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Arlington Boat Plant Shutting Down

POSTED: 3:07 pm PDT October 9, 2008
UPDATED: 8:39 am PDT October 10, 2008

Beleaguered boatmaker Brunswick Corp. says it's cutting 1,400 additional jobs as the company shuts down four plants -- including one in Washington state -- and furloughs workers at three more.

The Washington plant, Meridian Yachts, is one of north Snohomish County’s largest employers, reported our partner, The Herald. Approximately 800 employees learned Thursday that they will lose their jobs when the plant closes within 60 days.

"I mean with the economy, the way it is right now, it's going to be very tough for us to get jobs. I feel sorry for some of my coworkers who've been here 20, 25 years and it's very hard for them," said Meridian Yachts employee Francisco Garcia.

VIDEO: Worry Over Impact Of Boat Plant's Closure

The Arlington facility was formerly a Bayliner boat plan, but started making yachts under the Meridian brand in 2002.

The Brunswick company is the world’s largest maker of pleasure boats and owns brands including Meridian, Bayliner and Boston Whaler.

The announcement comes four months after the suburban Chicago company said it would cut 1,000 jobs and cautioned it could slash another up to 1,700 more.

Brunswick says the latest round of cuts will save $300 million by the end of 2009 and are necessary as boat sales free fall.

Lake Forest-based Brunswick says it plans to close plants in Washington, Minnesota, Oregon and North Carolina. It's also furloughing workers at three facilities in Tennessee beginning Oct. 27.

That furlough will last through the end of the year.

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