Boat maker temporarily closes shop

Slow sales of recreational watercraft are triggering a shutdown at a Lebanon boat factory that will last at least a month. Lowe Boats usually shuts down for a week during the holidays. But the company’s owners says the factory won’t reopen until mid-January. 400 people work for the company in Lebanon. A company spokesman says the economy has cooled-off, and luxury items like boats are frequently the first thing people stop buying.