AMF built Tairua-Pāuanui‘s previous boat 20 years ago and there had not been “a single issue with it”.
Collings said AMF sent vessels all over the world, including five to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Coastguard.
“They found us online, apparently.
“I said to the guy who picked me up from the airport, ‘What on earth made you come to New Zealand to buy boats?’.
“He said they had searched the world and what we did stood out. That was quite nice to hear. We don’t copy, we come up with original ideas.”
The UAE boats had a five-year warranty and AMF had never received a claim, Collings said.
He originally trained as an electrician and worked for his father, but his love of engines led him to Brookland Machinery on Victoria Ave.
“I worked there for 12 months and it was great, but once you’ve fixed one chainsaw, you’ve fixed them all.”
Collings then became an industrial sewing machine mechanic, servicing about 36 factories in Whanganui before they “all started disappearing”.
His first marine job was as an outboard motor mechanic and he founded Rivercity Marine in 1981.
AMF was started in Tauranga by Paul Sharratt, originally from Whanganui, Collings said.
“Our deal was that he would build them and I would market them through Rivercity Marine, rig them up and put the engines and electronics in.
“In 1995, he asked if I wanted to buy the Pro Sport series, which was the boat I‘d had a lot to do with developing.
“Then, in 2007, Paul called again and asked if I wanted the other half of AMF, because he was retiring. I just said, ‘Mate, I’ve got to buy it’.”
The AMF team of (from left) Jodi Collings, Ryan Cameron and Brian Collings. Photo / Mike Tweed
Collings moved to Tauranga and ran AMF for four years, with his son running the Whanganui factory.
“The GFC [global financial crisis] started to crunch real hard and I thought it was better to be in Whanganui than in Tauranga, in a fancy building costing $100,000 a year.”
The company has been based in Whanganui ever since, with AMF building 26 NZ coastguard vessels.
The team is made up of Collings, his wife Jodi Collings and Ryan Cameron.
“Ryan has virtually built this boat on his own. He’s an incredible guy, very adaptable,” Collings said.
Jodi is Sharratt’s daughter and worked alongside him in Tauranga.
“She does a bit of everything – office administration, ordering, sales, inward goods, boat building.”
Growing up on Prince St in Gonville meant the water was never far away, Collings said.
“I had the Balgownie swamp to play in, the dump to go and look around but, more importantly for boating, a kayak my dad bought me.
“We built a little trailer for it, and I put it behind my bike. I used to take it behind Imlay, pop it in the water and go all around.
“I had a great life out there and I know that area.”
With the Pāuanui vessel finished, several smaller projects could get under way, he said.
“A lot of people are wanting good-sized recreational boats. Our point of difference is that they are built to commercial standard.
“Paul formed AMF in 1984 and boats from back then are still on the water and running well.
“We’ve got something that works and we’ve kept with it.”
Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.