Lousy weather prompts layoffs at boat manufacturer
June 12, 2005 BOATLAYOFFS
NEW YORK MILLS, MINN. — About 145 employees at the Lund Boats production plant have lost their jobs because the recent cool, rainy weather has caused a drop in boat sales.
The job cuts include hourly and salaried positions and represent about 25 percent of the plant’s nearly 560 workers.
“It’s been a long period of cool and rainy weather. Frankly, that’s kept boats off the water and contributed to a pretty tough market,” said Dan Kubera, Lake Forest, Ill., spokesman for the Brunswick Corp., which owns Lund.
To meet the lower demand, the company reduced production to a single day shift, Kubera said. That led to the layoffs, which took effect after a 10-day plant shutdown designed to reduce inventory.
“Obviously it’s a very difficult decision to make, but nonetheless one that we needed to make,” Kubera said. “If Mother Nature would give us a break, it would be helpful,” he said.
If the market improves, the jobs could be reinstated, he said.
New York Mills Mayor Randy Clarksean said the job loss is difficult for the community of 1,100 people.
“It’s certainly nothing to be scoffed at. We’d rather not see the layoffs, but we also must keep in mind 400-plus people are still working,” he said.
Lund is the community’s largest employer. Brunswick acquired the company in 2004 when it purchased Genmar Industries Inc. of Minneapolis for $191 million.
