Business has improved for Wisconsin's yacht builders, with many saying they have rehired employees that were laid off during the recession.
Carver Yacht Group has recalled more than 300 people from layoff in the last 12 months - that's practically everyone who worked for the Pulaski-based company when the recession hit, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
KCS International Inc., which builds Cruisers and Rampage yachts in Oconto, has recalled about 100 people from layoff.
Burger Boat Co. has employees on layoff. But the company is building two vessels in Manitowoc and it hopes that other orders will come before the boats are finished in the spring and summer, the newspaper said.
Builders have seen their biggest sales gains overseas, especially in Eastern Europe, Japan, Singapore and China. Some of the increases have been tied to a weak U.S. dollar, although yacht builders say the downside to a weak dollar is that they're paying more for engines from Sweden and Germany.
After recent boat shows in Fort Lauderdale and Chicago, the builders say they are encouraged about the U.S. market, according to the article.
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