Mercury aims to add 1,400 jobs by 2016

FOND DU LAC - Mercury Marine is expected to add up to 1,400 manufacturing jobs in Fond du Lac by 2016, Mercury spokesman Steve Fleming said Wednesday.

According to Fleming that would include most, but not all of the 385 factory jobs in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Fleming believes the company's global headquarters will settle where the bulk of Mercury's manufacturing positions are. Right now, that's Fond du Lac.

The company says it will likely close the Stillwater facility within two years.

Tonight, Fond du Lac county officials will vote on the incentive package offered to the company.

The plan totals $53 million. $50 million would come from the county and the other $3 million would be from the city of Fond du Lac.

The package is a performance-based loan. For every job Mercury Marine keeps, $500 gets taken off the loan. For every new job, the company gets a credit of $1,000.

If county officials approve the loan, the board will hold a vote to add a half-percent sales tax to pay for it.

Just last week, the company announced it will keep 850 manufacturing jobs at its Fond du Lac plant, and will shift hundreds of other jobs from Oklahoma to Wisconsin.

The decision came after the company's union approved more than 100 contract changes.

City leaders say the tax would be worth it to keep the jobs in Fond du Lac.