The Associated Press
A Pulaski yacht builder has won a multi-million dollar Dutch contract and plans to hire 150 people.
Marquis Yachts, in Pulaski, has struck a deal with VanDutch Marine in Holland. VanDutch America president Chris Holtzheuser said the initial order is for 420 boats.
Marquis expects to hire as many as 70 people in the next month or two and will add up to 150 within the next year. President Robert VanGrunsven said hiring has already begun.
“This is a little bit unique where we’re actually moving jobs from Europe to the United States, and to this area, and so we’re quite proud of this,” VanGrunsven said.
The new jobs, which pay $14 to $16 an hour, are mostly manufacturing and include cabinet making, fiberglass and upholstery work, company officials said.
“It’s a big shot in the arm, and a huge economic step in the right direction,” Pulaski Village President Reed Woodward told WLUK-TV.
Marquis Yachts was formerly Carver Yachts, owned by Genmar Holdings. Genmar filed for bankruptcy in 2009 because of the recession. The boat yard became solvent with new owners in 2010 under the Marquis name.
“Carver, at its heyday, had, I know, over 1,200 employees, sometimes as close as 1,400 employees. And when you go from that down to almost nothing, it really hits hard on a small community like Pulaski,” Woodward said.
