MARINE ENGINEERING
Boat builders, ship repair, shipwrights, boat refits, marine engineering,
boat construction in aluminium, steel, timber and composite, boat
painting, winches. At Port Nelson, New Zealand.
Meet the Team
Challenge Marine has a total staff of 50, and includes a variety of tradesmen. Many of our team have been with us for years, and we've built up a huge level of practical experience.
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Nevil Basalaj is the Managing Director and offers Sales and Technical support for the Rapp Hydema range. Mobile: 0274 460 289, Email: nevil@challengemarine.co.nz Nevil has a long history around Port Nelson, from his early experiences as a deckie on his father's fishing boat, through years of experience as a marine engineer both at Port Nelson and at sea. This depth of experience allows him a quick understanding of the engineering service required by shipmasters. Nevil has a commitment to providing a complete turn-key service, drawing on the skills of our own staff at Challenge Marine, but also our affiliated companies within the Challenge NZ group.
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John Hinde is the Chief Operations Officer (Sales and Workshop Enquiries) Mobile: 0276 888 737, Email: john@challengemarine.co.nz John moved to Nelson to join Challenge Marine in early 2008. Prior to that he spent 4 years as estimating manager with Glidepath, a West Auckland company who manufacture baggage handling systems used in 400 countries around the globe. He has also worked at the NZ Naval Base in Auckland, for eight years managing the estimating, planning and purchasing departments. John is originally from the UK, where he had a multi-disciplinary background in the power generation industry. He enjoys the sunny Nelson climate, and is an enthusiastic recreational fisherman. |
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Robert Shuttleworth is our workshop manager. Mobile: 027 483 2275, Email: rob@challengemarine.co.nz Rob has 35 years experience in the marine engineering industry around Port Nelson. He started out as a fitter and turner at Nalder and Biddle, and progressed to working at sea as a trainee engineer on a freezer boat. Then followed 12 years as the workshop foreman in a machine shop, some years as the shore manager for two fishing vessels, and several years with another Nelson engineering company manufacturing food processing equipment. Rob has recently joined Challenge Marine. Outside of work, Rob is a keen hunter, fisherman, tramper and photographer. |
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Rex Barnett is our Sales Engineer. Mobile: 0272 728 858, Email: rex@challengemarine.co.nz Rex joined Challenge Marine in the spring of 2009. He had recently sold and retired from his own general and marine engineering business in Blenheim. But then the opportunity arose to join Challenge Marine and work with us towards the goal of becoming New Zealand's first green port for black boats - so retirement was very brief and we are glad to have Rex on board! Rex has been active in the design and build of mussel harvesting and seeding equipment from the early days of this industry, and has built and exported equipment all over the world. He has built some large boats, including a 30m mussel harvester for Sanford Sustainable Fishing. Rex brings to Challenge Marine 40 years experience of marine engineering in the top of the South Island. |