A Boatload of New Jobs!
Beaufort County is getting 179 new jobs, a $6 million investment and a 212,000-square-foot waterfront manufacturing campus, all tied to an industry eastern North Carolina already knows well: building boats.
Chocowinity Lands a Flagship Operation
Boater’s World Manufacturing Group plans to establish its flagship manufacturing operation in Chocowinity, where a large facility on the Pamlico River will house boat assembly, engineering and operations.
According to the state’s project announcement, the company expects to invest more than $6 million and create 179 jobs. Those positions are projected to pay an average annual salary of $54,916, topping Beaufort County’s current average of $50,175.
That difference matters in a rural county where a manufacturing project of this size can have an impact well beyond the plant itself. A new operation brings payroll, suppliers, service work and demand for workers with skills that already have a foothold in eastern North Carolina.
The Chocowinity project follows Outdoor Network’s acquisition of NauticStar Boats as the company expands further into boat manufacturing. The new campus gives that push a North Carolina home with two obvious advantages: waterfront access and a regional workforce familiar with marine trades.
Built Around an Existing Industry
North Carolina’s eastern counties have long had ties to commercial and recreational boating, so this is less about introducing a foreign industry than adding another sizable player to an existing marine economy. Skilled labor, access to the Pamlico River and an established supply chain give the company a starting point that would be difficult to manufacture from scratch.
The project will also receive a performance-based $375,000 grant through the One North Carolina Fund. Those incentives are tied to job creation and investment requirements, meaning the money is contingent on the company delivering the economic activity attached to the agreement.
For Beaufort County, the headline number is 179 jobs. The larger story is what those jobs represent: a new flagship manufacturing campus landing in a place where boats, waterways and skilled trades already intersect.
That gives Chocowinity something more durable than a ribbon-cutting moment. If the project unfolds as planned, it adds another link to eastern North Carolina’s marine manufacturing chain, with the Pamlico River quite literally outside the door.
For more businesses serving North Carolina’s boating community, browse the Guide to North Carolina boat dealership directory at https://www.guidetonc.com/boat-dealerships.
