Page 12: of Marine News Magazine (June 2024)

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Insights employee owns shares in the company through an ESOP, company culture created through employee ownership is which really acts a lot like a 401K plan, but it’s invested bene? cial to both the company and its employees, and it in the company stock,” Schwarz said. “What that means even helps to make SAFE Boats more attractive in terms of is that the people who built the company, the people who recruitment and retention. “Our folks work for a company build our products, the people who are the heart and soul that is committed to its customers and also is committed of SAFE Boats, now own the company. And that means to doing everything it can to create healthy retirements, that we, as a company, can engage our team in ways that build wealth,” Schwarz said. “The statistics comparing sav- are very different. ings, preparation for retirement, every measure of job satis- “SAFE Boats employees are thinking and acting like faction and the way team members feel about the company owners. If the company does well, it’s not some outside they work for is enhanced in an employee-owned company investor that’s doing well, it’s our team. We get to focus on versus their non-employee-owned counterparts.” the important things: our customers, investing in the com- pany, investing in plants and equipment, tools, training, Technology shifts developing our team. There’s never a question of whether The maritime industry as a whole is currently in a pe- or not we can do the right thing for our customers or for riod of technological advancement, and interest in autono- our team. There’s no con? ict with the interests of an out- mous vessels continues to grow. Schwarz and SAFE Boats side shareholder. It’s our SAFE Boats team that we’re fo- are not only monitoring this evolution, they’re actively cused on and our customers and mission.” participating, but in a controlled and measured way, ? nd-

According to Schwarz, the extra level of buy-in and ing the projects and applications that match well with their

All images courtesy SAFE Boats International 12 | MN June 2024