New Ownership, Renewed Craft: A Developing Workforce at Cheticamp Boatbuilders

Cheticamp Boatbuilders, seen from the sky

When Brett Robinson and partner Peter Lewin purchased Cheticamp Boatbuilders, they were careful in how they approached the 45-year community fixture. Over three years later, Cheticamp has stabilized operations, expanded services and formalized workforce development while preserving the shop’s culture.

Robinson credits Cheticamp’s core — employees with decades of experience — for easing the transition. “It’s really the crew,” he says. Longtime staff like Alvin Roach, who Robinson says “built the place” in the 1980s, and veteran craftspeople such as Keith Frasier provided technical continuity and community connection during a challenging season.

Brett Robinson looks on in the shop

Rather than try to change things, Robinson and Lewin leaned into the shop’s strengths: high standards, durable construction and skilled workers who hold each other accountable. Preserving craft mattered as much as modernization. When Robinson suggested a cheaper fitting, staff replaced it with bronze — an example of prioritizing long-term performance.

They invested in systems, equipment and people. A new fiberglass sprayer boosted productivity and consistency. A modern inventory and point-of-sale system roughly doubled parts inventory; the yard expanded metal stock, hydraulics, apparel and marine electronics, and acquired a local marine-electronics dealer to offer turnkey service. These new offerings attract customers from Newfoundland and mainland Nova Scotia.

Staff at Cheticamp are growing personally and professionally. Journeypersons, certified builders and apprentices work together. Robinson, Roach and Frasier mentor apprentices and several long-term employees pursued achieved certification as Boat Builders. Seven staff are currently working through the same apprenticeship at the shop. Robinson says the program validates shop-earned skills. To streamline workflow and customer service, lead hands in fiberglass, mechanics, painting and electronics can order parts and speak directly with customers, which is benefiting the business.

Alvin Roach, award-winning boat builder

Robinson’s favourite part of the work is the variety and immediate gratification of producing something tangible: every boat is different and every day demands a new kind of problem-solving. Under new ownership, Cheticamp Boatbuilders is finding a balance: honouring tradition while investing in people, systems and services that promise growth in these uncertain times.