Annual Report 2014

Building a solid position as the No. 1
name in the marine products market

Marine products business eyeing new growth opportunities

Yamaha Motor’s marine engines are globally known for their high performance, light weight and fuel efficiency. In addition, as the market shifts from inboard motors to outboard motors, Yamaha’s products are also being recognized for their superior environmental features, giving Yamaha an overwhelming presence in marine settings around the world.

The global marine products market breaks down as roughly ¥1.7 trillion for pleasure boats for leisure, and around ¥240.0 billion for fishing and other commercial boats. We are aiming for further growth by expanding our market share in the pleasure boat and fishing and commercial boat markets in the United States and in emerging markets.

Establishing our presence beyond hulls

Yamaha Motor is working to grow its marine products business further by expanding its scope, with a broader product lineup featuring hulls packaged with outboard motors with advanced platforms and comprehensive controls.

We are also offering new value with our popular sports boats in North America. By pursuing a combination of hull/engine strategy and peripheral equipment, we aim to leverage our comprehensive business capabilities and the reliability of the Yamaha brand, to build a highly profitable, comprehensive boating business with sales of more than ¥300 billion and an operating income margin of around 20%.

Evolving into a highly profitable business through a combination
of hull/engine strategy and peripheral equipment

Developed Markets

Diversification of boating value

　

Focusing on the United States to expand business scope and customer base

With unparalleled competitiveness in developed markets, we are expanding our next-generation product lineup to create increasingly diverse boating value through a combination of hull/engine strategy and peripheral equipment.

In the United States, the largest market, we are expanding our product lineup by creating new categories in the sports boat market’s 19- to 24-foot class, which is Yamaha Motor’s primary volume zone, and addressing a range of customer bases from individuals to families. We are therefore increasing our production capacity in the United States from the current 10,000 units under three brands. In outboard motors, we are launching a next-generation platform model to address the growing demand for
large engines.

Pursuing a hull strategy targeting a wide range of customers

MovieYamaha Motor YouTube Channel

Yamaha Unveiled New Sports Boat 190 FSH

Emerging Markets

Capturing markets with optimal local products

　

Local production to address development of Chinese market

In emerging markets, we are increasing our points of contact with customers in Russia and Brazil, which have large growth potential, and in China we are cultivating pleasure boat and fishing boat markets under a basic strategy of “capturing the market through local production.”

In China in particular, economic development has brought about improvements in marinas and other infrastructure, and with more people enjoying marine leisure the pleasure boat market is growing. We have begun outsourced production of a 27-foot fishing boat in Zhuhai in Guangdong Province, and we will accelerate our launches of pleasure boat products to address the growing number of people taking up fishing.

On the other hand, China’s fishing boat market still has approximately 500,000 used boats, mostly heavy wooden craft, in operation; so we see potential demand for lightweight, high-performance fishing boats. Yamaha Motor maintains a joint production center in Zhangzidao in the city of Dalian, and we are providing packaged boats that combine our FRP hull technology developed in Japan and our outboard motors.

Globally growing comprehensive boating business