Havin's Custom Fabrication Shop - mega yachts to motorcycles 

While some claim St. Maarten's only economic pillar is tourism, there is a business in Cole Bay that is manufacturing specialized parts for boats, bikes, cars and trucks. Not only is Havin's Custom Fabrication Shop capable of solving each unique machine or fitting problem using its state of the art techniques, it is also growing steadily, expanding soon and the future holds a potential promise of exporting its manufactured products abroad.

Ramnauth Havin started his business six years ago in his bedroom and shortly after that he moved to his garage. From that humble beginning, the leading fabrication and machine shop in the region took root and began to grow. Havin's Shop is gaining a reputation for excellence among car enthusiasts, motorcycle aficionados and mega-boaters. Luxury yachts especially find Havin's can provide solutions to their unique needs in a timely manner and at the quality they demand. "We are a custom fabrication shop," Havin shrugged casually, "so, you know, whatever comes in the door, we can handle it."

FABRICATING EXACT parts out of metal takes a lot of expertise. Havin concedes that he has had "a lot of technical training." Originally from Guyana, he began his career in a big custom shop, working on the assembly line. The shop there was actually a large factory, producing anything from refrigerators and stoves, to custom work for race cars, boats and a myriad of other specialty items. Over time Havin worked his way up to the position of senior supervisor. Once he moved away from Guyana, he learned even more: "The most important training I got was at FKG Rigging, I worked there eight years doing fabrication, welding and machining. Then I worked in California and in Miami with professional guys, some of the best in the business."

For the new season, they will be opening their custom marine showroom, hoping to showcase the specialized work they can do for the yachting community. But that expansion doesn't mean they will only work on boats. Havin built his reputation in specialty bikes and auto fabrications, and that will continue to be a major part of what he and his small staff of three to five creates. His father is often on hand to oversee the business end of the shop, and trainees hoping to learn the trade are also a part of the crew.

DURING A VISIT to the Cole Bay shop, it was clear that a high degree of technical training is being utilized. They work with many different grades of metal, primarily something known in the trade as 316L Marine Grade stainless steel. "That is anti-rust," Havin's father echoed during the interview. "Some grades may be called stainless steel, but they will still rust. Not this," he emphasized. They also work with Billet aluminium which is aircraft grade aluminium. Then there is Grade 2 Titanium, schedule 40, schedule 80, schedule 110; and an alloy called "chrome moly" – a mixture of chromium and molybdenum. Every kind of metal must be handled in a different manner, when welding, cutting or shaping. Most designs are cut from a solid piece of material, bought in bulk from suppliers abroad. If you need a special profile, a design for a particular job and produced of a special material, Havin's can take care of it for you.

Over the past six years, the business has metered out a steady growth. Now it boasts several computerized cutting machines with at least 20 different cutting tools switched from job to job with robotic controls. The workshop space is devoted to cutting stations, both tool cutters and plasma cutters, and areas for grinding, sanding and polishing. One of the polishers has a convoluted frame that holds the sanding belt, "This is one of my secrets," he joked. Around the corner is a compressed argon-shielded welder, "This machine is what they use in the aerospace industry, like in NASA. We use it for motorcycles, airplanes and bike stuff. There is also a plasma cutter; you can cut two-inch steel with that machine."

HAVIN KEEPS abreast with the changing technology that allows materials to be manipulated in new and faster ways. He is certified in several areas of fabrication and displays his certificates on the wall of the work shop. Sitting at a computer screen in the office, he can design any three dimensional shape and then compose a program that will tell his machines how to cut that shape from a solid bar of metal. "It's all about geometry," he assured me, "with the x-axis, y-axis and z-axis, and you have to know a lot of programming. We use the G-code programming language; it allows the cut to be exact, down to the microns." His state of the art machines are the heart of the business, some were recently purchased from California. Havin is well known to the leaders in the machinery field from his own interactions at trade shows. "I pretty much attend all the big shows, there is one coming up in Chicago; I don't miss a show."

Business is steady in low season and frantic in high season, but they won't rush through the jobs that are entrusted to them. "We always have something going on. We don't just do bikes, or cars, or boats. Right now they are doing fabrication work for AirFin which supplies the island's water. They are also busy with making custom stainless steel railings for the new gym at Port de Plaisance. While the interview is underway, the point is made when two guys stop by to ask about making a dual gas tank for their vehicle. "You guys got the dimensions?" Havin asked and then took care of them in no time.

BY NEXT year they will have relocated to a new location, still in Cole Bay along Well Road. Needing more room, the business has great potential for expanding its services. They will start doing anodizing of surfaces which will increase the materials' ability to resist corrosion plus provide a better surface for the adhesion of paints and glues. Another area they are developing is the packaging of parts for retail and export. They have invested in a machine that will package and shrink-wrap items they produce.

One product that has already been a favourite at a couple of local stores is the pole and stanchions to support a wind generator for a yacht. Havins has an arrangement with Island Water World and Budget Marine to provide a kit to help customers when they buy the large energy producing turbines which have to be securely mounted on the boat's deck. Along similar lines, Havin is designing a collapsible bimini frame made of billet aluminium that can fit on different sized boats. The look of the prototype is unique and flashy, with ovals designed into the fittings. Form follows function, they say, and Havin explained the ovals serve a purpose to allow salt to be washed easily away from the interior without sacrificing strength. The design also allows for an easy grip, while decreasing weight and saving on materials, but it's clear Havin also likes the style: "I plan to do everything all aesthetic, so it has a certain look."

ONE THING seems certain, with the careful investment in top of the line equipment, skilled training and steady growth that has been the hallmark of the Havin's shop, the future is looking up. When customers are looking for precision, they know where to go. This level of quality may not be for everybody, Havin admits, "Price structure is difficult, but only I can quote a job because we don't want to under quote or over quote." Some customers may balk at the price, because he refuses to cut quality as others might. "I can convince you in half an hour, even in just 5 minutes, after I'm finished talking to you, you'll say, 'This guy knows what he is doing.'"

If you are looking for custom work for your car, truck, bike or boat, check out Havins at #7 Wellsburg Rd., Cole Bay, right next to Island Water World. Phone 552-053