MARINE PROPULSIONWaterjets WaterjetsThrustmaster’s deal with DOEN brings waterjet manufacturing Manufacturing Comes Manufacturing Comes to the United States. Stateside StatesideBy Eric Haunarine propulsion and thruster to stow an inventory of smaller jet sizes. manufacturer Thrustmaster of The company also intends to add 40 em-MTexas, Inc. announced a deal ployees to its current workforce of 250.earlier this year to acquire the technol- The partnership enables Thrustmaster ogy of DOEN, an Australian designer to hold exclusive rights for sales and sup-and manufacturer of waterjet propulsion port of waterjet products in the Americas systems. The deal is signi? cant in that it and Europe, using waterjets and parts makes Thrustmaster the only producer built by Thrustmaster in Houston, Texas, of commercial waterjets in the United while DOEN will continue to serve mar-States, helping the Houston-based com- kets in Asia, Africa and Australasia with pany to expand upon an already strong waterjets produced in Australia. Each line of commercial marine propulsion waterjet is supported by Thrustmaster’s offerings. One of only ? ve marine water- global network of sales, spare parts, ser-jet manufacturers worldwide that builds vice and support that includes locations waterjets up to 4,000 kW, DOEN has in Houston, Louisiana, Brazil, Europe, been building waterjets in Australia four Dubai and Singapore.nearly 50 years. Spurred by a deteriorat- For Thrustmaster, the deal comes at Thrustmaster founder, president and CEO Joe Bekker (middle) seals the deal to ing market for manufacturing in Austra- an opportune time Bekker said. “Thrust-bring waterjet manufacture to Texas.lia, the company ventured out in search master has been growing fast over the for international partners to produce and Thrustmaster, and Thrustmaster acquired the products will be interchangeable last 10 years, primarily in the large azi-market its products in other regions, ulti- the exclusive rights for manufacturing in whole and in parts with the DOEN muth thruster segment, like drillship and mately landing a deal with Thrustmaster. the full range of [DOEN’s] products,” waterjets made in Australia. Follow- semi-submersible applications,” he said. An agreement between DOEN and Bekker said, explaining, “Thrustmaster ing a $40 million investment into its “The drillship market has cooled off, Thrustmaster was reached after roughly and DOEN work closely together like 200,000-square-foot manufacturing and we needed a replacement market a year of planning between DOEN’s Di- hand in glove.” plant in 2009, Thrustmaster is again ex- to keep our factory busy. Waterjets for rector Mark Peters, DOEN’s Director The deal, which Bekker said required panding its manufacturing facility, this commercial and military applications ? t and Chief Engineer Timothy Udvary and Thrustmaster to invest “many millions,” time to 250,000 square feet, adding more our business strategy and nicely comple-Thrustmaster’s founder, president and sees Thrustmaster market and build wa- CNC machining capabilities, in-house ment our existing product lines.”CEO Joe Bekker. “DOEN approached terjets under its own name, although paint capabilities and warehouse storage The initiative strengthens Thrustmas-50 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • SEPTEMBER 2014MR #9 (50-57).indd 50 MR #9 (50-57).indd 50 9/3/2014 10:44:23 AM9/3/2014 10:44:23 AM