The 60,000-square-foot facility occupies a 50-acre waterfront site and will serve as the company’s primary North American production and sustainment hub. The operation is expected to create 30 new jobs initially, with additional employment anticipated as production develops.
Those positions will include advanced manufacturing, engineering, technical services, vessel repair and maintenance, offering skilled employment opportunities for Edenton and surrounding communities.
Stein described the opening as a new opportunity for Chowan County and the region. In his remarks, he pointed to the potential for employment to grow toward 200 new jobs as the operation expands, with opportunities for engineers and manufacturing workers.
“North Carolina has the skilled workforce, manufacturing expertise, and maritime heritage that companies like The Whiskey Project Group need to succeed,” Stein said in the announcement accompanying the opening. “This investment will bring good-paying jobs to northeastern North Carolina, strengthen our national security, and create new opportunities for the people of Chowan and neighboring counties.”
Schuback’s remarks centered on gratitude — for employees and their families, customers who trusted a young Australian company, and a community willing to become part of its future.
His experience operating in demanding maritime environments, he said, exposed him to the consequences when equipment fell short. When he founded The Whiskey Project Group in 2019, his objective was straightforward.
“I had one simple goal: to build the boats that I wish I had while serving,” Schuback said.
That experience helped shape a company focused on designing vessels around the needs of the people operating them, particularly when lives and missions depend on their performance.
What began as an idea has grown into a business serving military, law enforcement, rescue, commercial and other specialized maritime operators. Schuback described the Edenton facility as both an investment in the company’s future and a commitment to the United States.
“This facility represents growth. It represents opportunity. It represents our commitment to the United States,” he said.
But the buildings and equipment, he emphasized, are only part of the story.
“Facilities don’t create success. People do.”
Schuback thanked employees for their work, resilience and commitment, along with the sacrifices made by their families. The finished vessels and public announcements, he said, reveal only part of the effort behind the company’s growth. Less visible are the long hours, setbacks, risks and determination required to reach those milestones.
He singled out the United States Marine Corps for its role in helping the company develop, thanking the Marines and leaders who backed its vision and challenged it to innovate and improve.
The relationship, he said, extends beyond the boats themselves to the capabilities they provide: helping Marines move faster, operate farther and maintain a tactical advantage in demanding maritime environments.
“Our job is simple: to give operators every possible advantage,” Schuback said.
The Whiskey Project Group designs, builds and sustains advanced watercraft for defense, government, commercial and recreational customers. Its Edenton operation combines aluminum and composite vessel manufacturing with repair, maintenance and other services intended to keep vessels operating throughout their working lives.
The governor’s announcement identified Whiskey, NAiAD and VYCOR among the brands the facility will support. They include tactical multi-mission vessels, high-performance rigid-hulled inflatable boats and utility craft.
Establishing production and sustainment operations in Edenton brings those capabilities closer to American customers while creating opportunities to develop local workers and supply chains.
Schuback also acknowledged the Australian embassy and Austrade for helping the company establish connections and expand internationally. He thanked the waterfront property’s owners and staff for their partnership, then turned his attention to the town.
“You didn’t just provide a place to build boats,” he said. “You provided a place to build the future.”
For High, the opening represented the promise of careers that allow residents to develop skills and support their families close to home.
"This is a wonderful day. On behalf of the Town of Edenton, it is my pleasure to welcome The Whiskey Project to Edenton and Chowan County. There is much to be excited about, especially what this project means for our future. Darren, we are delighted that you have chosen Edenton and Chowan County as the home for your U.S. operations."
The mayor thanked the visiting officials for making time to travel to northeastern North Carolina and welcomed the company to Edenton and Chowan County.
High connected that investment to the community’s long-term prospects.
“Their location here means opportunities for our citizens to develop new skills, build careers, support their families, and create a stronger future right here at home — a community where they can live, work, and play,” he said.
Since 2015, eight Australian companies have selected North Carolina for new or expanded operations, accounting for more than 600 jobs and more than $245 million in capital investment.
In Chowan County, the facility joins recent investments in technology employment and downtown infrastructure.
As Schuback looked ahead, he described the opening as a beginning. The vessels built in Edenton will support critical missions, he said, while the jobs will support families and the partnerships will strengthen the community.
The company’s responsibility, he added, is to keep listening to customers, investing in employees and building the vessels operators need.
“We’re proud of what we’ve achieved,” Schuback said. “We’re excited for what comes next, and we’re just getting started.”
