PULASKI, WI (WTAQ) — The Village President of Pulaski says that Marquis Yachts is expected to survive and thrive in the coming year as two competing firms aim to buy the company.
Village President Reed Woodward spoke to WTAQ on Wednesday after a morning discussion with Marquis Yachts Vice President Paul Liss. Woodward said he was told that the company is “transitioning” and that they expect a purchase agreement to be made by the end of March. The names of the two companies have not been released.
47 employees are said to be working this week with two dozen more expected to join them next week.
Last month, Marquis Yachts filed notice with the state of Wisconsin’s Department of Workforce Development that 300 employees would be impacted by a potential temporary closure of the Pulaski facility. That closure would have come if they company couldn’t find a buyer by March 1st.
When asked for comment, Marquis Yachts President Rob Parmentier accused Green Bay media outlets who reported on last month’s announcement of “lying”, and said the press coverage had damaged the company. He later provided WTAQ with a letter sent to Marquis Yacht dealers explaining the company’s situation. We’ve provided the full text of the letter below.
Dear Marquis and Carver Yachts Dealers:
Thank you for your continued loyalty to Marquis Yachts. We value our relationship with you and the important role you play in the sale of Marquis, Carver and Lexus yachts. As you may have seen over the past few days, there have been numerous news reports stating that Marquis may have to shut down indefinitely if it is not sold to a new owner by March 1, 2020. We want you to know that these news reports are not accurate. We expect that there will not be any disruption in the continued production of our yachts.
We want to make sure you have the facts with respect to our business from us, and not from the media. Here are the most important things we want you to know
• Marquis has no plans to shut down indefinitely. Rather, we are in the process of selling our company to a buyer who will continue to operate Marquis in the manner you have come to expect. We are moving ever closer to finalizing a deal for the sale of our business and will continue to provide you with updates as we move through this process over the next few months.
• Marquis is continuing to build boats with a limited, dedicated, and determined workforce. This group ensured the timely delivery of boats for participation in key boat shows. We are excited to be participating in the upcoming Miami International Boat Show and look forward to seeing many of you there.
• We were required by certain federal and state laws to notify our employees of the possibility of a temporary closure of our facility beginning on March 1. As such, to protect our employees, we filed a notice with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. We recognize that this notice generated news reports that were not accurate and, unfortunately, created confusion among the dealers and possibly your customers.
• We have a substantial backlog of boat orders and have seen a high volume of retail activity over the past few months. By all accounts, we are off to a strong 2020. We are continuing to market and sell our boats, and will, of course, continue to support you and your customers.
Please know that we are committed in our relationships with you and are determined tocontinue to do so. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Thank you for your continued support. I hope to see many of you in Miami.
Sincerely,
Rob ParmentierPresident & CEO
