In charge of all maintenance and service of vessels at CHAPMAN, Lawson oversees the works undertaken at their two Sydney locations, as well as flying up to The Boat Works on the Gold Coast to assist the refit team as required.
Since he was 12-years-old and earned himself a weekend job at Northbridge Marina, Lawson has worked on and around the water. What started as delivering tenders to customers’ boats turned into part-time job he held for over a decade and nurtured his genuine love of boating.
“My family had a ski boat which we took out around Middle Harbour and Akuna Bay, so I got my boat license when I was quite young. After school, I enrolled in a Sports Management degree – but I didn’t feel like I fitted that. I thought about heading overseas, but then I met Cooper and wanted to get on board.”
A mutual friend introduced Lawson to Cooper Chapman nine years ago and Lawson was inspired by his plans for a full-service yachting business.
“Cooper was strong-minded and focused, like I am, and he has great business skills and big ideas. The Australian marine industry is massive but operates like a small community, which really appeals to me.”
Along with his considerable understanding of boats and their maintenance, Lawson brings his “good eye for detail” to the mix, and the skills acquired from working closely with experts in maintenance and refit for 15 years.
“Cooper is a hard taskmaster. We treat our clients’ boats like their prized possessions and maintain them to ‘boat show standard’ all the time. It’s a good challenge to rise to and keeps us all sharp.”
Among his many duties, Lawson undertakes vessel deliveries up and down the east coast, between Hamilton Island, Victoria and the Gold Coast, and he never fails to appreciate the camaraderie and co-operation required for such voyages.
The challenges may be myriad, but the rewards are well worth it. The fact that every day is different and not one boat is the same means learning from every experience.
The best part of the work is the people, Lawson believes. “I enjoy achieving success as a team, problem solving and making clients happy. As a team, we spend a lot of time together getting projects finished on time, or on morning photo shoots when it’s pitch black and the sun creeps up.
“There’s a lot of trust there. We’re all friends. When younger people join the team, they enjoy the atmosphere. It doesn’t feel like work.”
The next delivery on the schedule is one Lawson will share with his wife, Brae – the arrival of their baby boy in October 2024, which no doubt, will exceed all the career highlights.
Then looking ahead in 2025, he is aiming for “bigger and better” as CHAPMAN expands and attracts more and larger vessels to our shores.
“We are always trying to outdo ourselves. We’re going to expand the Queensland team and get them running full steam ahead, really raising the bar for maintenance, management and refit.”
