Q&A

GMT Composites’ David Schwartz

Carbon fiber experts take

on projects from masts

to telescopes, medical devices

David Schwartz is the president of GMT Composites, which specializes in working with carbon fiber and is located in Bristol, R.I. While marine applications make up more than half of GMT Composites’ business, the company has built telescope parts, medical devices, futuristic furniture, and even jewelry.

Question: What are some of the most challenging projects GMT has worked on to date?

David Schwartz answers: Most of our projects have engineering and construction challenges because they are new custom parts that will be used in diverse applications. Three projects stand out. The first was a new carbon rig that we designed and manufactured for a 125-foot sailboat. The mast itself was straightforward, but the owner wanted a two-person elevator to run from the deck to the top of the spar. Engineering the unit to run smoothly and safely might have been easy for Otis Elevator, but it was unique for GMT. On the non-marine side of things, we did a multi-antenna radio-telescope array for the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. The composite parts were very large and complex. They also could not expand or contract at all with changes in temperature. Getting the right mix of materials and fiber orientation was very complex, but we solved the puzzle and were named their best contractor on the project. Going back to the marine side, our development of the PowerFurl boom was quite a challenge. Existing designs from other manufactures all had limitations. We were able to solve all the problems and come up with a compact package that works at all points of sail.

Question: Where does Eric Goetz fit into the business today? Are you beyond the problems of the past?

David Schwartz: Although Eric was a founder of GMT, he sold his share of the company to us in 2000 in order to focus on his core business of boat building. We have not done any business with Goetz Boats since Eric left GMT 10 years ago. I assume that the “problems of the past” you mentioned refer to the two bankruptcies that Goetz Boats has gone through. I am happy to report that they actually never affected GMT. We have remained profitable and busy throughout this recession. Our diversification has allowed us to be highly successful throughout our 26 years in the business.

Question: What projects is GMT Composites working on now?

David Schwartz: We have a great mix of spar work and other carbon projects currently in construction. Our backlog is the best it has been in four years for this time of year. We are building a 95-foot-long carbon mast that will allow the mainsail to be furled inside it. For a Hylas 70, there is another PowerFurl Boom with in-boom furling two-thirds finished. On the other side of the size spectrum we just finished a seven-foot long radar pole and are just beginning a 28-foot mast for a sailboat. The light weight of this mast will allow the owner to quickly lift it into place and rig it for sailing. Also under construction is a teak-and-carbon dock extension system that will turn a 14-foot fixed dock into something effectively 35-foot long. Wetland protection rules prevented the fixed dock from being any longer and so it was unusable at anything but the lowest tides. On the non-marine side, we are building a series of sensor housings for Northrop Grumman, light carbon end of arm effectors for robotics applications and carbon pallets for handling large silicone wafers for a client in Singapore.

Question: The company now works with products ranging from medical devices to defense applications is intriguing. How did you begin branching out?

David Schwartz: GMT was founded in 1984. The company has always been very innovative; leading the way in designing with and processing pre-preg carbon fiber. My background, before joining GMT in 1990, was as an engineer developing new products and processes. It just seemed natural to reach out to industries outside the marine field where we could see that carbon parts could make an impact. GMT was able to offer composite parts of excellent quality much quicker and less expensively than larger aerospace-type companies could. This helped develop a niche where good performance leads to a long-term relationship with many customers, then their customers and sometimes even their other suppliers. Not all of this branching out was planned. For instance, our entry into the medical-device field occurred when we got a call from a boat owner who just happened to work for a medical company needing a carbon-fiber head frame for neurosurgery. He saw one of our spinnaker poles on a boat and found our contact information on the GMT logo on the pole.

Question: Are marine applications still the main focus of GMT?

David Schwartz: Although we work in many interesting fields, the recreational marine world is still where our hearts lie. For the last few years, the marine side of our business has accounted for 50 to 70 percent of sales. Most of the marine work is designing and building masts and booms for sailboats but we also do boarding systems for powerboats, electronic arches, rudders and other items that make boats lighter, faster and more fun.

Question: Are any production yachts using carbon spars, and is GMT providing any? If so, to what builders?

David Schwartz: Production offshore boats have been using carbon spars since around 1991 when we provided the first carbon rigs for the Hinckley Company. J-Boats is perhaps the best known U.S. company using carbon spars on many of their designs. We built hundreds of rigs for Freedom Yachts when they were building sailboats and we are currently providing carbon masts for the Hylas 70 which is up to hull number 10. Many builders offer carbon spars as an option and other sailors opt to upgrade their vessels with carbon spars down the road. GMT spars can also be found on boats built by Alden, Baltic, Concordia, C&C, Freedom, Lyman-Morse, Morris, Nautor Swan, Sabre, and Tartan among others.

Question: Has GMT done much work on multihulls?

David Schwartz: Multihulls can also benefit from lighter weight spars and appendages. Ultimate stability and safety is enhanced by getting weight out of the rig. GMT has produced spars for multihulls from 24 feet in length to 70 footers. We have also built replacement rudders, centerboards and daggerboards for multihulls over the years.

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