Rhode Island sailboat builder to open shipyard in North Carolina

Posted on 27 January 2012

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A builder of high-end sailboats has announced plans to invest $1.8 million during the next three years to open a shipyard in Dare County, North Carolina, that will create 71 jobs in Wanchese.

Gunboat Co., of Newport, R.I., produces catamaran yachts, and the Wanchese shipyard will allow the company to increase production and meet a growing demand for its boats, said Gunboat founder and CEO Peter Johnstone.

“After more than a decade of producing overseas in lower-labor-cost markets, we are bringing manufacturing home to the United States,” Johnstone said in a press release North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue’s office issued. “Productivity and quality control are essential to our success. We spent months evaluating locations in various states along the Eastern Seaboard. North Carolina stood clear above the rest.”

The company has been awarded a $213,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund, a state-managed fund that provides financial assistance across the state to attract business projects that create new jobs. All One NC Fund grants require a match by a local government entity.

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Comments

3 Friday, 27 January 2012 18:11

By Leo

Let's hope this is a trend, bring jobs and quality back to the USA.

2 Friday, 27 January 2012 16:33

By Kinder Woodcock

We really couldn't bring this "home" to Rhody instead? Still good news and I will take it. Thank you Gunboat, lets hope others follow your lead!

1 Friday, 27 January 2012 15:59

By winchgrinder

Great for N.C. It's a damm shame that Chaffe and Stokes couldn't make this happen at Quonset or another facility in R.I. Good job guys bringing jobs back to the states. All success

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