With over 40 years as a highly successful kayak manufacturer, Graham Mackereth should be familiar to most paddlers. And yet, he isn’t—probably because he’s been too busy building boats.
Mackereth, 63, founded the iconic whitewater company, Pyranha Kayaks, in 1971 in Warrington, England. For the past decade, he’s also been at the helm of P&H Sea Kayaks and sister brand Venture Kayaks, producing some of the hottest long boats on the water today.
You purchased P&H in 2003. Why buy a sea kayak company?
Dave Patrick [the original owner of P&H] called me and said he wanted to retire, and could I keep his staff busy. I’ve always had a good relationship with Dave and respected his team, and I was excited for a new challenge. I felt the market was underdeveloped, and I was excited about sea kayaking and realizing its potential.
You’ve always been an innovator, producing designs that have changed the sport. What makes you such an effective designer?
Perhaps I look where others don’t, but more importantly these days, I make the decisions in my business, and in other companies those designing don’t. Our decisions are usually focused on sport and performance progression, and we hope that profitability follows.
What are the differences between P&H and the other bigger kayak companies?
We’re run by paddlers for paddlers and I’ve yet to pay myself a dividend. Their rules don’t apply to us.
Many manufacturers have production in China or Thailand where labor costs are lower. Have you considered offshore production?
I tried it for a year and found it would be 95 percent right, but the five percent wrong would be a moveable feast depending on how they were trying to shortcut. The only way would be to live in China, which was not for me. Perhaps I’m a control freak, but I like building in the U.K.—government regulations and red tape aside.
After 40 years of manufacturing kayaks, you seem as fresh as ever. What’s the secret to your success and longevity?
The excitement of the next design, and with designers Rich Taylor and Robert Peerson alongside, we’ve got lots we’re excited about.
You keep a very low profile—certain names are associated with specific designs, but yours is seldom seen.
OK, I have been the inspiration for a lot of it, but it’s a team effort. For example, the Delphin is a big success at the moment. I did most of the shaping, but that story started with [P&H team paddler] Ben Lawry saying we need a sportier sea kayak, then trying a few ideas, bouncing them around the team, trying a prototype or two with their input, and finally out came a very radical design. So who’s the designer?
How did you know that the timing was right for the Delphin/Aries?
You never do, and I didn’t think it would be received so well!
Sea kayaking can be an infamously conservative community…
Indeed—that’s why I waited a while until I felt we’d got some credibility with the Cetus and Scorpio designs.
Do you have anything new coming that you can hint at?
Yes, it will open up a new market sector, it will be expensive and it hasn’t been done like this before.
Watch for a full review of the revolutionary, new P&H Hammer surf sea kayak in an upcoming issue of Adventure Kayak magazine.
This article originally appeared in Adventure Kayak, Early Summer 2012. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.
