Sea Ray offshore to Brazil?

[GoneFission]

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/aug/0 ... ner-boats/  

Do you smell something in this statement regarding Sea Ray's new plant in Brazil?

Construction of the new plant, which will make Sea Ray and Bayliner sports boats and cruisers, will have no affect on jobs or production at the company's Sea Ray facilities in the Knoxville area, Brunswick spokesman Dan Kubera said.  

"Right now Brazil orders are a relatively low number," Kubera said. " The volume is incremental. It's not something that would cause us to adjust the work force in Knoxville."  Two weeks ago Brunswick cut 17 jobs at its Sea Ray plant in Forks of the River Industrial Park in East Knox County as part of a corporate effort to match production to consumer demand. The company, which also has a plant in Vonore, has about 700 employees in the Knoxville area.  The cost to build and equip the 150,000-square-foot plant in the Joinville area of Santa Catarina, Brazil, was not disclosed.

The new plant eventually will employ 150 workers. When operating at full capacity, the plant will produce more than 400 boats a year, the company said.  The Brazil plant is expected to begin production in time for the 2012 summer boating season.

[seabob4]

So if Brazil orders are low, why the F build a plant there?  Oh, I get it.  Brazilians work for $2.50/hr...

A$$holes!! :x  :x

[GoneFission]

So if Brazil orders are low, why the F build a plant there?

Brunswick cut 17 jobs at its Sea Ray plant in Forks of the River Industrial Park in East Knox County as part of a corporate effort to match production to consumer demand...   The new plant eventually will employ 150 workers. When operating at full capacity, the plant will produce more than 400 boats a year, the company said. The Brazil plant is expected to begin production in time for the 2012 summer boating season.

[seabob4]

And why, when I look in to my crystal ball, do I see more job losses in the Tennessee SeaRay domain (Knoxville, Vonore, etc.)?

Knew this would happen 12 years ago, the last marine downturn.  Always said, "Good thing it costs so much to ship boats, or they'd be building them in China..."

Brazil's the first step...Wonder if they have an NMMA guy down there? :x  :x  :x  :x  :x

[CATmech945]

Anytime production gets sent out of the country, the quality of it takes a nose dive. I just worked on a set of Caterpillar engines that were assembled in malasia. I had to repair an oil pan gasket that had actually blown out on a brand new boat. The WHOLE pan was loose and then I found another three bolts and washers laying in the pan. This is off the production line folks!!! The bolts were supposed to be holding the windage plate and oil sump tubes in place. Good thing they didn't run it much further. If the engines had been built in Illinois like they should've been, I would've never had to go to the boat. Crap man........complete crap! I hate fixing other people's screw ups. Especially in a 5 million dollar boat because it makes everyone associated with the company look bad. Not to go off on a tangent, but you can bet that the first year of boats out of that plant are gonna need to be avoided. Don't mean to be a scrooge but I'm all for keeping it in house even if it does cost more.

[seabob4]

Anytime production gets sent out of the country, the quality of it takes a nose dive. I just worked on a set of Caterpillar engines that were assembled in malasia. I had to repair an oil pan gasket that had actually blown out on a brand new boat. The WHOLE pan was loose and then I found another three bolts and washers laying in the pan. This is off the production line folks!!! The bolts were supposed to be holding the windage plate and oil sump tubes in place. Good thing they didn't run it much further. If the engines had been built in Illinois like they should've been, I would've never had to go to the boat. Crap man........complete crap! I hate fixing other people's screw ups. Especially in a 5 million dollar boat because it makes everyone associated with the company look bad. Not to go off on a tangent, but you can bet that the first year of boats out of that plant are gonna need to be avoided. Don't mean to be a scrooge but I'm all for keeping it in house even if it does cost more.

My brother and sister-in-law went to Bradley University in Peoria...home of Catapiller.  Yellow runs very deep around those parts.  And go just up the road to where they live now (Moline), and that yellow turns to green...