Another Florida boat builder to move to N.C.
BLADENBORO, N.C. – Yet another boat builder has reported this week that it’s moving from Florida to North Carolina.
Among the reasons for Palmer Marine’s planned relocation from Cape Coral, Fla. to Bladenboro, N.C. are the labor shortages, high overhead costs, exorbitant property taxes and increased hurricane insurance costs, according to an article published yesterday on FayObserver.com.
“We were hit by Hurricane Charley and that disrupted our production for three or four months,” Bo Palmer, the president of Palmer Marine, told the newspaper. “That added up. One of the attractions North Carolina has is that it’s farther inland. The land is affordable, and there’s an available labor force.”
The boat builder forecasts it will employ 50 to 75 workers in its first year in N.C. with plans to provide 120 jobs within three years, the newspaper reported. The company, which expects to be fully operational within six months, will pay salaries of $560 per week plus benefits, it added.
Palmer Marine receive a $200,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund, as well as county and city tax credits and low-interest loans, according to the newspaper.
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