Bill Lloyd

President, SOVEREIGN YACHTS

Bill Lloyd is a New Zealander who left New Zealand for Canada at the age of 26 after leaving school at 15. He pursued his fascination with boats by building his first boat at 16 in his spare time, while working in his father's logging business in Whangarei.

In his first 13 years in North America, Bill worked in a range of enterprises: managing rust proofing business and dog security firms, working in logging and road construction and building small aircraft.

It was in Canada that Bill first started building boats for other people. He had built himself a boat and was racing it with his son in Vancouver, when it was spotted by a Japanese businessman. The businessman ordered a boat and from there Bill began his first boat building business. Over twelve years he created a substantial business building specialised rescue and fire safety for the Japanese market - an experience, he says, that provided valuable lessons in the importance of quality.

During this time he realised there was an opportunity in the luxury super motor yacht area. He had observed what some of the boatyards were doing and believed that the attention to detail and quality was not to his high standard.

Five years ago he started Sovereign Yachts in Canada. In 2001 the expatriate returned home, setting up a superyacht facility on surplus defence force land at Hobsonville. The facility was formally opened in September 2001. Plans are now being made to create a broader marine industry precinct around Sovereign's Hobsonville site.