Shipyard history: Frauscher enters the fourth generation

As a member of the management board, Michael Frauscher is responsible for production and development. Together with Michael, the boatyard is managed by a well-rehearsed team: His brother Stefan Frauscher is responsible for sales and marketing, his cousin Andrea Frauscher-Oberfrank looks after the marina in Gmunden and Andreas Ahamer is in charge of finance and human resources.

As the oldest active member of the management team, Michael lives the company philosophy. He has now turned 60 and is planning his retirement in instalments in order to hand over the baton to the next generation in good time. A change that is well prepared.

The beginnings of Frauscher

The beginnings of the Frauscher story made Engelbert Frauscher 1927. He was just 24 years old when, after an apprenticeship as a carpenter with his uncle and initial experience as a boat builder at the Ratz company in St. Gilgen, he discovered his love for boat building and took over a "boat building company" on the Old Danube in Vienna.

Due to economic difficulties, he tried his luck in South America in 1933, where there was a great demand for labour from Europe. This decision turned out to be a mistake. However, marked by hard labour and illness, he managed to save himself on a cargo ship that brought him back to Austria.

Back in Vienna, Engelbert Frauscher attempted a new start. With great craftsmanship, he built rowing and sailing boats, including two Olympic dinghies for the Austrian Sailing Club, which were used at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.

Turnaround after the Second World War

The shipyard went well until the Second World War broke out. In 1944, the workshop and his neighbouring home were badly damaged in a bombing raid. His 17-year-old son Kurt was drafted into the army at the end of the war and had been missing in action ever since. During the war, his wife Fanny and their two younger sons Ernst and Hans moved in with relatives in Geinberg. Engelbert Frauscher joined his family after the end of the war and left the shipyard in Vienna to his apprentice of many years.

Upper Austria was under American occupation at the time and the soldiers were very interested in the existing yacht club in Gmunden. They were looking for a boat builder who could take over the maintenance and repair of the boats.

And that's how it all began. Engelbert worked and slept in the Wicke shipyard in the Weyer district, where the Frauscher shipyard can still be found today.

After the occupying forces left, he was able to acquire the shipyard at a favourable price and expand it. His wife Fanny managed the finances and his two sons Ernst and Hans grew into the family business as the second generation. The rise began when Mr Jany sold his rowing boat rental business to Engelbert Frauscher and was able to obtain a start-up loan through connections.

The second generation

Ernst and Hans ran the boat hire business in the summer and worked on the first wooden electric boats. Two keel pullers from their own shipyard were added and a newly founded water ski school.

Hans, the youngest son, was an enthusiastic water skier, conquered titles in a row and impressed at home in Gmunden with his pyramid riding and barefoot riding.

Ernst and Hans both completed an apprenticeship in their father's company, which ran successfully with the first series production of rowing and wooden electric boats, as well as the first motorised boats "Fish" and "Starfish".

1964 A second boathouse was built and Hans Frauscher and his wife Dorothea founded their first sailing school. This was followed by a sales shop for sailing and motorboat accessories and sailing clothing.

1968 Ernst Frauscher built a large building directly on the lake with a workshop, shipyard, private flats and a sailing guesthouse, which was run by his wife Elisabeth.

1971 Hans decided to build the first polyester boats. A new era was dawning.

1972 the two brothers merged their companies and operated as Ernst and Hans Frauscher OHG. Hans was responsible for production, Ernst for sales and finance.

The legal ban End of the 70s for motorboats on Lake Traunsee in summer was initially a heavy blow, but proved to be the beginning of a new era. In the years that followed, thousands of small electric boats were sold.

Milestone for Frauscher

A new milestone in the company's history was the acquisition of the H-Boat licence from the Finnish Sailing Association in 1979. The popular boat was sold over 700 times and brought great sporting success with it. Hans Frauscher became world champion with this boat in 1982, as did his son Stefan in 2002. After the third generation shifted the focus back to motor and electric boats, the last H-boat was built in 2012. The moulds have since been sold to Saare Yachts in Estonia. "We are delighted that H-boats are once again being built on the basis of our moulds," says Michael Frauscher.

The third generation

In 1982, Michael, Hans' eldest son, joined the company as a qualified boat builder, followed in 1996 by his younger brother Stefan for sales and marketing and his cousin Andrea Frauscher-Oberfrank, who has been running the company as a GmbH & Co KG since 1993.

One generation, three focal points: Michael stands for design and product innovation, Stefan, often at the forefront of the company in terms of marketing and sales, and Andrea with the complementary range of services.

Andrea, Ernst's daughter, has been running the Frauscher harbour in Gmunden ever since, offering a wide range of services: berth hire, winter storage and flats, sale of accessories, maintenance and service and used boat sales.

Since the beginning of the new millennium, the models St. Tropez, Valencia, Lido, Riviera and Benaco The new electric and motor yachts set new trends in terms of innovation and design.

2008 Despite the economic crisis, the decision was made to build a new shipyard, which was opened in 2012. A modern shipyard was built in Ohlsdorf, which enabled the breakthrough into the world of luxury. The old shipyard building in Gmunden continues to be used as a winter storage and service centre.

In the same year, the location in Port Adriano on Mallorca is opened in order to prove that Frauscher motorboats are also suitable for rough water directly by the sea.

2010 the Frauscher 717 GT was launched as Powerboat of the Year excellent.

Since 2014 are Ludwig Nussbaumer, the Frauschers' long-standing tax consultant, Andreas Ahamer (Managing Director for Finance and Human Resources) and, since 2016 Florian Helmberger (authorised signatory in Sales & Marketing), three non-family members are also involved in Frauscher Bootswerft.

2016 the luxury yacht Demon 1414 takes another step from the lake to the sea. Over 70 units of this successful model have been built since then.

2019 A branch in Port Grimaud on the Cote d'Azur followed shortly afterwards, followed by a sales office in Miami, USA. Other important locations, e.g. on Lake Garda, in Switzerland, Canada or Dubai, etc. are covered by a stable and friendly dealer network.

Why Porsche works together with Frauscher

All development steps bring new success. This is honoured, most recently in 2024, when Frauscher won the prestigious Winner of the National Marketing Award in the "Manufacturing Industry" categoryafter working together with Porsche on a pioneering image project with professional marketing, the Frauscher X Porsche 850 Fantom Air.

"As an innovative family-run boatyard in Europe, we are constantly setting new standards in international boatbuilding with our premium motorboats, electric boats and yachts. Since 1927, we have been moving towards the future - with the courage to discover new territory," says Michael Frauscher.

Their success proves them right. With each new generation, they have been able to triple or quadruple their turnover. What is the recipe for success?

On the one hand, there are regional suppliers for stainless steel, joinery, saddlery or carbon fibre, some of whom have been relied on for decades.

In addition, the company traditionally builds according to demand, "just in time and on demand", so that large stocks are no longer necessary. This aspect would also save a lot of costs.

While the first and second generation still did a lot of the work themselves, more and more steps are now being outsourced. The hulls, for example, are supplied by a South Tyrolean company that actually specialises in swimming pools. "It's the same whether the water comes from outside or inside," says Michael Frauscher.

Shipyard works passionately and is family orientated

"The team at Frauscher Bootswerft is made up of long-serving employees who are passionate and dedicated to changing the world of boating. This commitment has already been confirmed by countless awards for Frauscher boats."

The fascination with the work and a good working atmosphere alleviate the shortage of skilled labour. The company also trains the next generation itself. Every year, three to four trainees are taken on and the best applicants can be selected. On average, there are ten applications for every three positions. It is obvious that family members sometimes work together, for example the daughter of a longstanding boat builder is a sales assistant.

Most of the applications came from the region and showed a great passion for carpentry and boat building. Electrical engineering specialists are still the hardest to find and are also currently advertised on the careers page of the company's website. On the pinboard, we discover a call to refer friends with the incentive of bonuses.

Corporate identity is also reflected in the Frauscher shirts worn by the entire team, including the bosses themselves. A clean and quiet working atmosphere in the shipyard halls with plenty of light and regular personal discussions ensure a pleasant and healthy working environment.

The new shipyard site in Ohlsdorf

Frauscher opened the new shipyard on a 35,000 square metre site in Ohlsdorf in 2012. In 2024, they will expand their production space there to meet the growing demand. With an investment of 4 million euros, the owners are sending a clear signal for the future and their commitment to top quality and innovation.

The extension provides a quarter of additional production space and there is still room for further expansion on the site.

Currently, 16 boats of different types are built there at the same time, which are assigned to fixed teams of two. In addition, there are trainees and specialists for individual work steps such as electrical engineering, painting or quality control.

Around 80 boats are manufactured there each year by employees in production. In addition to trained boat builders, the Ohlsdorf site currently also employs electrical engineers, painters, carpenters and mechanics, as well as administrative staff. In total, there are currently around 90 employees.

The change from the third to the fourth generation at Frauscher

Maximilian (33) and Georg (31), Michael Frauscher's two sons, and Johanna Frauscher (27), Stefan Frauscher's daughter, are the first representatives of the fourth generation to work in the company. They are well prepared and have been familiar with the family business since childhood.

There are other children in this generation, some of whom are still in education and gaining their first professional experience in other areas. According to the motto "First think outside the box and later continue the family business in a modern way with new ideas". Or not. And if so, then without pressure.

However, Maximilian, Georg and Johanna have now reached this stage. Internationalisation took place right from the start through exchange programmes, a year abroad and foreign languages. Curiosity, courage and self-confidence, structure and order, ambition and a pronounced competitive spirit as well as the spirit of the Frauscher family are tangible. Respect and humility too. Respect for the family business, the future areas of responsibility, the first-class boats and the employees.

The tasks of the new generation

You don't automatically become a managing director at Frauscher just because you have the Frauscher name, Michael explains in an interview with us and his son Georg. He is completing a trainee programme across production and development and would like to take over his father Michael's responsibilities in the management team in the future.

For his older brother Maximilian, it had always been clear that he wanted to join the family business. He has been working successfully in sales at the shipyard for years.

Johanna Frauscher will start in the shipyard's marketing department at the beginning of November. Like the other two, after completing her studies and gaining external experience.

Michael Frauscher wants to continue to be involved in the design and development process of new models; in addition, the location on Mallorca is of particular importance to him. Innovation, design and family spirit to keep Frauscher exciting in the future.