Yacht building and yacht trading are just two areas of Josef Meltl's extensive life's work. After his death, the "self-made man" from Rimsting on Lake Chiemsee left behind a whole conglomerate of extremely successful companies in various sectors, including Yachten Meltl. The yacht centre in Bernau, also on Lake Chiemsee, is the exclusive sales partner of Bavaria Yachtbau for southern Germany, Austria and Croatia with bases throughout Europe.
The connection to Bavaria is no coincidence. In the mid-1980s, Josef Meltl from Chiemgau bought into the yacht builders in Giebelstadt and became a partner of the then shipyard boss and owner Winfried Herrmann. The Herrmann/Meltl duo turned the shipyard near Würzburg into one of the largest and most successful yacht builders in the world. In 2007, Josef Meltl and his wife Dorothea sold their shares in Bavaria. With the proceeds, Meltl turned his attention to other, new projects, investing in large-scale agricultural enterprises and a North Sea wind farm, for example. He also continued to expand his yacht centre in Bernau, which he opened in 2002.
Josef Meltl started out in 1968 with his own boat hire company on Lake Chiemsee. Back then, he chartered out small cabin cruisers for family trips. When his charter customers wanted their own boats a year later, the young entrepreneur took over a Lis and later a Neptun agency. Meltl also sold dinghy cruisers and centreboard boats.
Josef Meltl was not only a very successful and committed businessman, but also a caring family man. Alongside his wife Dorothea, his twin daughters Manuela and Christine and their families mourn the loss of their father and grandfather.
