In Pacific Trade Invest (PTI) Australia’s recently released Pacific Islands Export Survey 2022 report, just under half of all Pacific businesses surveyed indicated they had actively enhanced their marketing through online channels over the past 12-months, citing this as a necessary means to increase export activity. One such business that has done exactly that is Kiribati—based boatbuilder, KiriCraft Central Pacific, who have recently worked alongside PTI Australia to optimize their website and general online presence.
While today the enterprise is on the frontier of digital innovation, the story of KiriCraft begins many years earlier. Co-founded in 2006 by expert boatbuilder Michael Savins and his wife, Riteta, KiriCraft Central Pacific was established with the assistance of the Kiribati Foreign Investment Commission after Savins saw an opportunity in the international market for Kiribati-made commercial crafts.
Savins says the formation of KiriCraft and shift towards international export markets was a natural one following the success of an earlier venture, Betiraoi Boatbuilders.
“After completing a boatbuilding apprenticeship in 1981, I took a job introducing modern boatbuilding construction techniques into the Republic of Kiribati. My focus was on designing new artisanal fishing crafts based on the traditional concept of a single outrigger canoe.
“Through community engagement, we soon identified an ongoing need for locally built inter-island passenger cargo crafts after several island communities reached out and raised funds for us to build catamarans that could be used to connect their islands with the capital, Tarawa.
“As more crafts were built, the need to upskill local builders became apparent. This led to the then-President of Kiribati, the Honourable Teburoro Tito, requesting we set up in a formal capacity to assist with this work, and Betiraoi Boatbuilders, the pre-cursor to KiriCraft, was born.”
Having been a professional boatbuilder for over thirty years, Savins says he soon recognised the potential Kiribati had to build quality crafts for export to international markets.
“We quickly realised that Kiribati had great potential to build boats for international export, as the stable temperatures year-round meant achieving a reliable consistency in lamination was possible, among a number of other positive contributing factors.”
Since its inception, KiriCraft has consistently demonstrated its capacity to build high-quality, high-finish pleasure crafts for the Australian market. To date, KiriCraft has exported six vessels to Australia including a 10.5-metre power catamaran, three 11-metre sports power catamarans, a 14-metre sailing catamaran and an 11-metre eco-power catamaran.
In 2015, PTI Australia began working with KiriCraft to optimise the marketing of their recreational power catamarans to global markets. Over the years, this has included developing an in-depth marketing plan, securing distribution agents for entry into the Australian market, and more recently, developing an online campaign which included the building of a new website, to secure more Australian distributors and brokers.
To date, KiriCraft has exported more than AUD$2.7 million worth of high-finish luxury crafts into the ultra-competitive Australian market, while also continuing to provide full-time employment for over forty i-Kiribati staff, many of whom have been trained in the art of boatbuilding by fully qualified international tradespeople.
Savins says a genuine engagement with the community has been contributing factor towards the success of the business, adding that many of the KiriCraft team have been with the business for over a decade.
“Over a third of our team have been with the business for more than ten years. We are lucky to have incredible staff who always give their best, so in turn, we do our best to keep them employed. Since inception, we have built more than AUD$1.5 million worth of local crafts that support transport and communication to outer islands. Economically, these crafts also bring value to local communities when used as fishing vessels, assisting the livelihoods of many.”
The success of KiriCraft is no small feat, particularly when considering the challenging environment that the business thrives in. Savins says the support received by PTI Australia has been key to this accomplishment.
“The expert advice, contacts and marketing we’ve received from PTI Australia have been crucial in helping us secure our distribution channels into the Australian market. We have always had a very good relationship with the PTI Australia team, as they continually work hard to promote KiriCraft to the Australian market. We look forward to this continued friendship into the future and beyond.”
Founded in 1979, PTI Australia is an agency of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. Funded by the Australian Government, it facilitates trade and investment in the Pacific Islands.
