Largest US boat builder reduces production

by Bob Maxwell on 18 Jun 2008 As the US economic slow down continues, most of Brunswick Corporations U.S.boat manufacturing plants will send production staff on compulsory holidays and suspend production during July, the company said in a statement yesterday.

CEO Dusty McCoy anticipated these production slow-downs in an interview with Powerboat-World in March 2008.

Sea Ray and Boston Whaler have already filed notice with employees advising them they will be required to take holidays during the summer. The compulsory employee vacations do not affect non-production employees such as administration, marketing and customer service.

Sea Ray will furlough the production portion of its 1,800 employees in eastern Tennessee, the Knoxville News Sentinel said today.

Boston Whaler Inc. will temporarily layoff 250 employees between the end of June and the end of July, according to Orlando Business Journal sources.

Boston Whaler is the ninth Brunswick Corp. boat brand or company to consolidate, cut back or cease production in 2008.

Dan Kubera, spokesman for Sea Ray parent company Brunswick Corp., said
'In managing our business, Brunswick is, and has been; producing fewer boats and engines to reduce marine pipeline inventories in the face of continued weak retail demand for boats,'

'As part of this effort, we have been taking downtime at all of our plants at various times, which is the case here with Sea Ray. These actions are part of managing a cyclical marine business,' he added.