help ensure practicality and reliability for the end user;
- Respond to our customer’s inputs – including preferences, experiences, and opinions – gained through regular, open client contact; and
- Develop through, and recognise, opportunities for product improvement that we proactively identify and implement even when not contractually required.
The combination of our in-house skill set, which covers virtually all aspects of vessel construction; proven ISO 9001 certified processes; an established, verified Australian supply chain; an organisation-wide commitment to quality; and experienced management with close oversight of all activities, enables us to consistently realise our philosophical goals in successful new, modified, or refurbished vessels.
OUR POLICIES
Achieving outstanding quality while protecting the health and safety of people and the environment are central to our approach.
Health and Safety
Our first priority in everything we do is ensuring the safety and well-being of our people and others who may be affected by our work.
We apply this philosophy equally to the safety and wellbeing of our customers, other members of the public, and our employees.
To facilitate this we use a management system that is certified to the ISO 45001 standard by DNV.
Quality
With respect to ensuring quality outcomes, we always aim to surpass customer expectations in the performance of our vessels, construction expertise, maintenance reliability and expertise, together with cost effectiveness.
To facilitate this we use a management system that is certified to the ISO 9001 standard by DNV.
Environment
We care for, and protect, the environment in which we operate and are fully committed to improving environmental performance. We encourage our business partners, customers, and members of the wider community to join us in this effort. Environmental impacts are significant consideration in all our vessels.
To facilitate this we use a management system that is certified to the ISO 14001 standard by DNV.
OUR FACILITIES
Purpose-designed and built for Dongara Marine in 2022, our waterfront shipyard provides extensive and efficient vessel shipbuilding and sustainment capabilities. These enable us to manufacture larger boats in greater numbers than previously, and provide clients with a full range of vessel maintenance, refit, and repair services.
Large Vessel Facility
In 2022 Dongara Marine transitioned its operations from Port Denison to a larger, purpose-built integrated vessel construction and refit facility in the port of Geraldton, Western Australia.
Developed on an approximately 9900m² site within the Fishing Boat Harbour precinct, the shipyard enables us to undertake multiple vessel construction and major vessel repairs / refits simultaneously in a single, modern, purpose-designed, fully enclosed facility.
Key elements of the shipbuilding and vessel maintenance facility are:
- Two production halls, each 40.0m x 28.47m x 17.2 m (LxWxH);
- Additional production and storage areas for each hall (40m x 8m x 9m);
- An open, vessel washdown bay between the halls (40m x 16m);
- Office / administration block and workforce amenities (185m²); and
- External hardstand / storage / car parking (2610m²) with access to the nearby Geraldton Boat Lifters boatlifting facility.
Small Vessel Facility
As a result of workload and projected demand Dongara Marine is also currently operating from another established aluminium shipbuilding facility in Geraldton.
This is primarily utilised for the construction of smaller vessels such as rigid inflatable boats (RIBs) but is also suitable for building larger vessels, having previously been used for construction of vessels up to 25 metres long and 6.8 metres beam.
In addition to being able to work in our own facilities, we also have a mobile service unit. This enables us to deploy our skilled staff and appropriate materials and equipment to wherever a vessel may need work undertaken, be that out-of-the-water in a common use or owner’s premises or alongside.
