“Back in 2019, I was supposed to go for an important business meeting with senior representatives from HamiltonJet who had flown down from New Zealand. Unfortunately, this meeting coincided with the floods that occured in Palava, my hometown. Due to this tragic and unforeseen incident, I was unable to attend the meeting and they had to proceed without me. The very next day, I received an email from the CEO of HamiltonJet, inquiring about my well being and offering the support of team HamiltonJet. I was deeply touched by this gesture of humanity being extended to me. After all, I was just one of the many global distributors that service Hamilton Jet worldwide. They truly care about their people and consider all their partners to be an extension of their own team” — Shubham Kumar, Senior Manager BD & Jet Champion, Norinco Pvt. Ltd
From Humble Beginnings
Global leaders in the water jet industry, HamiltonJet was started back in 1942 by a small group of highly motivated individuals, led by a visionary gentleman named Sir William Hamilton. The company was first established as CWF Hamilton, originally located in Middleton, New Zealand. Initially, Hamilton was an agricultural equipment manufacturing company that built tractors, farming equipment and other heavy machinery, even helping out during the war effort with military equipment. Sir William Hamilton, a farmer and not an engineer by trade, had to frequently travel upstream from his home to Irishman Creek Station to tend to his agricultural land. In this daily travel, he would often encounter heavy currents in the river that made the travel both dangerous and difficult. Driven by a need to find a solution to this problem, Hamilton decided to put his ingenuity to work and used the ideas and principles of centrifugal pumps to design and develop the first ever Hamilton water jet systems, in his own backyard workshop. What began as a pet project, eventually transformed to become the primary source of business for Hamilton’s company. After the recession in 1983, HamiltonJet ceased operations of all agricultural machinery and other heavy equipment and began focusing solely on developing state-of-the-art water jet systems. Even today, HamiltonJet is a family owned company and its chairman of the board, Mike Hamilton, is a proud third generation business owner.
Mission Driven
HamiltonJet’s mission is to be the number one water jet company in the world. By competitive estimates, it already holds this coveted position. However, like every industry leader, HamiltonJet continues to believe there is always scope for improvement.
WATERJET DNA = CREATION + INNOVATION + EVOLUTION
This formula, displayed proudly across HamiltonJet’s corporate branding, effectively sums up their approach and dedication to constant innovation and continuous improvement. HamiltonJet’s core belief is that the performance of their product and the vehicle it drives is paramount and this performance is never compromised. The entire team is dedicated to understanding the specific challenges of each and every project they take on, ensuring that they only provide their services once they are absolutely convinced that their solutions will lead to enhanced performance for their customers, across the board.
Industries Serviced:
Over the years HamiltonJet has grown its operations to service a range of industries with their advanced marine propulsion systems. Here’s a quick glance:
Offshore industry — With oil exploration moving further offshore, crew supply and charter boats require large vessels to move their teams back and forth safely and efficiently.
Pilotboat industry — When bigger ships need to come into harbor, a local navigator guides these large vessels in busy harbours.
Search and rescue — A growing range of life rescue and safety boats such as coast guard and the fire department rely on Hamilton water jet propulsion systems to power their vessels.
Fire boats — The latest in technological innovation, these ‘fire engines on water’ will soon be coming to India. Designed, developed and equipped to fight fires effectively from the waters, these machines are life savers in places riddled with waterways.
Patrol and military — Built for patrolling and military applications, these boats are kept mission ready by Hamilton water jet propulsion and controls.
Offshore wind farming — Powering the service vessels carrying technicians for repair and upgradation work for offshore wind farms.
Ferry industry — Enabling reliable fast ferries built for speedy transports across short distances.
Fishing and Aquaculture — Fishing trawlers in the open seas and manmade Aquaculture farms across the world use Hamilton water jets for their daily operations.
Recreational and adventure — Driving the adrenalin rush for thrill seekers across parasailing, yachting, diving boats and many more water-based adventure sports.
Creating Value the HamiltonJet Way
HamiltonJet water propulsion systems and controls are trusted by customers the world over and with good reason. Designed with the fewest possible moving parts, most major components are found in-boat and out of harm’s way, making these systems extremely reliable. Using Hamilton water jets allows boats to be highly manoeuvrable, enabling side to side movements and 360 degree turns with minimal lateral drift. Optimising boats for speeds between 25 to 50 knots, Hamilton water jets are built to deliver best in class efficiency and unlike propeller systems with appendages in the water, these create no unwanted drag. With each and every part manufactured at the Christ church facility in New Zealand, Hamilton’s customers are assured of the highest quality, each and every time.
A Global Footprint
HamiltonJet has three regional offices namely Singapore, Europe and the Americas and works via a widespread distributor network. There are 55 distributors globally, spread across 55 countries, enabling them to service most countries with a sea border.
HamiltonJet in India
Hamilton’s tryst with India dates back to 1977 when Edmund Hillary had mounted an expedition to jet boat from the mouth of the Ganges to the base of the Himalayas. Known as the ‘Ocean to Sky’ expedition, a young Mike Hamilton was at the helm of the very boat that carried the legendary mountain climber on his way to summit Akash Parbat.
A Few of HamiltonJets Notable Projects in India:
Indian Navy: The Indian navy commissioned 14 attack craft vessels, fondly known as the Ferrari of the water, that were built from the period of 2007–2017. Each of these attack crafts were fitted with Hamilton waterjet propulsion and systems and this constituted Norinco’s first project with Team HamiltonJet in India.
Ministry of Home Affairs: Following the tragic 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, the MoHA commissioned the development of 120 coastal security police boats, each being powered by two Hamilton waterjets.
Lakshadweep Corporation: Hamilton water jets also fuel the ferries that are the lifeline between Lakshadweep and mainland India, commissioned by the Lakshadweep corporation.
HamiltonJet & Norinco
In early 2015, the Indian Navy was plagued by constant defects, with many of their vessels reporting consistent failures in their water jet systems. The local partners HamiltonJet had on board at the time were unable to decipher the root cause of the problem, causing repeated complaints by the naval representatives. That’s when Norinco was recommended to team Hamilton and after a year long vetting period, we were brought on board as the exclusive partners in India. With a lot of dedicated due diligence and exhaustive research, our in-house team of experts were able to identify the problem areas and deliver the necessary solutions. The efficiency of our efforts during this project earned Hamilton back a happy customer and earned the Norinco team accolades and repeated recommendations from the Indian Navy. At any given point, we have 5–6 dedicated engineers across different locations for HamiltonJet and through our efforts over the last few years, we have been instrumental in increasing the number of inquiries for HamiltonJet in India threefold.
Working with Team Hamilton
Having worked closely with HamiltonJet for a few years now, we are proud to call them our partners. A highly organised and motivated team, this company treats their people and partners like family. We’ve come to truly appreciate their depth of knowledge and breadth of expertise, which is complemented wonderfully by the trust and faith they place in all their partners. Sharing a common goal of providing the best quality of service possible to the customer, makes our work with these global pioneers a constant delight.
Looking Ahead With The Latest Technology
Today HamiltonJet boasts more than 60,000 units of waterjets in operation across the globe. Recent tech advancements have led to the development of a new control system called AVX
that will replace all existing control systems, resulting in an upgrade for all their customers. The R&D team at Hamilton has also been busy developing a hybrid propulsion system, EHX (Electro-Hybrid Drive), that is a revolutionary mix of the petrol engine and electric motors. Additionally, the new HTX series of waterjets that has recently been launched is the culmination of extensive research and rigorous testing, incorporating new hydrodynamics, and more refined materials to deliver performance like never before. HamiltonJet has also launched The JETanchor positioning system that will allow marine operators more accurate station keeping with a significant reduction in operator workload. We look forward to working with Team HamiltonJet to bring these transformational products to the Indian customer.
