Hinckley moves R.I. production to Maine facility Officials unsure of new job openings

SOUTHWEST HARBOR – The Hinckley Co. has closed its production facility in Portsmouth, R.I., and transferred the work to its Southwest Harbor boatyard, a company official has confirmed.

Philip Bennett, senior sales director for the company, was unsure Sunday how many jobs the move would bring to Maine, or whether the additional work would simply preserve jobs at Hinckley’s Mount Desert Island facility.

The company’s Southwest Harbor production manager, Paul Frederick, could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Hinckley, world famous for its yachts and power boats, bought Little Harbor Yachts in Rhode Island in 2000. It will continue to service boats at the Portsmouth yard, as well as maintain its brokerage office there, Bennett said.

The Rhode Island facility manufactured the company’s Whisperjet boats. Bennett said the Southwest Harbor boatyard, used primarily to build yachts, had room to expand production, while the Rhode Island facility needed more space for boat maintenance and repairs.

“This is great news for Maine and for Rhode Island,” Bennett said. “It’s hard to run two production facilities, so this is really a consolidation.”

Bennett denied that Hinckley doesn’t have any new orders for boats lined up for the Southwest Harbor facility. He said the recent relative improvement in the stock market has helped boost sales again.

Hinckley was founded in 1928 as a small-time lobster boat builder and has expanded to a 700-employee firm, including about 500 at its production facilities in Trenton and Southwest Harbor. The Trenton facility specializes in building the company’s popular Picnic Boats, which cost $400,000 to $500,000. A Hinckley sailboat could run as high as $5 million, Bennett said.

Hinckley also operates sales and service centers in West Palm Beach, Fla., and Kappein, Germany, and a sales office in Michigan.