Hatteras Yachts laid off 80 employees this week, the move coming about two-and-a-half years after White River Marine Group an affiliate of Bass Pro Shops, acquired the builder in May 2021 with a goal of supporting 500 jobs.
“These cutbacks were driven in part by the current economic environment but more directly due to the fact we are investing in tooling to create a totally new generation of high-performance Hatteras sportfishing boats, which will be introduced in late 2024,” Bass Pro Shops stated in an email to Trade Only Today. “We did eliminate approximately 80 positions but can also positively state that we continue to employ considerably more people than when Hatteras was first acquired by White River Marine Group in May 2021.
“We are happy with our decision to relocate the manufacturing of both Ranger and Mako saltwater brands to this plant, and we look forward to being good neighbors in the New Bern [North Carolina] community, through good times and bad, for many years to come,” the company continued. “As we navigate these uncertain economic times, we are making every effort to fairly support our people, as we recognize they are the backbone of our heritage and our future.
“Our plan is to continue to invest boldly, as we have done over the last few years, in the future of the legendary Hatteras brand,” the company added. “Last week at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, we were proud to announce plans for a totally new generation of high-performance Hatteras sportfishing boats that will be built in New Bern. We are optimistic that employment at the Hatteras plant will continue to grow as the next generation of high-performance Hatteras boats is brought online. We are more committed than ever to building the finest sportfishing boats in the world in New Bern.”
An executive with Bass Pro Shops did respond with a phone call to follow-up questions from Trade Only Today, but insisted on speaking off the record.
Questions posed included why there was no press release or press event at the Fort Lauderdale show about a new line of Hatteras sportfishing boats; how many employees were with the company during the 2021 acquisition, and how many remain; what investments are being made at the facility; why the Hatteras brand is not listed along with other brands owned by White River Marine on its website; and how much, if any, money the company received from the Job Development Investment Grant approved in 2021 by North Carolina’s Economic Investment Committee, authorizing potential reimbursement to the company of up to $5,441,400 spread over 12 years.
