Dozens of employees laid off from Hatteras Yachts
by Bilyana Garland
NEW BERN, Craven County — Dozens of workers have been laid off from their jobs at Hatters Yachts in New Bern.
NewsChannel 12 was made aware of the layoffs Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023.
Craven County Economic Development Director Jeff Wood confirmed 80 employees were laid off.
In a statement, Bass Pro - which owns White River Marine Group and acquired Hatteras Yachts in 2021 - stated the layoffs were "Due to the current economic conditions and the desire to invest in new boat designs."
Lieutenant Donald McInnis with the New Bern Police Department said multiple off-duty officers were on hand at Hatteras during the layoffs.
Lt. McInnis said no incidents took place.
Hatteras Yachts manufactured high-end luxury yachts at its Craven County plant.
At the time in 2021, White River Marine announced the addition of hundreds of new jobs and talked about expansion plans.
Wood said there are no plans that he knows of to shut down the plant altogether.
He said there are programs to help the laid off workers get new jobs through NC Works and Craven Community College.
Senator Jim Perry, of NC, also issued a statement saying “Hatteras has invested in our community and we are thrilled to have them in Eastern NC. They have an incredible product and they are a great company. This is a macro issue and demand for their product is impacted by these terrible interest rates and global uncertainty. No one is immune to the impact of poor economic policy decisions. I am afraid we will see more of this around our country in the future .”
This is a developing story. NewsChannel 12 will update you as it unfolds.
Trick or Treat: Hatteras lays off 40-84 workers
Hatteras Yachts laid off as many as 84 workers on October 30, according to sources reached by New Bern Live.
The layoffs came as a surprise to the workers, one source said.
New Bern police verified that Hatteras Yachts hired off-duty officers to be present at its facility on October 30.
It apparently took many local leaders by surprise as well. Craven County Manager Jack Veit said that he had heard of the layoffs but could not confirm them, adding that he and Economic Development director Jeff Woods are in contact with corporate headquarters, trying to get exact information.
State Representative Steve Tyson said he had not yet heard the news, either.
Hatteras Yacht was purchased by White River Marine Group in May, 2021. The company received special incentives from Craven County and the state in a five year agreement that stated it would open a recreational boat facility hiring 500 workers by 2026.
According to a press release from Governor Roy Cooper’s office issue May 20, 2021, " Plans call for a major investment to modernize the Hatteras facility and establish a state-of-the-art coastal manufacturing center generating hundreds of new jobs. ”
According to zippea.com, Hatteras Yachts, founded as a luxury yacht manufacturer in 1959, had a total workforce of 1320 as of August, 2023.
The exact number of layoffs is still unknown, but sources cite numbers from 40 to 84.
Hatteras Yacht company was called for comment but the manufacturer was not answering phones. The parent company, White River Marine, had not yet returned emails for information as of 12 p.m.
This is a developing story and New Bern Live will update new information as it comes in.
Hatteras Yachts Layoffs Affect About 80
About 80 people lost their jobs this week in a series of Hatteras Yachts layoffs.
Hatteras Yachts laid off about 80 workers at their New Bern, North Carolina facility earlier this week. The layoffs, which were reported to have happened on Monday, were pinned to economic factors in the boating and yachting industry. In a statement, Bass Pro blamed ‘the current economic conditions and the desire to invest in new boat designs.” Bass Pro owns White River Marine Group and bought Hatteras in 2021. Sources at the scene said the layoffs came as a surprise to workers.
Craven County Economic Director Jeff Wood told the New Bern Sun Journal that even after the layoffs, more people work for Hatteras Yachts than did when White River bought it. He had been in touch with Hatteras, he said.
“They’re going to take this time to do some more investments, especially in the Hatteras brand, but they’re going to continue to invest in all three brands,” Wood told the newspaper. “They’re looking at long-term strategies.”
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