Page 21: of Marine News Magazine (June 2020)

20 22

COMBAT & PATROL CRAFT offer products that are complementary;

Geared for growth

Wing embarked on its expansion “similar but different,” Branagh says. As trajectory by ?rst dialing in on ways to more of a commercial industrial military improve its business from within. “The builder, Wing’s tubes are welded and company that manufactures the best made using polyurethane fabric, while

Henshaw uses a glued house using CSM/ product is not necessarily the best com- pany,” Branagh says. “We have worked Hypalon popular in Europe’s recreation- to every day deliver a more holistic view al markets (though both manufacturers build for each of the market segments).

of what it means to be the best. Certain-

The group’s next acquisition, Patten, ly, we need the best physical product, but it also needs to supported with terri?c brought Wing’s fabric welding capabilities education, top notch customer service, to a largely historical gluing life raft facility in Lake Worth, Fla., Branagh says. “More- a best in class customer service experi- ence, a dynamic supply chain driving over, again, Patten’s primary customers were the same as the Wing organization’s.” out waste, insightful and clear account-

Wing continued its expansion with ing and personal commitments from the the acquisition of a Washington-based team members to take that extra step.”

The approach enabled the company manufacturer that shares many of its ex- to start the next part of its journey, one isting boat building customers. “FabTek was actually brought to our attention by that would grow its revenues tenfold from our OEM base where they said, ‘Please 2013 to today on the back of several stra- tegic business acquisitions. Today, Wing take a look at this little company. We

In?atables still ranks among top collar, need them to ?ourish as they matter in our boat construction.’” FabTek builds sponson and raft manufacturers, but that’s only part of the group’s wider offering. doors, hatches and windows for com-

With the addition of Henshaw, FabTek, mercial/military vessels and high-end superyachts and recreational boats.

The Patten Companies, and, most recent-

Wing expanded signi?cantly with its ly, Mustang Survival, the Wing Group also supplies aviation life rafts, vessel doors, most recent addition, Mustang Survival, acquired from the Safariland Group in windows and hatches, as well as lifesav-

June 2019. Mustang, a 50-plus-year-old ing solutions such as ?otation devices, dry company and developer of the world’s suits and other protective apparel. “Using the original Wing platform as ?rst ?oater coat, supplies equipment such as in?atable and foam PFDs, dry suits, a stepping stone, we looked for organiza- immersion suits and a number of other tions that were already known for best- in-class quality products but maybe not pieces of safety and lifesaving equipment used by operators on vessels that the yet knows for holistic greatness. Comb-

Wing Group has supplied parts for. Mus- ing that search criteria with our funda- mental desire to be a solution provider, tang has three facilities: Vancouver, B.C. became a gating metric that framed our for manufacturing and sales, more manu- facturing in Jacksonville, Fla. and a repair view of acquisitions,” Branagh says.

Wing had already established a strong and distribution center in Spencer, W. Va.

The company is signi?cantly larger

North American market share building for customers such as the U.S. Army, today than it was before new owner-

Coast Guard, Navy and SEALS, even ship came in, growing from a few dozen

NOAA and NASA, among others, so it staff in 2013, to nearly 500 employees went oversees to reach another market working at 11 group locations sprawled by acquiring complimentary company across the globe in the US, Canada, UK

Henshaw in 2016. Wing and Henshaw and Sweden. Growing sales across the www.marinelink.com