A wise person once said: "On the wrong path, every step forwards is a step backwards." Minnesota or Schleswig-Holstein? Ten thousand lakes or the Kiel Fjord? Lester had a choice: as a marketing man for medical products such as hearing aids and contact lenses, a huge step up the career ladder or a home game, i.e. the preparations for the IPO of Achterbahn AG. The winners were the smart little house in Emkendorf and the rollercoaster, which went on to write an almost unbelievable success story with the comics and films of Werner, the trainee plumber. The "Red Porsche Killer", a motorbike equipped with four Horex engines, is almost legendary today.
Werner and Achterbahn AG are soon history, but the idea of building a production-ready motorbike with a turbo diesel engine is not. Ex-Achterbahn colleague Philipp Hitzbleck founded the company Neander in 2003 and convinced Lutz W. Lester to become a co-partner. Together, the two of them got some really good engine people interested in their idea and presented the unique Neander motorbike in 2005. Resting on his laurels is not Lester's thing. So the idea of mounting the pioneering engine technology, which had been honoured by the Schleswig-Holstein Minister for Science, Economics and Transport, on a boat transom was almost inevitable.
Diesel outboards are real rarities. At the time, Yanmar was the "sole entertainer" with two models, but was not very successful in the long term. This was mainly due to the smooth running and the price. This meant that if the Neander engine was to establish itself on the market, it had to be significantly better and cheaper than its competitors. And being better worked. The fact is, however, that such an engine cannot be a bargain and is therefore of no interest to recreational skippers. The target group is inevitably commercial users such as cruise lines and authorities.
The road to success is paved by investors who are convinced by the project and clever minds such as Claus Bruestle, Rick Davis and Ulrich Wittwer (see BOOTE 2/13). Bosch, Davis Engineering, FEV, Selva, Steyr and, last but not least, Yanmar are also on the list of development supporters. The driving force is always Lutz W. Lester, who was honoured with the Seamaster Award in 2015. The award, presented by Delius Klasing Verlag and boot Düsseldorf, honours personalities who have made a special mark in water sports. The jury's reasoning: "It is thanks to Lester's commitment and determination that the Neander Shark - now the Dtorque 50 - a German diesel outboard motor has caused a worldwide sensation. Why Dtorque instead of Shark? The type designation combined with the number 111 was intended to represent the unusually high torque (torque) of 111 Nm. Not everyone outside Europe was able to make sense of this, which is why the new number 50, which refers to the engine's power (hp), was recently used to create clarity, particularly in the USA.
Now Lutz W. Lester, who has already handed over the chairmanship of Neander Motors AG to Björn Thomsen in 2021, is moving to the Supervisory Board as the company's Chief Operating Officer. Time for a few questions.
BOATS: Has Neander Motors been on the wrong track since signing the exclusive distribution agreement (2015) with Yanmar?
Lester: It was the right decision. The collaboration with Yanmar has supported the development of the engine to series maturity.
BOATS: How far has the development of your own distribution system progressed?
Lester:Under the direction of Joel Reid (responsible for sales), we have built up our own worldwide sales and dealer network, which will continue to grow.
BOATS: Is your sales strategy still aimed at commercial buyers, or do you also want to appeal to leisure captains with your current range?
Lester: Yes, falling manufacturing costs will also make the motor interesting for the leisure market in the future.
BOATS: At what price can the average boater buy the Dtorque 50 today?
Lester: The current sales price is 24,900 euros net.
BOATS: Are there any plans for the future to expand the Neander portfolio with new, more powerful motors?
Lester:Since 2020, we at Neander Motors have been working on the development of the new engines, which - and this is sensationally innovative - are a synthesis of twin-piston and monoblock technology (block and cylinder head are made from one piece; editor's note). Following the insolvency of Steyr (manufacturer of Neander engines until 2019; editor's note), the production halls are now at Yanmar-Italy. Selva is and will remain a supplier.
BOATS: What were your last trend-setting decisions as COO of Neander Motors AG?
Lester: My colleagues and I have relocated, i.e. moved to the Rathje shipyard in Kiel-Friedrichsort and created premises for the brand new Neander training and education centre. Administration, sales, distribution and company management are moving into their offices at Falklandstraße 1 in 24159 Kiel. ( www.neander-motors.com )
Conclusion: Lester's move to the Supervisory Board ensures that Neander Motors can continue to draw on his network. An invaluable advantage.
For Lutz W. Lester, the Supervisory Board is anything but a siding. He wants to and can organise his time more freely. First on his to-do list is a motorhome trip to the Rocky Mountains, combined with a family reunion at the legendary Burning Man Festival in the desert near Black Rock City in the US state of Nevada. Second on the to-do list of the 61-year-old young man from Kiel is involvement in the development of the Kool Kiel project, a completely new neighbourhood with a boarding house, offices and flats. Anyone who knows Lutz W. Lester knows that success is inevitable.
The article "Change effect" can be found in BOOTE issue 08/2022 from 13 July 2022 at newsstands, online directly in the Delius Klasing Shop - and already here.
