Brunswick to establish Brazil plant
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Brunswick Corporation will establish a manufacturing plant in Brazil to produce boats for South America’s largest country and the surrounding region, the company said today in a release.
The plant, which is to be located in the Perini Industrial Park in Joinville, Santa Catarina, Brazil, is planned to have nearly 150,000 square feet of manufacturing space and will eventually employ up to 150 people to produce several Bayliner and Sea Ray sport boats and cruisers, which will be sold through a network of local dealers along with other Brunswick boat brands and models.
Brunswick plans to have locally manufactured product available in advance of the 2012 summer boating season. When in full operation, the plant will have the capacity to produce more than 400 boats annually.
“With the eighth largest economy in the world, we believe Brazil and its expanding boat market offer us attractive opportunities for growth,” Dustan E. McCoy, Brunswick’s chairman and chief executive officer, said in a statement. “Latin America, in general, has provided Brunswick with solid growth as we have long served the region with our Mercury Marine engines and leading brands such as Bayliner and Sea Ray boats, Life Fitness exercise equipment, and Brunswick bowling products.
“Brunswick has already completed considerable work in preparation for this exciting investment,” said Andrew E. Graves, president of Brunswick Boat Group. “We have been working closely with Brazilian officials to identify the best location for the plant as well as reaching out to Brazil’s marine market leaders to better understand their markets and to capture and develop the premier local distribution channel.”
Brunswick anticipates it will begin hiring to staff its Brazilian operations within the next 30 days and will meet with its dealer base in the next few days.
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