Dream boats for stars and villains

They are the speed boats chosen by film directors, TV crews, celebrities and even thieves wanting to make a quick getaway – and they are made in Wolverhampton.

Fletcher's boats have been used in films such as James Bond and last year's children's thriller, Stormbreaker.

"It was a weekly joke on the TV show Bullseye when the prize at the end of every show was a Fletcher boat," says sales director Andy Wyer as he stands in the Macrome Road workshop, in Tettenhall, Wolverhampton.

"The latest The Price is Right programme had four Fletcher boats and the crew of Never Mind the Buzzcocks used one for a show.

"Even the thieves involved in the jewellery heist at the Millennium Dome in London are believed to have used a Fletcher boat to make a quick getaway.

"The organisers of Big Brother wanted one for a challenge, but they weren't prepared to pay and so they didn't get one. The power of the Fletcher brand is incredible.

"In their heyday, such as the 80s and 90s, they were the quintessential British speed boat – they were to boats what Hoover is to vacuum cleaners.

"People used to say 'Have you got a Fletcher's?" whenever they were talking about boats in general, this is because they were the largest producer of sports boats in Europe."

The company has had its own ups and downs since it was established on Plant Lane in Chase Terrace, Burntwood.

"In 1964, Norman Fletcher became the first Class III Offshore Champion," says Andy.

"He started the company and was way ahead of his time – a total visionary.

"However, he sold out in the late 1990s to Hornby, who make the trains.

"But without Norman's passion and leadership and his constant research and development the company went into a decline.

"Norman always wanted his boats to be better than the last, but when it was bought out by a corporal giant the personal touch was lost, and it was the beginning of the end.

"Fletcher's went into liquidation and so in 2003 our company, SBS Trailers, took it over. We used to supply Fletcher's with boat trailers and knew them really well.

"So, the business has gone full circle and ended up back as a small family firm with my father, Tony Wyer, as the managing director."

When SBS Trailers took over the company they moved Fletcher's to their factory in Woden Road, Tettenhall.

"However, the business became too big and so we bought our present site on Macrome Road in 2005," says Andy.

"It is a two-acre factory and we operate the two companies separately under one roof.

"Everything for the boats is made here and the upholstery is made by a company in Cannock.

"We are up against huge competition from imported boats and it can be difficult to compete on price as they are huge companies producing thousands of boats a year, whereas we made 70 last year."

Prices for Fletcher boats range from £5,551 for a 14ft Arrowflyte to £26,994 for a Sportscruiser 120hp. "We try to offer something better, but at a reasonable price," says Andy.

"What makes Fletcher boats stand out is that they are equipped for rough British coastal waters.

"The seas around Britain are short and sharp and so the bottom of the boats have a deep V-shaped hull, which allows them to cut through the water.

"The imported boats are mostly made for use on lakes and so the hull is shallower and slaps against the water.

"We have a team of 25 experienced boat makers working at the factory.

"Because the boats are so well made people do keep them for most of their lives."

So, what is the future for Fletcher Boats Limited?

"We want to have more contact with our buyers and so in the next few months we are setting up a showroom at Macrome Road with new and second hand equipment," he says.

"Our aim is to follow the good work of Norman Fletcher and to keep researching and developing the brand to ensure that it is always a British icon."