2017 Award to the “Oldest Partner of the club”: Náutica Martín

This year, Náutica Martín was awarded the Oldest Partner of the Club. Xisco Llabrés is a lifelong businessman, a historical person of the sector; and with good reason. He has been more than forty years working in Cala d'Or to give his customers the best possible service. He loves his work and he is also compromised with this association, from which he has been a member since 1998.

How do you value this recognition?

In fact, very positively. At first, I doubted if I had to accept it, because I don't like to receive awards if it's for doing my job properly. But I understand that it is also important for the association. In this sense, I want to mention that Juan Rosselló was the “culprit” to make me initially join to the association.

Which were your professional beginnings in yachting?

They were in Cala d'Or. I was around 18 years old when I started a business with another partner. I ended up keeping the company, and finally, I had to trespass it. This is why nowadays it is still Náutica Martín. It is called Martín for my father. He, then, had a taxi and a rent a car companies, all with the name of Martín. I've been almost 45 years working professionally in yachting.

How was the business when you started it in Cala d'Or?

It was not the same as now. We started it when the port of Cala d'Or had just been built, and tourism started to have an important volume. In the beginning, we started with accessories and basic objects, and now, we sell Yamaha and other inflatable boats. The customers that we had before, most of them were foreigners and tourists, we also had Spanish. Since then, the area has grown. Another of the services that we offered was safekeeping of boats. Before, many boats were sold, but the customers had problems in winter when they wanted to keep them, and we offered this facility. When the mechanic that we had, retired; I decided that I preferred to simplify, and now I only sell.

And since those beginnings, how has it changed?

Now we have plenty of big boats, and there are many companies decicated to maintenance and repairment, and many of them are my customers. I always try to solve their problems and many of them come to me when they need something in particular. I suppose that as I have been working all these years in the sector, I have gained certain reputation. And when I have to buy pieces to suppliers, they provide me service, although there can be strange pieces.

How have you seen the evolution of AENIB since you are a member?

I think that Marga (Dahlberg) has done a lot and a lot of work. I think that the changes produced and the aims reached have been positive. The problem is, as every four years the government changes, the association almost has to start from scratch, the job that did with the administrations in the previous legislature.