Businesses find success reshoring to North Carolina


Reshoring, or moving manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. from overseas, has become an increasingly viable option for business of all sizes. According to N.C. Commissioner for Small Business Scott Daugherty, “With labor costs increasing in emerging countries and transportation costs increasing everywhere, the scales are tipping back in favor of manufacturing in the U.S. When you have an existing company with a proven financial track record, it benefits the state to help that company move back home. North Carolina has a strong network of business support providers that work together to support these companies.”

A recent reshoring success is Gunboat USA, a maker of high-end sailboats that moved its manufacturing from China to North Carolina one year ago. In the initial announcement about this relocation to Wanchese, Gunboat projected creating 71 new jobs and making an investment of $1.8 million over a three-year period. Its North Carolina location was expected to be a critical part of the company’s success. “Together [with local and state support], we identified ideal locations and labor markets,” Gunboat CEO Peter Johnstone said at the time. “Wanchese’s long tradition of building the world’s finest sportfishing yachts gave us great confidence. The state’s comprehensive business support sealed our decision.”

Today, according to N.C. Department of Commerce Economic Development Representative Tim Ivey, Gunboat is starting production on a Gunboat 55, a 55-foot catamaran, each month and has introduced a new Gunboat 78, which is billed as the world’s fastest “cruising catamaran.” To accommodate this rapid growth, Gunboat has acquired adjacent property and is exploring its production capacity. The project was made possible in part by a $213,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund, which provides financial assistance through local governments to attract business projects that will stimulate economic activity and create new jobs in the state.

Many of the state’s network of business support organizations helped with this project, including the N.C. Department of Commerce, N.C. Community Colleges, SBTDC, N.C. State University Industrial Extension Service, N.C. Seafood Industrial Park Authority, Dare County, Northeastern Workforce Development Board, and the Northeast Commission.