The Brunswick Boat Group (BBG) announced last month that its Sea Ray operating unit will embark on an ambitious plan to expand and further modernize several Sea Ray operations in East Tennessee.
Under the plan, which received support from a host of local, regional and state agencies, Sea Ray will add more than 200 jobs, bringing more than $22 million in additional investment to the region and significantly reduce styrene emissions. The project involves the Knox County and Monroe County plants.
Sea Ray also plans to double the capacity of its Tellico factory to concentrate production of its sport boats up to 22 feet in length, including the popular 180, 185 and 200 Sport models. Sea Ray is the largest of the 13 brands that comprise the Brunswick Boat Group, the world's largest maker of pleasure boats. Sea Ray is a pioneer in closed mold production, that offers highly precise and repeatable manufacturing capabilities, which improves both product quality and factory productivity, while virtually eliminating styrene emissions, which is a gaseous byproduct of fiberglass casting that contributes to air pollution.
"We are extremely pleased to expand our presence, investment and commitment in East Tennessee," explained Dustan E. McCoy, president of the Brunswick Boat Group. "Sea Ray has called the Knoxville area home since 1978, and it's clear that we are committed to the area. When we undertook this project, we considered many places, but we kept coming back home. This region has everything we sought - a skilled and dedicated workforce with a strong work ethic, a capable and diverse base of suppliers, and a central location to serve our ever-expanding markets, access to technological expertise and resources, as well as a reliable source of cost-competitive energy. When we added up these attributes, along with the cooperative spirit of our local, regional and state governments, our location decision was made easily."
The project has involved the collaborative effort among Knox and Monroe counties, the Knoxville Area Chamber Partnership, the Tellico Reservoir Development Agency, the State of Tennessee and the Tennessee Valley Authority.
"Brunswick recognizes the advantages of expanding their home base heavily outweigh moving out of the region, state or country," said Mike Edwards, president and CEO of the Partnership. "With so many manufacturers moving overseas, Brunswick sets the example for other area businesses by their continued commitment to improve the overall quality of life and focus on improving the air quality and advancing worker productivity and safety."
"We are proud to be working with Brunswick on yet another large-scale investment in our community," said Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale. "With its growing headquarters downtown and Sea Ray manufacturing plants in Knoxville, the Brunswick Boat Group is one of our largest and most progressive private employers. The group's plans to add more high-wage jobs and to improve upon its processes for a cleaner environment are incredible wins for both Knox County and the region."
BBG will also establish key partnerships with the University of Tennessee and other institutions to supply its growing need for engineers, managers and supervisors. The Boat Group has been awarded Knox County incentives, including a seven-year tax freeze from the Industrial Development Board, which is valued at $1.7 million. Additionally, The Development Corporation of Knox County's Board of Directors will consider a Technology Capital Grant for $1 million at a meeting later this month.
The State of Tennessee has devoted $414,000 through the Department of Labor and Workforce Development and $303,055 through the FastTrack Job Training Assistance Program, administered by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.
"We are grateful for the Brunswick Boat Group's continued commitment to our state," said Matt Kisber, commissioner for Tennessee Economic and Community Development. "This announcement is the result of the state working in conjunction with local leadership and our economic development partners to put forth a comprehensive, attractive incentive package for Brunswick. It is exciting to see Brunswick expand and create new jobs in Tennessee, and we are equally pleased to know that the company's strive for quality is coupled with its commitment to preserving our state's environmental concerns.
Knox County's Sea Ray operation employs 1,175 people and will grow to 1,300 in the next four years. The Tellico Plant currently employs 510 people and the project will call for the addition of 75 positions within four years. Among the investments will be closed mold technology and tooling for both Sea Ray's Tellico plant in Vonore and its Riverview facility at Forks of the River Industrial Park in Knox County.
In 2001, the Brunswick Boat Group headquarters opened in downtown Knoxville, initially housing 75 employees. Since then, the Boat Group was expanded to include the Aluminum Group, which serves as the headquarters for the recently purchased Crestliner, Lowe and Lund boat brands along with the Boat Group Parts & Accessories business. In 2003, the Knoxville office added Brunswick Acceptance Company, a wholesale financing joint venture. The Boat Group headquarters now houses 130 people.
The Brunswick Boat Group is a manufacturer and marketer of Sea Ray, Bayliner, Maxum, Hatteras, Meridian and Sealine pleasure boats; Baja high-performance boats; Boston Whaler and Trophy offshore fishing boats; Crestliner, Lowe, Lund and Princecraft aluminum fishing, deck and pontoon boats; Attwood marine parts and accessories and Land 'N' Sea marine parts and accessories distributor.
