News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 1, 2002
Personal Watercraft Industry Expands Its Investment In American
Washington, DC– The personal watercraft industry
continues to expand its investment in America, with Honda North
America’s announcement yesterday that it will add an $11
million personal watercraft assembly plant to its ATV facility
in Timmonsville, SC. An additional 150 associates will be added
to the 1,500 workers already employed by Honda of South Carolina.
The new plant is scheduled to begin operation in December 2002,
producing 8,000 units of the 2003 model AquaTrax personal watercraft.
The addition of South Carolina brings to 11 the number of
states directly involved in personal watercraft design and
manufacturing. Personal watercraft manufacturers Bombardier
(Sea-Doo), Kawasaki (JET SKI), Polaris (Genesis, Virage),
and Yamaha (WaveRunner) employ Americans in California, Florida,
Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Tennessee,
and Wisconsin.
Suppliers to personal watercraft assembly plants are located
around the country, and the vessels are sold and serviced
in every state.
“The personal watercraft industry is proud of its investments
in America,” said Monita Fontaine, executive director
of the Personal Watercraft Industry Association. “I’m
pleased with Honda’s entry into the personal watercraft
market and the new jobs the company will provide to South
Carolinians.”
Personal watercraft are affordable family boats with clean,
quiet, fuel-efficient engines and no exposed propellers. Makers
of personal watercraft have long supported reasonable regulations
such as a minimum age of 16 to operate a personal watercraft
(18 to rent), strict enforcement of navigation and safety
laws, and mandatory boating education.
Since 1998, the personal watercraft industry has invested
in technological advances that have led to a 75 percent reduction
in hydrocarbon and NOx emissions, and 70 percent quieter engines.
New direct-injection systems in two-stroke personal watercraft
engines are vastly cleaner than older, conventional two-stroke
marine engines. The industry continues to innovate, and this
year, Bombardier, Honda, and Yamaha are offering four-stroke
engine technology in 2002 models of personal watercraft.
More information about personal watercraft is available at
www.pwia.org.
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