Exclusive Interview: Heesen Yachts’ Laurens Last on future plans, his secret weapon and buying a shipyard in six weeks

This month, BOAT International’s global editor-in-chief Stewart Campbell spoke to Heesen’s new owner Laurens Last, who acquired the shipyard in April. The Dutch packaging mogul discussed his motivations behind the acquisition, the state of super yachting and his future plans for the shipyard. Listen to the full interview on our podcast on Spotify or on Apple, below.

Kicking off the conversation, Last began by telling Campbell why he’d chosen to buy Heesen. “I would not dare to buy an Italian shipyard, because I know Italy quite well, and I think it would be too risky for me, not being Italian. I think the fact that I'm Dutch, buying a Dutch shipyard makes a lot of sense,” he said.

Last believes he has one big advantage over many of his competitors: he is a seasoned boat owner who currently owns the 61-metre Feadship Samadhi. He feels that this will bring some valuable perspective to his new role, not only on the design and build process but also on understanding what owners truly want. “If you’ve never used a boat, then it’s an unfamiliar process," he said. "You're building a product without really knowing how it’s going to be used. I have many friends who own yachts, and we talk often about how we use them, what works and what could be improved. I think that’s what I can bring to the shipyard.”

The Dutch mogul revealed that he decided to buy the shipyard in just six weeks - lightning fast by most standards, but for Last, it was a no-brainer. “I was thinking in one week whether I should buy [Heesen] or not. Then I started the process and we closed in five weeks,” he explained.

But while the decision itself was swift, the idea had been simmering for years. The seed was planted five years ago when Last toured several Dutch shipyards and saw the potential for an acquisition. He recognised that his extensive manufacturing experience could bring real value to the yacht-building process. The fact that Heesen didn’t have a clear owner at the time also appealed to him: “I think if you have an owner in the company, you can drive a lot of improvements, and that's kind of the reason why I bought it.” He added that being Dutch gave him an inherent understanding of the local corporate structures, which helped facilitate the sale quickly.

Last also opened up about his belief that the current focus on sales metrics is misplaced. “Everybody's talking about the price per GT, [but] I think that's very difficult to compare because it depends heavily on the yacht’s specifications, which can vary dramatically,” he said.

Instead, he argued, both the industry and yacht owners should shift their thinking toward total cost of ownership. “Owning a yacht is about much more than the initial spend – it includes operating costs, maintenance and eventual resale value,” he explained. His goal is for Heesen to continue to prioritise quality which, he argued, leads to reduced upkeep, longer charter periods and lower depreciation over time.

While Last promised to bring financial stability to the company, he acknowledged that cost savings will inevitably play a role – particularly on the shop floor. “The manufacturing process of building yards is still very traditional, so I see opportunities in robots,” he said, pointing to the Netherlands' high labour costs as an area where efficiencies can be made. At the same time, he recognises that profit margins are a tricky tightrope to walk, especially when today’s yacht owners are astute and “very good at taking out cost”. With a background in both yachting and manufacturing, Last hopes to bring a practical, experience-driven perspective to the business. “I'm not saying I'm the person who can change the industry,” he said. “But I think what we can do is emphasise the strength of what we're doing.”

Innovation is also a key focus, and after years in manufacturing, Last is relishing the chance to get personally involved, channel all his ideas and contribute directly to design and build. He will continue to focus on semi-custom platforms and shift the focus on the 1,000GT+ market where he sees a gap. “I love the creativity process,” he concluded. “I want to involve myself in that […] You know, to start with the paper, design a yacht and then build it."

Despite his ambitious vision, Last is realistic about the pace of change. “I think if you work with passion, if you work very hard, you’ll be successful in the end - but it's a long-term project,” he reflected. “What we do now takes four or five years to materialise. You need to have some patience.”