This weekend: Hovercraft Maker Enjoys Global Spotlight

Last April, when Bubba's Hover took the world by storm, Neoteric president Chris Fitzgerald was featured on Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick. 

The show was such a success that it's being rebroadcast this weekend as part of the channel's Special 2013 Look Back Show. In case you missed it in April, here's the programming schedule so you can still get the inside scoop!

Happy Holidays from Neoteric!

All of us on the Neoteric team hope you're having the best of the holiday season - just like Joey Meyers, the Official Hovercraft Training Centers HoverPup - and we wish you a Happy New Year! 

But why not make it a Happy Neo Year by treating yourself to a Hovercraft Training Centers Test Flight in a Neoteric Hovercraft?

Photos courtesy Gary Meyers

Read more about Joey, the HTC HoverPup ...

World’s leading research institutes use Neoteric hovercraft

We’re honored to announce that a Neoteric commercial hovercraft is now being utilized by several of the world's highest-ranking research institutes.

Brokered by China Haipai Hovercraft, Ltd., the leading aquaculture and marine science institutions in China have purchased a 4-passenger Neoteric HoverTrek™ to use in research operations. These include Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Shanghai Ocean University, the Ministry of Agriculture Ocean Fisheries Training Center, the China Fisheries Network, and the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences.

Through Hovercraft Training Centers, Neoteric President Chris Fitzgerald traveled to Qingdao, China the week of Nov. 20 to conduct hovercraft pilot and maintenance training at Yellow Seas Fisheries Research Institute.

Trainees and business associates gather to discuss their flight training progress. From left: Dr. Yuan Wei, translator Eliza, Wang Wei, Dr. Wu Qiang, Huang Xiaogang, Ma XiuFen (Qingdao Biology Trading Co. Ld.), an unidentified Qingdao Biology Trading Co. Ltd. designer, China Haipai Hovercraft Service Engineer Mr. Lu and Zhou Dayang Zhou (Qingdao Biology Trading).

Trainees at Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute receive their hovercraft pilot certificates. From left: Wang Wei, translator Eliza, trainees Dr. Luan Qingshan, Dr. Wang Xinliang, Sun Jianqiang, Dr. Wu Qiang, instructor Chris Fitzgerald, and Huang Xiaogang.

We're confident these adept new pilots and their hovercraft will further their institutions' valuable contributions.

See the flight training photo gallery ...

Ukraine's first Neoteric Hovercraft Golf Cart

Superior Golf and Spa Resort in Kharkov, Ukraine - proud owners of their nation's very first Neoteric Hovercraft Golf Cart - takes their craft for a trial run over greens and water hazards. Full back story and lots of photos coming soon!

Neoteric Hovercraft rides & tours in south Florida

All Florida Watersports, Inc. on Marco Island, Florida, specializes in WaveRunner and parasailing experiences. But they were looking for something to spice up their business – and a Neoteric Hovercraft filled the bill.

Owner Ryan Peacock says, “We were looking for something a bit different. We started looking on the web, and there you guys were – something to do other than WaveRunners and typical boat rentals.”

All Florida Watersports’ Neoteric Hovertrek™ on Marco Island

After ordering a 6-passenger Neoteric commercial hovercraft, Ryan and his coworkers learned to fly and maintain their craft at Hovercraft Training Centers. As he said, “The first step is to know what a hovercraft does and how it operates.”

Ryan Peacock (2nd from left), and his crew complete HTC training with instructor Steve Stafford (3rd from left).

After their training, the team was were impressed with the Hovertrek’s ease of operation, it’s maneuverability, and the smoothness of its transitions: “It’s just incredible how there’s no transition; from land to water you don’t feel a thing – it’s amazing!”

The Neoteric Hovertrek™ flies safely and easily over most any surface.

Ryan says their new hovercraft will add a whole new dimension to their business. “We’re going to do commercial rides and tours. Now we’ll be able to land on beaches and islands. It’s just a completely different niche that’s never been done here.”

It isn’t easy for an amphibious vehicle to impress a group of guys who have been in the waterbound tourist trade for 25 years, who say they “eat, drink and sleep watersports” … but the Neoteric Hovertrek™ certainly did. Just imagine how their customers are going to react!

See how you react: Take a Neoteric hovercraft Test Flight at Hovercraft Training Centers.

And read more comments from our commercial hovercraft customers.

Jumping on the Hovercraft Bandwagon

Not long ago, hovercraft were not widely known. Then Bubba’s Hover took the world by storm, and now everyone seems to be jumping on the hovercraft bandwagon. As they say, ‘Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” – but the important word to keep in mind here is ‘imitation!’

Even reputable companies like Fiat are trying to create their own public relations storm by ‘hovering’ on the coattails of the Bubba phenomenon. This week, the MSC Divina cruise ship arrived in Miami, escorted by a fleet of “Fiat 500 Hovercraft” …

Image courtesy www.adelaidenow.com.au

But wait – those Fiats are in no way hovercraft. A hovercraft is “a member of the air cushion vehicle (ACV) family that flies above the earth's surface on a cushion of air, powered by an engine that provides both the lift cushion and the thrust for forward or reverse movement.”

On the contrary, these vehicles appear to move across water like a boat, with a propeller or water jet stuck underneath them - making them no more like a hovercraft than a motorboat is like a hovercraft. Go ahead and call them ‘personal watercraft’ – but they are not hovercraft. It’s kind of like calling a canoe a hot air balloon!

Watch the video – would you call these hovercraft?

And then there’s the GolfBoard™  – not related to hovercraft but probably inspired by Bubba’s Hover. A Kickstarter campaign recently reached its funding goal to produce an electric skateboard golf cart. 

GolfBoard™ image

The upside? This kind of publicity helps increase awareness of legitimate hovercraft – which have apparently triggered a burst of creativity!

And at least these companies haven't carried their imitation to extremes and directly pirated the Neoteric Hovercraft like those in the Hovercraft Ripoff Report

Fiberglass Laminator job openings at Neoteric

Here’s another chance to join the team Bubba Watson and NYC's Thinkmodo chose to build Bubba’s Hover: Neoteric is adding to our staff of Fiberglass Laminators. Experience is preferred, but we will train the right applicants.

We’re looking for team players with a strong work ethic and a dedication to maintaining quality while improving efficiency. You must be able to lift 50 lbs. and work on your feet an entire workday.

The ideal applicant will have experience in:

·         Hand lamination

·         Fiberglass repair

·         Tooling and mold fabrication

·         Wet sanding and buffing

·         Lean manufacturing (Kaizen)

If you would like to help build the world’s original and most innovative light hovercraft, please complete our online application, or email your cover letter, resume and references to hovermail@neoterichovercraft.com.

The Neoteric Hovercraft Golf Cart: “Magnificent! We love it!”

The Neoteric Hovercraft Golf Cart is a huge hit in Las Vegas, as a showcased product at the 2013 Caesars Palace Great Gift Wrap Up. In the video clip below, Great Gift Wrap Up attendees Nancy and Frank D’Amico typify people’s reaction to this innovative vehicle - even if they aren’t golfers …

It's a vehicle like no other. As Caesars Palace says, "This is the first time a "jackpot" item is up for grabs: a Neoteric Hovercraft Golf Cart, an exact replica of the BW1 hovercraft golf cart Neoteric designed for Masters Champion Bubba Watson. As one of few built in the world, think of it as an ultra-modern golf cart - on steroids. Behind the wheel, be the James Bond of the golf course, as it effortlessly glides over fairway grass, water, sand traps and ice."

But as the D'Amicos quickly recognized, the Neoteric Hovercraft Golf Cart gives you an incredible drive even if you never swing a golf club. It complies with all U.S. Coast Guard standards and can be flown on any waters, snow or ice worldwide. What other golf cart can you use for river cruising, island hopping, ice fishing, snowmobiling and even surfing across mudflats? This is the one and only.

Fiberglass Supervisor job opening at Neoteric

For five decades, Neoteric has been known worldwide for innovation in technology and artistry in design. Each Neoteric HoverTrek™ is a fusion of advanced technologies and skilled, hands-on workmanship. We’re now seeking a Fiberglass Supervisor to add to our team of accomplished craftspeople.

The ideal candidate will have hands-on fiberglassing experience at a high-end boat or aircraft factory. This position offers a competitive salary as well as health, vision and dental insurance with a rapidly growing and renowned international company with clientele in more than 50 nations.

If you meet the requirements below and would like to be an important member of the team that Bubba Watson chose to build Bubba’s Hover, please complete our online application, or email your cover letter, resume and references to hovermail@neoterichovercraft.com.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Independently manage day-to-day operations in the fiberglass shop, and to do all needed fiberglass handwork
• Eliminate waste; increase capabilities and efficiencies
• Foster a positive work environment
• Develop standards and training for new and current employees
• Ensure employee compliance with all company policies, standards and lean manufacturing methods
• Devise and implement manufacturing strategies to ensure goals are met
• Review and evaluate processes with engineering department
• Create teamwork and foster positive attitudes
• Ensure quality throughout manufacturing processes

Qualifications:

• Extensive hands-on fiberglass manufacturing experience: repair, gel coating, lamination, mold building and repair, design and build plugs, composite and polyester
• Past training / apprenticeship in fiberglass fabrication
• 5+ years in a supervisory position
• Experience in lean manufacturing (Kaizen)
• Ability to oversee and manage technicians
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills
• Solid computer skills
• Leadership, teamwork, and communication skills

To learn more about Neoteric Hovercraft, Inc., visit our web site …

Web Developer job opportunity at Neoteric Systems, LLC

Neoteric Systems, LLC is a division of Neoteric Hovercraft focused on cloud and web-based solutions. We’re expanding our team to include a Web Developer with a strong development skillset and the ability to work independently on a diverse range of projects. As our new team member, you will play a crucial role in the shaping of this division and subsequent products in an industry with exponential growth. This opportunity provides a stable environment to develop cutting-edge products with significant career advancement.

The Web Developer will work closely with the Neoteric team, including engineers, production supervisors, marketing staff and other personnel. Neoteric Systems develops ground-breaking products aimed at solving complex problems with web-based technologies. Existing solutions may be extended or new solutions pioneered depending on market requirements.

Starting salary is commensurate with experience and can be quickly increased based on your abilities and division success. Neoteric maintains a casual etiquette for employee comfort and practicality and offers an excellent benefit package including health insurance, paid holidays and vacations, and sick leave.

Primary responsibilities include:

·         Review and optimize existing code base

·         Improve database optimization and integrity

·         Research and integrate existing solutions

·         Test products with and gather feedback from end users

·         Work with Neoteric personnel to develop scalable, secure, and stable solutions to complex problems

·         Draft requirements and technical/end user documentation

·         Administrate workstations and servers in backup capacity

·         Define and execute project planning and estimates to meet requirements 

Qualifications:

·         B.S. in Computer Science/Software Engineering or equivalent work experience

·         Experience working with end users

·         Able to work with common editors, i.e. Adobe Dreamweaver and Microsoft Visual Studio

·         Able to work independently on a variety of requirements

·         Ability to solve new and existing technical challenges

·         Able to work with third party solutions and APIs

·         Considers security, scalability, and stability of integration techniques and methodology

·         Proficient with XHTML, CSS, and JavaScript/JQuery/Prototype integration

·         Experience in common web-based languages required (PHP/C#)

·         Experience with database development required (MySQL/MSSQL, functions/stored procedures)

·         Experience with content management systems and frameworks preferred

·         Familiarity with XML/XSL and web technologies (JSON/SOAP/REST) preferred

·         Familiarity with version control systems preferred

·         Familiarity with model-view-controller methodology preferred

·         Experience with server technology (Linux/Windows Server/Apache) preferred

·         Technical documentation experience preferred

·         1 to 3 years’ experience preferred 

To apply, please send cover letter, resume and references to:

Email: Ryan@NeotericHovercraft.com

Fax: (812) 234-3217

Caesars Palace? Ukraine? Never a dull moment at Neoteric!

This week we've posted job openings for a Purchasing Agent and a Web Developer at Neoteric – with more job postings to come. 

But why would you want to work at Neoteric? Well, saying “Never a dull moment” doesn’t really capture it. As a couple of examples, Neoteric President Chris Fitzgerald and Vice President of Marketing Filip Przybysz recently returned from Ukraine, where they trained personnel at Superior Golf & Spa Resort to fly their new Neoteric Hovercraft Golf Cart – the first one in Ukraine. (Full story & photos coming soon!)

Custom decals decorated Superior Golf & Spa’s hovercraft golf cart before shipping to Ukraine.

And Filip is in Las Vegas this week, showcasing the Neoteric Hovercraft Golf Cart at the Flamingo Casino in the Caesars Palace Great Gift Wrap Up for high rollers – where a $1 million dollar cash prize will be given away. Stay tuned for lots more about this event as well!

The Caesars Palace Hovercraft Golf Cart undergoes final performance testing before shipment to Las Vegas.

It’s all in a day’s work at Neoteric! Check our blog and website often for more job opportunities and more details about Neoteric’s latest adventures – and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Purchasing Agent job opening at Neoteric Hovercraft

Here’s your chance to work for the world’s original light hovercraft manufacturer, with customers in more than 50 nations – and join the team who created the world-famous BW1 Hovercraft Golf Cart for Bubba Watson.

We’re currently seeking a Purchasing Agent for our Terre Haute, Indiana headquarters. This is a career opportunity with significant growth potential and Neoteric offers a competitive salary along with health, vision and dental insurance.

If you meet the requirements below and would like to bring your skills to the Neoteric team, please email your cover letter, resume and references to hovermail@neoterichovercraft.com.

High power, low weight aircraft engines, stored in the Neoteric engine bay, await installation.
The purchasing agent will be responsible for ordering all hovercraft components.

Primary responsibilities include:

·         Prepare purchase orders; verify specifications/prices; obtain recommendations from suppliers for substitutions; obtain approval from requisitioning department

·         Forward orders to suppliers; monitor and expedite orders

·         Monitor and analyze pricing for cost control

·         Verify receipt of orders; resolve errors in shipments

·         Process returns and outgoing shipments

·         Manage relations and communications with a large number of vendors

·         Manage inventory

·         Manage filing system

·         Collect, record and document parts information

Desired qualifications:

·         Experience in purchasing

·         Lean manufacturing experience

·         Inventory management experience

·         Computer skills

·         Arithmetic skills

·         Able to handle multiple priorities simultaneously

·         Communication skills

·         Strong negotiation skills

·         Motivated self-starter

·         Neat and orderly

To learn more about Neoteric Hovercraft, Inc., visit our web site …

and check back for more job openings to be posted this week.

The Perfect Cure for Cabin Fever

It’s that time of year when outdoor lovers start dreading winter … that is, outdoor lovers who don’t have a hovercraft – who are getting ready to stow away their jet skis, boats, kayaks, canoes and ATVs and then hope for some snowmobile weather.

But you don’t need this whole fleet of vehicles when you have a hovercraft – it’s the only all-in-one, four-season recreational vehicle that replaces them all. What a way to save a bundle of money and guarantee year-round fun!

In a hovercraft, you fly smoothly over land; swift water; shallow or flooded or frozen rivers; sandbars; swampland; mud; snow; and even thin or broken ice – rising above it all on a cushion of air. Hovercraft are not only safer and more fuel-efficient than boats; they’ll take you places that boats and other recreational vehicles just can’t go.

A Neoteric hovercraft flies over thin and broken ice on St. Petersburg Harbor in Russia. 

Why not find out for yourself? Take a Test Flight on a Neoteric hovercraft at Hovercraft Training Centers and experience the greatest way on earth for an outdoor lover to dump the winter doldrums.

And why not beat the budget blues at the same time: Check out the Neoteric Trade-in Showroom for great deals on recreational hovercraft.

 

Hovercraft Mean Business

Say “hovercraft” and the first word that comes to most people’s minds is “fun.” But hovercraft are much more than that. Besides saving lives in rescue operations, Neoteric hovercraft are used throughout the world in a wide variety of critical commercial operations - including oil spill cleanup, environmental restoration, gold mining, mosquito control, wildlife conservation and commercial fishing.

All these uses have one common factor: these Neoteric commercial hovercraft are all expertly operated and maintained by pilots trained at Hovercraft Training Centers.

As one example, meet James Walker, an HTC-trained commercial hovercraft pilot for Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co., the largest provider of dredging services in the U.S. 

Here, James Walker and his team learn to conduct a preflight inspection during their HTC training,

adjusting rudders for maximum precision during flight.

James’ training and GLLD’s Neoteric hovercraft soon proved their value in an environmental restoration project on Pelican Island, a key barrier island off the coast of Louisiana. Pelican Island, one of American’s richest fisheries, is crucial for protecting Louisiana citizens and property against storm surges, but it has one of the highest rates of wetlands loss in the world.

“If one block of New York City disappeared every hour, the nation would be outraged,” states Louisiana Congressman Cedric Richmond. “Well, Louisiana loses a football field of wetlands every hour, which is crippling the state and the nation. It affects our seafood supply, gas and oil reserves, and storm protection. Reversing this trend is a critical national priority.”

With the help of James and GLDD’s Neoteric Hovercraft, the Pelican Island project is creating more than 580 acres and 3 miles of new dunes and marshland for the people of Louisiana.

Read more about James and other HTC-trained commercial hovercraft pilots

… and you’ll never again think of hovercraft as just for fun.

Russian hovercraft counterfeiters: Air Wing and MosHovercraft

It’s long been said that ‘Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.’ If that old saying is true, then Neoteric should be flattered, since the Hovertrek™ is becoming one of the most copied hovercraft in the world.

The problem, however, is that knockoffs of Rolex watches are one thing; counterfeit products that threaten consumer safety are an entirely different matter. Particularly since hovercraft are increasingly used in rescue operations, counterfeit hovercraft pose a serious threat to the lives of first responders and to the lives of those they are tasked to save.

In the past we’ve reported the offenses of Hi Tech International S.r.l. of Gorgonzola, Italy. Now two Russian companies have joined HTI’s dubious rank: Air Wing (aka Production Company MSK and 000 Aeroslava) and MosHovercraft Group (aka Globatek Group JSC). Counterfeiting is becoming an increasing problem in Russia: a Russian Interior Ministry investigation estimates that up to a third of everything sold to consumers in Russia is counterfeit. 

The offenses committed by Air Wing and MosHovercraft include:

Industrial and economic espionage; theft of technology and trade secrets: Air Wing counterfeited the patented Neoteric Hovertrek™ and is using the model name “Niaterek” to market their pirated hovercraft. MosHovercraft is selling illegally “restyled” copies of the Hovertrek™.

Illegal copies of the Neoteric Hovertrek™ in production at Air Wing’s assembly facility in Russia.

Intellectual property infringement: The Air Wing and MosHovercraft websites and promotional efforts contain material plagiarized from the copyrighted Neoteric website.

Screenshot of a MosHovercraft website page, with numerous photos plagiarized from the Neoteric website.

Neoteric and our licensed agent in Russia, Christy Hovercraft, are diligently working with Russian governmental officials to curtail the illegal actions of these companies. In the meantime, we advise all potential hovercraft buyers to meticulously research companies to be certain you’re purchasing from the original, reputable, experienced manufacturer and not a counterfeiter. Your life could depend upon it.

For complete information, read the World Hovercraft Organization’s Ripoff Reports:

Air Wing Ripoff Report

MosHovercraft Ripoff Report

Hovercraft: Fly Before You Buy

How many people buy a car before they learn how to drive? Even as a licensed driver, would you buy a car without taking it out for a demo? Of course you wouldn’t. 

That’s why Neoteric has a “Fly Before You Buy” policy: We highly recommend that anyone considering purchasing a hovercraft first enroll in a flight training course on a Neoteric craft at Hovercraft Training Centers. Here’s an example of the benefits of this approach …

Rusty Roush, a CPA from Amarillo, Texas, was considering a career change. He was familiar with hovercraft, but the Bubba’s Hover video piqued his interest, so he contacted Neoteric, explaining, “I’m trying to see if it’s something that’s fun and easy to learn, and what business applications it might have.” Roush took advantage of Neoteric’s “Fly Before You Buy” policy and enrolled in Hovercraft Training Centers’ Standard Training Course: 

After a morning of classroom instruction, instructor Chris Fitzgerald trains Roush to conduct a thorough preflight inspection.

Fitzgerald, in the pilot seat, shows Roush how easily the Neoteric Hovertrek™ transitions from land to water.

Roush, now at the controls, learns how to operate the patented reverse thrust buckets that give the Hovertrek™ its incomparable maneuverability.

Back at headquarters, Roush (center), accompanied by his wife Debbie, accepts his hovercraft pilot certification.

Even though Roush was impressed by the Neoteric hovercraft and by his training course, he and his wife were uncertain that a hovercraft was right for them. For one reason, “We don’t have a lot of water in Amarillo,” he said. “It’s not like here, where you can just bop over to the river. I guess I’m just exploring …”

And that’s exactly the right reason to enroll in hovercraft training: to explore – and to save money, as well. If you decide a hovercraft is right for you, Neoteric will deduct the cost of your HTC training course from the purchase price. If not, you’ve invested very little for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure that enables you to make an informed decision!

Learn more at Hovercraft Training Centers

HudsonMOD features Neoteric HoverGolf™ Cart

The tsunami of publicity about Bubba’s Hover rushes on. The Neoteric HoverGolf™ Cart is featured this month in HudsonMOD, a luxury lifestyle magazine that prides itself on treating its New York City readers to “the best the world has to offer” …

HudsonMOD

September 2013

THE WOW – You know you want it

Neoteric HoverGolf™ Cart

A video that could have been taken on any golf course shows your run-of-the-mill golf cart winding down a paved pathway. But suddenly, a larger cart flashes across the screen. Never mind that the driver of this floating golf cart is none other than 2012 Masters champion Bubba Watson, who deadpans with a nonchalant stare back at a gawking golfer. The golfer looks like he’s seen something he can’t very well explain. Yes, that’s a hovercraft on the links. Welcome to the future.

What started as a clever marketing stunt earlier this year by Thinkmodo to drive interest to Bubba Watson’s promotional deal with Oakley has had another, truly astonishing, effect. Since being uploaded to YouTube, the video “Bubba’s Hover” has gone viral, receiving more than eight million views thus far and garnering worldwide media attention for Neoteric, the manufacturers of rescue, military and commercial hovercrafts - and now the first hovercraft golf cart on the planet, the BW1. 

“Since the viral video hit YouTube, we’ve been deluged with inquiries from all over the world,” says Filip Przybysz, an executive at Neoteric. The prototype bearing Watson’s initials has given rise to 100 limited-edition HoverGolf carts that are custom manufactured at the close of each sale. “At this point, we have shipped the first order and are in the process of shipping the second to customers in the US,” he says.

One of the recipients of the accommodating four-passenger, two-golf-bag, 65-horsepower vehicle is the Windy Knoll Golf Club, in Springfield, OH, which recently became the first golf course in the US to purchase two $58,000 hovercrafts with lift-up roofs and the latest noise-reducing fan technology. But why wait for your local golf course to follow suit with futuristic rides? You could be piloting a cushion of air across water hazards in no time with your very own personal hovercraft.

Finally, a reason to smile about spraying a shot: You get to drive in a BW1 to find the ball. The future has arrived. Score!

Learn more at hovercrafttraining.com and facebook.com/HovercraftTraining

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As the article says, “Why wait for your local golf course to offer futuristic rides?”  Sign up right now for a Hovercraft Test Flight or Training Course in a Neoteric Hovercraft at Hovercraft Training Centers!

Enjoy a few photos of the Neoteric HoverGolf™ Cart in action ... 

Bubba Watson flies the BW1 during the filming of Bubba's Hover at the Raven Golf Club in Phoenix, Arizona.

The BW1 flies over sandtraps at an Oakley charity event held at the Heritage Club in Mason, Ohio.

At another Oakley charity event, the BW1 captures attention at the Four Bridges Country Club in Liberty Township, Ohio.

At the Four Bridges Country Club - or at any golf course - water hazards are no obstacle for the Neoteric Hovercraft Golf Cart.

The BW1 was filmed at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, NJ, with NBC's Matt Lauer and Al Roker at the controls.