Carolina Business Articles

Marine Industries Find Support In Carteret County

Marine Research And Education Partnership Receives Attention

By Christine Bonin

    Carteret County, a mainstay of North Carolina's beautiful Crystal Coast, has long had an economy that revolves around the coast and the intracoastal waterways. The North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort celebrates the rich heritage of boat building, shipping, fishing and even whaling through their exhibits and programs, and today, the county celebrates the modern boating industry with the opening of the North Carolina Marine Training and Education Center (NC MARTEC), the only comprehensive marine technology training facility in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Operated by Carteret Community College in Morehead City, the new center features training programs for marine propulsion, boat manufacturing, fiberglass technology, marina management and other related subjects. NC MARTEC also offers custom tailored employee training opportunities that focus on new products and procedures. Past clients have included the U.S. Coast Guard, the Association of Marine Technicians, and numerous boat manufacturers and fiberglass related companies. NC MARTEC recently forged an agreement with Cummins Marine Diesel to provide training for Cummins Marine service technicians. The resulting partnership means that students at the college will have the latest marine diesel technology at their fingertips. Together with other companies, like Caterpillar marine diesel and ZF Marine, the college offers a wide array of training opportunities through NC MARTEC.

      "The MARTEC is probably the most exciting thing to happen in Carteret County in terms of economic development," explains Dave Inscoe, Executive Director of the Carteret County EDC. "We are creating a buzz countrywide, especially on the east coast. The boat building industry is plagued by a lack of qualified workers, and NC MARTEC is designed to train that particular workforce. When potential employers visit Carteret County, the first place I take them is the MARTEC facility."

      Citing the presence of the NC MARTEC as playing a vital role in recent negotiations, Carteret County has landed a New Jersey-based boat manufacturing company that will begin operations here later this year. Hobby World Development, Inc., which does business as True World Marine, currently located in Little Ferry, N.J., has purchased property in the Jarrett Bay Marine Industrial Park outside of Beaufort, NC with plans to build a facility to produce their 28-foot cuddy cabin hand-laid fiberglass diesel powered fishing boats as well as other future models. True World Marine employs 65 men and women at its Little Ferry, N.J., location, and will initially start out with 20-25 employees in Carteret County, with the number of employees expected to increase.

      In the past several months, a number of other boat, engine and part manufacturers have either relocated or expanded their operations in the county. Shearline Boatworks opened a new operation in the Crystal Coast Business Park employing 20 people; Gregory Poole, distributor of Caterpillar marine engines has added 30 new employees and 20,000 square feet to its existing facility at the Jarrett Bay Marine Industrial Park; and Bausch American Towers has started construction on a new 30,000 square-foot building at Jarrett Bay Marine Industrial Park that will eventually employ up to 40 people.

      Another strong Carteret County industry, marine research and education, is receiving some attention from such notables as UNC President Erskine Bowles as a result of the efforts of the Marine Science and Education Partnership (MSEP), a coalition of marine science institutions and agencies, and other concerned Carteret County leaders. The partnership involves some research powerhouses, including: Duke University Marine Laboratory, NOAA National Ocean Service-Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research and the NOAA Weather Forecast Office, NC Sea Grant Extension Program, NC State University Center for Marine Sciences and Technology (CMAST) and the NC State University Seafood Laboratory, the UNC-Chapel Hill Institute of Marine Sciences and the NC Division of Marine Fisheries, as well as more traditionally public educational organizations such as the NC Aquarium at Pine Knolls Shores and the NC Maritime Museum, with the Carteret County EDC taking the role as the group's facilitator.

      Original study estimations indicated these organizations brought in annual revenues in excess of $78 million, accounting for 8% of all economic activity in the county. The MSEP was created to not only promote marine science, technology and education, but to enhance the climate for marine-related businesses and industry, as well as educating the business community leaders in Carteret County and the entire state of North Carolina concerning the economic and social impact of the marine science and education community in Carteret County.

      "We have a shared vision for the partnership of collaboration for the furthering of marine science and its education," explains Mr. Inscoe. "My vision is to spin off some of this world-class research into technologies that will incubate into business. But this takes time."

      One success story involves the work of former NC State scientist Christopher Freeman and his groundbreaking research concerning mapping the ocean floor. Mr. Freeman parlayed his research into Geodynamics LLC, a firm that is mapping the floors of the inlets, and working on beach dredging projects up and down the east coast, even mapping the Queen Anne's Revenge as a public service to the North Carolina Underwater Archaeology Branch.

      "A side effect of the MSEP," continues Mr. Inscoe, "is the awesome collaboration between the partnership entities, from sharing research vessels and the cost of maintenance, to making available highspeed internet connections."

      "The MSEP has exceeded all of our expectations," says Mr. Inscoe, "and we are so excited by President Bowles support." Future plans include a new logo and communication materials designed to raise community awareness even further, as well as responding to an invitation to apply for a National Science Foundation grant and perhaps hosting a conference designed to bring President Bowles and other important university and community leaders together to formalize future recommendations.

      The coastal location not only attracts world-class marine research and marine trades, it also brings the tourists. With long favored beach destinations such as Emerald Isle and Atlantic Beach, historic Beaufort along with the popular Fort Macon State Park, Carteret County ranks 12th among North Carolina's 100 counties in tourism economic impact. In 2004, revenues topped $234 million, with over 3,300 jobs directly attributable to tourism, almost 1 in 10 in the county.

      The largest single employer in the county is the US Department of Defense, stationed at the Marine Corp Base Cherry Point, the Naval Air Station Cherry Point and the US Coast Guard at Fort Macon. From its beginnings in 1943 as the Overhaul and Repair Department aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, the Naval Air Depot has grown to become eastern North Carolina's largest industrial employer and a true national asset. The depot employs civilian, military and contractor personnel, who work in a wide variety of skilled technical and professional positions. As a testimony to the Station's on-going quality of life initiatives and responsible community outreach efforts, MCAS Cherry Point received in March the Commander-In-Chief's Installation Award for fiscal year 2003. The Station has claimed the title an unprecedented seven out of the last 15 years.

      As Carteret County's leaders look forward, it is with a goal to encourage industries that further enhance and embrace the county's stunning coastal attributes.

      Christine Bonin is a free-lance writer from Cary, NC and can be reached at bon2l3@bellsouth.net.

Reprinted from Carolina Business online.