Ormonde Britton, now Maritimo’s Australasian Sales Manager, joined the company very early in its history as part of the sales team. During his time, he has made a great contribution to the success of the business. Maritimo’s Managing Director, Tom Barry-Cotter said, “Britton’s commitment to his role at Maritimo has been unwavering, and he has navigated the journey with passion and dedication.”
It was a very interesting pathway to get there for Britton who grew up in Airlie Beach, which is right in the heart of Australia’s world-famous Whitsunday Islands. “I did all my boating up there as a kid. I learned to sail at the Whitsunday Sailing Club before there was even a clubhouse. I have always had boats; I love boats and that’s what drew me to work in the industry, after working as a truck driver and then in car sales for five years”, said Britton.
In 2010 Britton took over Maritimo’s Gold Coast dealership from Peter Jenkins. He built this dealership up, putting on more people, as they really honed their ability to help customers create the Maritimo of their dreams. Not long after that, the repeat orders certainly underscored what a terrific experience the buyers were having, time and time again.
Britton reflects, “We probably have one of the longer, more experienced group of consultants in the industry to help customers through the whole purchasing process. Customers always come back to Maritimo, seeing familiar faces to greet them. There are Maritimo owners out there that have owned six Maritimos over time, some new, some old. We’ve had some people own four new Maritimos.”
“We have a very good systemised process in place to look after Maritimo’s customers, like the way we handle their factory-backed warranty, which is very unique in Australia. There are no other manufacturers I know of that look after their warranty the way we do”, said Britton.
Tom Barry-Cotter said, “One of Britton’s best qualities is his leadership and adherence to processes and regimented procedures amongst the Maritimo Sales Network in Australia and New Zealand. This is ensures our customer experience is above any other.”
Britton is dedicated to the customer, and meeting their needs to ensure the success of Maritimo. He was instrumental in developing the one-on-one customer focus groups 8 to 10 years ago, which influenced the design of models like the 55 and now the 75. “We started asking the customer, how much fuel do you think you should have? Where would you like this? How many toilets and en suites would you like? This is how we really get the truth of what customers felt they wanted and needed,” said Britton.
“The new 75 models are a very, very different design to probably any other boat that’s ever been created in the history of Australian boat building. It’s all a result of what customers kept telling us about where they wanted their space and how they used their boats,” said Britton.
It is Maritimo’s focus on customer needs and the overall service that has resulted in, “…repeat business probably in excess of 60% of our yearly sales for us here in Australasia.”
Away from Maritimo it continues to be all about the outdoors for Britton, who might be riding his push bike with mates, playing tennis with his daughter, water skiing or a little bit of golf on a Friday. “I also love my caravanning and I always got a smaller boat on hand, as another one of my loves is going mud crabbing. I love my boating big and small. I have always had boats on my mind and in my life.”
