New Heesen Yachts Owner Laurens Last

One of the many perks of writing about superyachts for so long is the fascinating people I meet. In fact, almost everyone I’ve talked to in the superyacht community (I think of it more as an exclusive “community” or a “fraternity” rather than an “industry” simply because the top of the luxury pyramid is not that big)—from the entrepreneurs and families who own the shipyards and brokerage houses, to the welders and carpenters who build full-on-custom-one-of-a-kind yachts that can be well over 400-feet-long—do it more for just the money.

Of course, there’s a lot of money in superyachts. But as yacht owners, yacht builders, celebrities who charter superyachts, and all of my friends who are fascinated by them (even though none of us will ever be able to afford one) tell me, superyachts have an X-factor that transcends mere money.

So, when I heard the highly successful Dutch packaging entrepreneur—Laurens Last—bought a Dutch superyacht shipyard—Heesen Yachts—I was dying to find out why. I was curious because I’m pretty sure there are easier ways to make money than building superyachts. But, I also heard he was a yacht owner himself, so I had a feeling there was more to the story. And as you’ll see in this freewheeling Superyacht Influencer Interview, there was.

BS: Thank you for your time. In fact, I only have one question! Are you crazy? Superyacht shipyard owners are members of an extremely exclusive club. But it can be a cruel business too. Tell me why you bought Heesen Yachts.

LL: I must be crazy. Otherwise, you don’t buy a shipyard!

Now, seriously, I wasn’t looking to buy shipyard. But, I became interested when I heard Heesen was for sale. And then the sellers said, “You have to be very quick. We are at the end of the process and we want to close in four or five weeks.” The challenge of doing such a deal so quickly made me even more interested.

I knew there were some other interested buyers. But I also felt my background—being a Dutch, understanding the language and the manufacturing industry, and being a yacht owner myself—were in my favor because the continuation of the company was very important to the previous owners.

We did the due diligence…quickly. We negotiated, agreed on terms and closed in five weeks. Am I crazy? Yes.

BS: What drove you to buy the company so quickly? It must be more than just a business decision, right?

LL: We’re still doing the due diligence after the closing! Actually, what drives me is curiosity and intuition. I had no clue about the packaging business when I started. But I learned very well. I may know a little bit more about the yachting industry. But I’m new, and I think that can be an advantage. I’m excited to challenge existing processes. I’m always asking why are we doing this? Why are we not changing that?

I’d like to think I also bring a technology perspective from my experience manufacturing packaging products as well. The products and factories I’ve built are not as sexy as building superyachts. But the truth is, I’m a builder. I love building companies and factories that were successful because we built the best.

BS: Now, I understand that you are a yacht owner as well. Can you tell me a little bit about your yachting experience?

LL: I love the freedom of being able to go wherever you want to go on a yacht. I love the scenery, and I love being in the water as much as being on the water. I love to swim. I love to dive and all the kinds of water sports. For me, a two-hour kite surfing session of the back of the yacht is almost like meditation. I don’t think about anything else when I’m out there.

BS: Is the unique ability to unplug superyachts provide one of the reasons you were attracted to yachting?

LL: It’s a combination of having your family together because I think a yacht is one of the best ways of enjoying spending quality time with your family. And I love to discover new areas too. Luxury and curiosity go together really well on a yacht.

BS: Ok, so you now own Heesen Yachts. What are you going to do now?

LL: We’re going to work! I like to challenge people so we can build the best. I believe if you build something truly outstanding, you don’t have to sell it anymore. It will sell itself. And we have big plans for the future.