Yacht furniture sector, yacht manufacturers problem and proposed solutions (Muğla and Antalya examples)

Yacht Industry is one of the important and developing sectors and yacht furniture manufactory is a branch of this sector those are growing day by day. Important that yacht and yacht furniture are both as status symbols and integrate each other. Seeing yachts and furniture as status symbols is important for these two complementary sectors. This importance is even more significant as yacht furniture manufacturing is the second largest cost item in yacht building after engine equipment.Yacht furniture manufactoring has important position in the yacht industry, in the future this importance will be understood better. It is significant to make researches on yacht furniture manufactoring's technology use, quality, institutionalization, efficiency, employment, added value, branding and design will help to develop and improve our economy. This study is focused on yacht and yacht furniture manufactors those are especially located in Muğla and Antalya regions in Turkey's costline. General and sectoral information has been given about yacht and yacht furniture and yacht furniture sector problems were targered by survey technique and those survey has been analyzed through the statistical package programs. With this study, yacht furniture manufacturing is still carried out in small and medium scale business enterprises.There are few enterprises that use advanced technology in the sector, and general there was no research and development activity. When The Turkish Yacht Furniture Sector is compared to its competitors it has a cheap but qualified workforce and a central location close to all markets. However businesses are generally not branded and also not institutionalized. Mainly marketing activities are not prioritized, as yacht manufacture has been doing with order type of production. Although companies mostly solve their design and production drawings with architects and engineers in their own design offices, the most important problem is production managment and planning. Also the most crucial problem about production side is that qualified workers do not have sufficient skills. For those problems, the sector should be introduced correctly and yacht educational schools should be increased. In our country, yacht furniture sector which is sub-sector under the yacht building industy that is dynamicly developing in last decate despite the contraction in developed countries. Using results obtained from this study; Turkey has the potential to be the Best in the World by performing efficient production progress and improved techniques that is suitable for the era. In addition research and development studies that needs to be prioritized, yacht supply industry should be supported and with marketing studies, Turkey will be the leader in World Yacht and Yacht Furniture Sector. Keywords: Yacht Furniture Production, Yacht Interior Design, Furniture Production, Yacht Building Industry, Yacht Furniture.