Argo Boats Key Personnel

RENÉ VERBOOMEN (Founder and Chairman)

René, born in Belgium, graduated in Informatics and a post-graduate in Management. He started his career in the IT subsidiary of the Générale de Belgique. In 1987 he was the founder of a company active in software distribution and IT services. In 1990, he founded the Belgian subsidiary of the French IT Company Marben; more than 250 telecom engineers working for international institutions. René is also one of the founders of Aubay technology, a European IT company listed on the Paris stock exchange. In 1999 he founded, with three other investors, Blubay. Blubay is an innovative company; it has a design division, an engineering division and a construction division. The Company has developed two business lines: aeronautics, where Blubay brings experience in interior design to aircraft builders and operators. The second line is the study, design and building of exclusive catamarans. Now René starts Argo Boats in South Africa, a leading composite boat building facility.

BEN LOCHNER (Technical Director)

Ben has been the Project Manger on various international projects. Being a graduate Mechanical Engineer he has applied himself to all the fields of boat building from conceptual design and working drawings to project and production management.

He started his career in the design office at Roberson and Caine International, a production boat builder in Cape Town, after which he moved to Southern Wind Shipyard to become the Project Manager for their 72’ and 80’ Bruce Farr designed luxury cruiser-racers.

Most recently he has been the Technical Director of Stealth Marine. The company has developed a 42’ and 52’ hydrofoil supported production power catamaran. He has been responsible for the development of these projects from the conceptual design right through to the production of the first boats.

His drive and passion for boatbuilding has lead him to become multi-skilled in all facets of boatbuilding.