HamiltonJet, a leader in marine propulsion technology, opened an 8,000 sq. ft. factory extension in Christchurch, New Zealand, increasing its manufacturing footprint and boosting production capacity by 40 percent. The expansion strengthens HamiltonJet’s ability to serve its international customer base across commercial, defense, and green-energy sectors.
Founded on the same site in the 1950s, HamiltonJet has grown from pioneering beginnings to become a world leader in waterjet propulsion systems. Today, its products operate in more than 70 countries, and are used in navies, coastguards, commercial ferries, windfarm support vessels, and hybrid craft.
HamiltonJet Managing Director Ben Reed noted that the facility comes at a time of increasing global demand. “With 97 percent of our products sold overseas, this positions HamiltonJet to respond quickly to market opportunities, including growing demand in defense, hybrid marine technology, and windfarm support.
“We offer 18 different sizes of waterjets, ranging from small 80kg units to large 8-ton jets, meeting the needs of patrol boats, landing craft, ferries, and hybrid vessels. Our offering is unique in that we design, cast, machine, fabricate, paint, and assemble our waterjets entirely in-house,” said Reed.
The new facility incorporates dedicated production lines for both small and large waterjets, purpose-built with LED lighting, solar panels, and heat-recovery systems. The layout has been optimized for lean, linear manufacturing, enabling faster assembly, reduced lead times, and greater flexibility to meet complex customer specifications.
Looking ahead at 2026, HamiltonJet plans to open a new office facility on the Christchurch site and has space for another factory of the same size, ensuring it can continue to scale production efficiently as demand grows.