WHEN Covid-19 caused the shipyard in Pasir Gudang in Johor Bahru to close for 12 weeks in 2021, it might have sounded like a death knell for bespoke ship builder Grand Banks Yachts.

Without the yard, there was no way for the mainboard-listed company to continue work on its current orders – let alone take on new ones.

But it turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Grand Banks, chief executive officer Mark Richards said. With the shipyard closed, the company had time to take a closer look at its processes, and retool itself for better efficiency.