Diversification 

 of Park 



"In 1993, the client base 

 was expanded from seafood 

 to marine-related businesses," 

 says Bob Peele, the park's 

 director. "Before that, the 

 park focused on the commer- 

 cial fishing industry." 



With the diversification 

 of businesses, the park began 

 to take off. 



Now, all but three lots 

 are leased. For the first time, 

 the park also has become 

 profitable. 



"In 2000, the annual 

 payroll was around $5 million 

 for combined businesses," 

 according to Peele. "For 

 2001 , the estimated total 

 gross sales is expected to be 

 at around $45 million." 



The largest employer is 

 Davis Boatworks, which has 

 around 180 employees and a 

 payroll of more than $6 million. 

 The company manufactures 

 yachts costing from $750,000 

 to $2.7 million. Each boat is 

 designed to order. The boats 

 are sought after because of a 

 unique design — dubbed a 

 "Carolina boat" — that 

 shoulders rough seas. 



"Our customer base is all 

 over the world," says Davis. 

 "This year, we will begin 

 production on 30 boats and are targeting 

 $30 million in sales." 



The company also refurbishes and 

 repairs commercial and recreational boats. 

 "Both Davis Boatworks and Harbor 

 Welding and Boat Repair service about 

 1 ,000 per year," says Davis. 



Many of the park's businesses are 

 mom-and-pop operations that employ only 

 a few people. O'Neal's Sea Harvest — 

 which packs fish and crabs — has five full- 

 time employees, including the owner and 

 manager, Benny O'Neal, his wife and 

 daughter. 



TOP: Many boatbuilders have their headquarters at Wanchese Industrial Park. 

 BOTTOM: Buddy Davis' yachts are sought after across the country. 



The O'Neals conduct business out of a 

 one-room office that is above the packing 

 area. When the wind isn't blowing right for 

 fishing, the employees make crab pots. 



"I am the new man on the block," says 

 Benny O'Neal. "Other fellows around 

 Wanchese have been real nice. My 

 competitors helped get me started. 

 Everybody knows everybody here." 



O'Neal says that running a seafood 

 business is demanding. "It is pretty competi- 

 tive buying and selling seafood," he adds. 

 "But the crab business has been good." 



The outlook for the park hasn't always 



been so optimistic. From its 

 inception by the state of 

 North Carolina in 1979, the 

 park has been engulfed in 

 controversy. 



A seafood processing 

 facility as well as a 

 restaurant and cannery were 

 proposed for the land but 

 never built. A wastewater 

 treatment plant — which 

 was built to treat wastewa- 

 ter from the seafood plant 

 but never opened — stands 

 empty. 



With the original 

 businesses not taking off, 

 the early days of the park 

 were bleak. 



"In 1994, there were 

 days that were so slow I 

 didn't think the park was 

 going to make it," says 

 Christine Walker, assistant 

 to the industrial park's 

 director. "Now there is a lot 

 more traffic. All the 

 buildings are leased." 



Most of the original 

 tenants are gone, including 

 Wanchese Shiplift Co., 

 started by Davis. 



"The business was 

 aimed at servicing the 

 fishing trawler fleet," says 

 Davis. "We could lift boats 

 up to 300 tons," he adds. 

 "To be successful, the 

 syncrolift had to have a deep-water entry. 

 The park was tied to the opening of jetties 

 at Oregon Inlet. Instead of the jetties and 

 deepwater inlet, we got a shallow inlet and 

 boatyard. So eventually we went out of 

 business." 



Oregon Inlet's 

 Uncertain Future 



Oregon Inlet is a vital waterway 

 because it is the closest way for commer- 

 cial and recreational fishers to get to the 

 Atlantic Ocean from Wanchese. The inlet 

 — long known as one of the roughest 



24 HIGH SEASON 2001 



