Sea Ray recalls 150 workers

Sea Ray Boats has recalled about 150 workers to two of its Knoxville-area plants following a shutdown in December. The Knoxville plant called back 90 to 95 workers, while the Tellico facility brought back 50 to 55, according to Brunswick spokesperson Dan Kubera.

Kubera said in an email that he is not aware of any more worker callbacks, and that further rehirings would depend on how market conditions develop. Brunswick CEO Dustan McCoy said he expects a slow recovery this year.

Brunswick yesterday said in its earnings release that it expects production to pick up for both its boat and motor lines to replenish dealers. The company said dealer inventory levels are at historically low levels.

For 2009, Brunswick’s sales dropped 41 per cent to US$2.78bn compared to US$4.7bn in 2008. Its net loss for 2009 was US$586.2m, compared with a net loss of US$788.1m in 2008.

But McCoy said Brunswick was positioning itself to “take advantage of market opportunities” as they evolve. “We exited 2009 with US$527m in cash, a stronger dealer network with low inventories, and a leaner company with a significantly reduced cost structure,” he said in a statement.