RAYMOND – In order to keep up with production growth, Raymond’s Sabre Yachts, has been hiring four or five new associates every month for the past six months, said Sabre’s chief operating officer, Aaron Crawford.

Sabre Yachts, a manufacturer of high-end boats, has also redesigned a model that will debut in Miami in February, Crawford said.

“Several of our new models have been well received coming out of the economic downturn,” Crawford said, including the Sabre 54 Salon Express and Fly Bridge model that was redesigned this year.

“We redesigned the interior and redesigned the deck for that model,” which was released in August and slightly more modern than some of Sabre’s other boats, Crawford said.

The nearly 54-foot motor yacht has many new unique features and design elements. It is the largest of the Salon Express line that will debut at the Miami International Boat Show this winter, Crawford said. According to product specs provided on Sabre’s website, the boat is 53 feet, 2 inches long, and features headroom of 6 feet, 7 inches.

“The talented craftspeople in the Lakes Region are a key ingredient to our success,” said Crawford. “We are very fortunate to have this resource.”

“Some of the hiring has been due to increased volume on our current lines,” Crawford said. Sabre Yacht also constructs smaller versions of the Salon Express, ranging from 38 feet to the new model.

“We have been hiring pretty consistently over the last six months. Right now, we have five more positions to fill . . . and will be hiring again the beginning of next year,” and as the economy continues to improve, Crawford said.

Not all of the new hires will work on the Salon Express production line. However, ramping up the hiring process throughout the past six months “supports the increase of labor demands by having this line running,” he said.

In Raymond, Sabre Yachts has 142 employees. Crawford said since the company is returning to pre-recession employment levels, Sabre is able to focus on building new models of its luxury motor boats.

“As [the economy] has gotten better, we had new product to market, which has enabled us to be in the position we’re in,” Crawford said. According to its website, however, Sabre is not building any of its sailing models.

“While demand for sailboats has remained weak throughout the market, and is still well below recession levels, the demand for our power boats has never been stronger,” the website reads. “Sabre’s motor yacht business, along with our sister company Back Cove Yachts’ models, have made substantial market share gains over the last five years. Our staffing levels have returned to 2010 levels, and our volume of shipments is nearing pre-recession levels.”

After planning the new Salon Express product line for about a year, construction of the 54-footer took six months to craft from beginning to end, said Peter Jenkins, Sabre’s woodshop supervisor.

“What’s really important about this boat is that we were able to bring on more staff and do the training we needed for our newer associates,” Jenkins said.

According to Jenkins, one of the most incredible features of the 54 Salon Express is the cabinet joinery details that were custom-built at the Sabre yard in Raymond from sustainably harvested, domestically-sourced American cherry timber.

A standard feature of the cockpit is a retractable awning, according to product specs provided by Crawford. The 54 Salon Express will also be the first production boats fitted with a Volvo IPS 950 engine that will produce a cruise speed in the 20-knot range and a top speed of 30 knots.

The galley of the boat includes upscale fixtures and appliances that are seamlessly integrated into the rest of the galley with cherry door panels, Jenkins said.

“We are trying to cater to [customers], and take care of all of the customer’s needs,” Jenkins said.

The hull of the Sabre 54 Salon Express that was used in the redesign of the boat by Sabre Yachts.