Economy forces boat company to close for two months

Friday, November 14, 2008

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Proline Boats in Homosassa will temporarily close for two months. Watch the story Watch Video

CITRUS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- In tough economic times, certain businesses suffer more than others.

Homosassa company Proline Boats is temporarily closing its manufacturing plant until Jan. 7, 2009. Customers are not buying boats that have already been built.

"Nobody's willing to go out and buy a toy when they're afraid they're not going to be able to keep their job or pay their mortgages," said John Walker of Proline Boats. "Right now we're one of probably 30 boat companies that have either shut down over the last two months completely or done a temporary shut down."

Prior to the shutdown, Proline has tried different approaches to keep the business running. They cut down their workforce, switched to four day work weeks and even tried making a new boat to meet consumers needs. They produced the Pro-lite line of boats, which are more economical and fuel efficient.

About 108 employees will be out of work for the two months that the plant is closed.

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Jonathan Petramala, a journalist who lives and works in Citrus County, knows that there are plenty of stories out there that need to be told. He would love to hear from you so he can share your story.