Tallie Marine, for 28 years, has been one of the leaders in the boat building industry, not just on the West Coast but in South Africa.
About 20 years ago Anton Tallie, realising that with a limited life span and high maintenance costs wooden vessels would surely become extinct, designed the first glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) vessel with the input of the locals on what would best suit their needs, and that decision has stood him in good stead ever since.
Tallie Marine was first established as a maintenance and repair shop in 1988, working on wooden, steel and GRP vessels.
Today Tallie Marine has a staff component of close to 90 and their name in the boat building industry has spread far and wide, with inquiries from as far afield as Angola, Mozambique and Portugal.
With Anton’s son Antonie as mechanical engineer, brother Hein doing line-ups and installation of engines, and Johan Daniels as their no-nonsense foreman, Tallie Marine continues to strive towards even greater achievements and filling any gaps that may become evident in the market.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the first GRP vessel, which occupies a special place in the heart of Tallie Marine, as it is the vessel on which the company’s legacy has been built.
The decision to start producing GRP vessels was paramount to the development of the company.
“Up until that point, Tallie Marine was a maintenance and repair yard for existing wooden and steel vessels,” Donna Tallie, spokesperson for Tallie Marine, says. “Anton Tallie recognised a need in the market for more durable and economically viable vessels, hence the idea to start producing their own vessels came into being.”
For Tallie Marine, design innovation is key to staying relevant and a market leader in producing vessels of outstanding quality.
“Constantly (we are) staying up to date with current trends and ways to improve on designs,” Tallie points out. “Antonie Tallie is a creative force when it comes to innovation and designs are constantly evolving around clients’ needs and streamlining the vessels for maximum efficiency.”
Flexibility is also an important element in the process, and there is “never, ever” a compromise on quality.
“Our vessels are built for strength and durability to maintain exceptional standards of safety,” says Tallie.
But for Tallie Marine, its business isn’t just a way of generating money. It’s an integral part of the West Coast community.
“Tallie Marine is proudly affiliated with many charities and goodwill organisations across the entire West Coast community, including St Helena Bay, such as Siyabonga, St Helena Sandveld Hospice and Steenberg’s Cove Primary School, to name a few. “Giving back is one of the most valuable things a company can do and Tallie Marine will always invest in projects contributing to the upliftment of the community.”
For Tallie Marine, its corporate responsibility starts with its own employees, who receive help or aid in the betterment of their lives, medical care and training.
“Our most recent drive saw every employee receives a free eye exam,” Tallie relates. “Of our employees, 21 required spectacles, and these are also funded by the company.”
And what does the future hold for a market leader like Tallie Marine?
Firstly, the company will continue to strive to maintain the highest standards in vessel engineering and execution.
“We are dedicated to providing viable employment in an unstable economic climate, where people come not only to work, but to learn and make good on opportunities to improve their lives,” Tallie says.
Tallie Marine also rewards its employees for significant achievements.
“It must be a testament to the company ethos, then, that so many have been with the company for so long,” says Tallie, “and each year several certificates are awarded to those who have not missed a single day of work.”
For 2016, the first big project of the year is a 90-seater Restaurant Boat for Walvis Bay, due to be launched in April or May.
