Valley Marine, a locally owned and operated business for more than 30 years, recently opened its in-house upholstery shop. This addition makes it easier than ever for customers to have all their boat needs tended to in place, says Valley Marine owner Ian Saunders.
With the help of upholstery craftsman Gordon Kerr, Valley Marine's upholstery shop opened June 1.
“Longtime industry experience has provided Gord with the knowledge and expertise to give your boat the look you've always wanted,” says Ian. “Gord prides himself on his craftsmanship; that, paired with great products, will give you a top-quality result.”
Valley Marine’s upholstery division offers a wide variety of colour and material options to suit any upholstery needs, says Ian. Gord's experience includes boat tops, window repairs, interior and exterior upholstery, and cushions and much more, he adds.
Over his years of practice, Gord's interests have also merged into automotive upholstery, some of which include vinyl and convertible tops, custom seats as well as full custom interiors, to name a few, he says.
Gord and his wife Linda moved to Powell River from Kelowna and by luck, were put in touch with the Valley Marine team.
“It didn't take long to see this was a good fit,” says Ian. “What started as a boat shop dream is now a fully operating Valley Marine upholstery division.”
They took an open bay that was being used for storage and converted it into a working area for the upholstery work, he adds.
Given the high percentage of boat owners in town, a lot are having to go over to Campbell River to get their upholstery work done, says Ian.
“That gets really expensive,” he adds.
With Valley Marine under Ian’s ownership, the company’s dedicated team of technicians and boat experts still take the same pride in providing the same great service and thorough knowledge of each boat's mechanical needs, which customers have come to rely on.
The Valley Marine team of technicians is still led by longtime boat mechanic and member of the company family Jeff Munro, who has been servicing boats in the community with Valley for more than 20 years.
With more hands-on-deck than before, the team is proud to include Munro, who serves as a manager, operator and Red Seal mechanic; Saunders, who is also a Red Seal mechanic, yacht engineer/technician Daniel Buckland; Red Seal welder and marine mechanic apprentice Cole Forsythe; and marine shop specialist Jordy Arnolds.
Of all the services Valley provides, one of particular note is Valley Marine's full boat shrink wraps for boat winterization.
“We put a sheet of vinyl over top then blast it with the heat gun and it shrinks it down tight, sealing the boat up so you don't have to have it under covered storage,” says Ian. “It's a really nice way to take care of your boat.”
The shrink wrap protects boats against the sun's destructive ultraviolet radiation, moisture, mould and mildew, and is guaranteed not to blow off or leak during one of Powell River's fierce winter storms.
Zippers can be installed into the wrap in case the boat owner needs to get in and out while the shrink wrap in on, he adds.
Valley Marine assists boat owners at their Padgett Road boatyard with a variety of services, including painting and custom work, complete boat building, boat hauling and storage, sales and service, and trailers.
To show support for United Steelworkers Local 1-1937 members, currently out on job action, Valley Marine is offering a 10 per cent discount on all boat repairs and services for striking steelworkers, says Ian.
Valley Marine, located at 3407A Padgett Road, is open from 8 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday. Customers can reach the upholstery shop by telephone at 604.485.9260 or the main repair shop at 604. 485.9257.
