Sea Ray to cut 350 jobs on Merritt Island

[Dave]

Sign of the times I guess. I imagine all the manufacturers are feeling the pinch.

"February 28, 2008

Sea Ray to cut 350 jobs on Merritt Island

BY SCOTT BLAKE
FLORIDA TODAY
Sea Ray Boats will eliminate 350 jobs by mid-year at its Merritt Island plant due to slumping demand for boats, the company said today.

That will leave Sea Ray with about 850 jobs at its Merritt Island complex, said Dan Kubera, director of media relations and corporation communications for Lake Forest, Ill.-based Brunswick Corp., Sea Ray’s parent company.

Sea Ray will stop production of some boat models on Merritt Island after June, and move production of those models to its plant in Palm Coast and its two plants in Knoxville, Tenn., Kubera said.

As a result, the company plans to add 270 jobs at the Palm Coast and Knoxville plants.

“The Sea Ray and Merritt Island leadership teams will be working diligently to transfer as many employees as possible and practical between the various Sea Ray manufacturing facilities and other Brunswick Boat Group locations,” the company said in a statement.

“For those employees who do not have the opportunity or do not wish to transfer, severance will be provided,” the company said."

[tglee]

More bad news.



" Mercury Marine has shut down all manufacturing operations this week in its headquarters in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. According to a story in the Fond du Lac Reporter, the shutdown was an effort to "balance supply of products with demand".

The paper said that it comes after 48 employees volunteered to take temporary layoffs starting last week.

Mercury spokesperson Steve Fleming told the paper that the shutdown was a necessary economic move. "We constantly monitor supply and demand and adjust our work force accordingly," he said.

Mercury Marine employs about 3,300 workers at its Fond du Lac facilities. Fleming told the paper that he would not rule out additional layoffs or shutdowns this year. "We anticipate 2008 to be a challenging year for the US boating industry. As such, we will continue to take steps to react to the situation throughout the year," he said.

" Mark Zillges, president of Mercury's employee union, said workers were willing to stop work this week in order to prevent permanent layoffs. Zillges said each year the company is allowed four such shutdowns per contract agreements. The union's four-year contract with Mercury is set to expire in June, and negotiations are under way.

Both Fleming and Zillges told the paper that contract discussions are moving forward. "We hope we can come to terms and survive these hard times," Zillges said.

The last time Mercury laid off salaried employees was in November 2006, when about 125 workers lost their jobs.

Fleming told the paper that the 48 workers who volunteered for temporary layoffs on February 18 will return to work in June."

[seapuppy]

I think there are going to be more layoffs and slow downs in production...the cost of gas is really going to affect the industry big time..we're already wondering how we're gonna do this yr if the price hits 4..even 5 bucks a gal....our summer plans to visit the canadian gulf islands will not happen at 5 bucks a gal...

which pisses me off since I just did all that work on the boat and added my new fishfinder!!! :shock: