Page 65: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (June 2012)
Annual World Yearbook
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June 2012www.marinelink.com 65?There are mixed feelings about the commercial market because profits for many shipping companies are non-exis- tent,? especially container vessels, which really took a hit with the recession,Chawla said. ?I?d like to see it come back because it?s such a big market.? At this point, however, these companies don?t have much margin for making invest- ments while the oversupply of vessels is still keeping profits thin. The leisure market has also yet to make a comeback since the economic recessionhit and gas prices are keeping boat own- ers down. However, he said ?megayachts are still doing well.? Even though megayacht newbuilds have slowed, the resale market is active and new owners often upgrade antennas. The military market is also holding strong even as government budg- ets shrink because satellite communica-tions are still a strategic priority. Markets may all react differently, but fortunately for Sea Tel, its products are ?very market agnostic,? Chawla said. Sea Tel antenna systems can be used across all maritime sectors and the company of- fers a wide range of products from 14inches to 3.6 meters. ?We also have 350 global dealers, one of our strongestpoints,? he added. From closest to farthest: Nathen Gonderman, Production Assembler III; Felnor Lincer, Production Assembler III; Lamont Pollard, Production Assembler II. Sea Tel?s Concord, Calif. facility is a lean factory, designed to get antennas out the door quickly. All manufacturing and testing stations are on wheels, allowing the entire layout of the factory floor to be reconfigured for any type of order. Sea Tel Title Test Technician II, Fred DeMinico, testing satellite link with an- tenna.(Image courtesy Raina Clark) MR June12 # 8 (57-64):MR Template 6/12/2012 9:13 AM Page 65