Delivering on a shared commitment to innovation, collaboration, and the highest quality, Newport Yacht Builders leverages 50-plus years of relevant marine-industry experience in every project. Jim Thompson, Ezra Smith, and Ashley Reville Hill provide design, build, and project management, giving clients a seamless experience in new build and yacht refit from concept through delivery. As proprietors of independent businesses, the three worked together on multiple projects for many years in an association formalized as Newport Yacht Collaborative (2019) and subsequently Newport Yacht Builders.

Marine and residential design. Specialties include space planning/reconfiguring. New build, refit and renovation work. Artistic spatial representations and renderings.

-Develop form, space and human factors studies through hand sketching, computer modeling and mock-ups.-Prepare presentation drawings and conceptual renderings for approval by clients.-Create detailed AutoCad construction drawings for builders. Interact directly with clients, builders and suppliers around the world.-Notable projects include: -Lead Designer, interior refit of 150' sloop "Artemis". Worked directly with the client to create more appropriately proportioned guest spaces throughout the Yacht. Created measured revised layout drawings, as well as rendered hand-drawn perspective views to help the Owner envision the new spaces. Developed working drawings in AutoCad for the interior fabricators. -Lead Designer on a 148' sailing yacht. Duties include: 3d exterior styling in Rhino; Interior layout; structural and mechanical layout; interior detailing for owner approval and submittal to builder -Lead designer on a 106' sloop. Duties ranged from creating all exterior styling details in 3d; developing all interior styling including custom joinery details; preparing all construction drawings for the builder (over 200); yard visits to Taiwan to check progress; working directly with outsource engineering suppliers. -Lead designer on a 57' sloop built at Goetz Custom Boats/Morris Yachts. Duties ranged from creating exterior styling details in 3d; developing interior layout and all interior styling including custom joinery details. -Interior styling for the 108' "SY Paraiso", winner of the 2004 Superyacht Design Award for Sailings Yachts 23-36m.