Riviera awarded at Premier of Queensland Export Awards 2021

Riviera owner Rodney Longhurst celebrating the Premier of Queensland Export Awards win with representatives from across the Riviera 850-strong team © Riviera Australia

Australia's luxury motor yacht builder Riviera has been honoured for outstanding international success in manufacturing at the Premier of Queensland Export Awards 2021, the state's most prestigious industry awards.

Riviera was named winner of the Manufacturing and Advanced Materials Award category at a gala presentation in Brisbane this week.

The category recognises and acknowledges the growing popularity of Riviera motor yachts which are acclaimed globally for their innovative design, premium luxury, superior engineering and performance.

Riviera exports more than 60 per cent of the 120 motor yachts it builds each year from the company's state-of-the-art Gold Coast facility. The motor yachts are designed and built by a specialist team of more than 850 master craftspeople on site at the largest facility of its kind in the southern hemisphere.

This latest government award exemplifies what has been a year of stellar achievements for Riviera, including the company's largest shipment ever to the United States which is currently under way. The shipment, comprising seven luxury motor yachts valued at more than $20 million, will land in the US on October 20 with five of the motor yachts destined for the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. Riviera will present its largest international showcase of 2021 at Fort Lauderdale with 10 yachts on display.

"On behalf of our exceptional team at Riviera, we are delighted to have been honoured in this year's Queensland Exporter of the Year Awards," said Riviera owner Rodney Longhurst.

"We are fiercely proud to be an Australian company, creating motor yachts that are today truly world-class in terms of their design, technology, performance and luxury finishes.

"2021 has been a year of challenges and achievement for Riviera and this award is recognition of the magnificent work by our team to create and deliver the outstanding Riviera motor yachts of today, the best we have ever built."

Riviera has a 38-year history of exporting motor yachts to the world, starting with the first shipment to the United States in 1983 and followed by the first shipment to Europe a year later.

The company, which was founded in 1980, has built more than 5,750 motor yachts over the past 41 years with many of these motor yachts now cruising the Mediterranean, Pacific, Caribbean and the Great Lakes and coastal waters of North and South America.

The Riviera range spans 39 to 78 feet with 24 models from six distinctive Riviera model collections. This year, Riviera announced a new flagship of the fleet, the 78 Motor Yacht, the first of which is currently being built in preparation for her world premiere in early 2022.

Riviera was among 36 Queensland companies selected as a finalist from 160 entries received for this year's Premier of Queensland Export Awards.

As a winner of one of 13 award categories, Riviera is now a finalist for the Australian Export & Investment Awards, held by Austrade on November 25.