Gunboat Co., a maker of high-end sailboats, announced Thursday that it would locate a new shipyard in Dare County and create 71 jobs.
The company plans to invest $1.8 million over the next three years at a site in Wanchese, about 10 miles south of Nags Head.
Gunboat will receive a $213,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund if it meets hiring and investment goals.
The average annual wage for the jobs will be $27,093, plus benefits. That's above the Dare County average of $24,128.
Gunboat makes catamaran yachts. The company is a part of Rhode Island-based Gunboat International.
The boating industry experienced a sharp drop in sales during the recession, causing a major restructuring of many sectors. The industry has shown some signs of recovering in recent years after shedding hundreds of jobs in Eastern North Carolina.
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Progress Energy and Duke Energy this afternoon made their third -- and most expensive -- merger proposal in a bid to win approval from regulators in Raleigh and in Washington. The two power companies proposed building up to $150 million in transmission lines, including upgrades in the Triangle, in order to expand competition in the Carolinas between wholesale electricity producers. 
Business software giant SAS didn't have to look far to expand its portfolio of marketing products. Keep up with the latest business stories with our free e-mail newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox!
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