The state of Wisconsin said it would loan Carver and Marquis Yachts up to US$1.5m to help create 315 jobs at its facility in Pulaski, Wisconsin. The facility currently has 275 workers.

"Whether it's Harley-Davidson motorbikes or yachts these products fell on very, very hard times," Governor Jim Doyle told The Green Bay Press Gazette after a news conference announcing the loan. "I'm really, really pleased to see these 275 people back at work and that Marquis growing, expanding and building more."

Former Genmar brands Carver and Marquis were acquired by J&D LLC during the Genmar bankruptcy assets sale. Former Genmar chairman Irwin Jacobs and John Paul DeJoria are the principals in that company. Jacobs told the paper that he is optimistic that the company will grow beyond the 315 employees. "We're spending on tooling, we're spending on equipment, on R&D, engineering and bringing people back and making a big investment in people," Jacobs told the paper. "We're only 100 days old. We have five production lines running here We're not only up and running, but I have great optimism on where we are going."

Pulaski Village president Keith Chambers argued against the loan because of the Genmar bankruptcy proceedings. "We have local businesses, not all but many of them, that lost money in this bankruptcy," Chambers told the paper. "We can't get cent one of stimulus dollars in this village and here it goes to a private guy who doesn't live here or live in the state."

But Doyle defended the loan. "You can just walk away and board this place up and never make another boat here, or you work with people who are bringing it out of bankruptcy and reorganizing and getting it going again," he said.

Jacobs said he was "hopeful" he could pay many of the suppliers back by doing business with them. "Many are doing business with us again we're paying our bills on time and doing all the things we need to do," he said.

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