Article: Steve Heese.

Tough times call for creativity, particularly when you're selling luxury items. Steve Heese, who runs Sarasota, Fla., boat builder Chris-Craft from its plant in Kings Mountain, is banking on cooler designs to keep the business afloat. In November, it unveiled the GT Lancer model, a collaboration with General Motors in which boat and car have a similar look, with a vintage feel including leather seats and chrome steering wheels and controls. "In order to spark that 'gotta have' urge in a customer, you need to deliver that wow factor," Heese, 48, says.

The new model is one of many the company has cranked out to weather the sour economy. In July, it laid off 80 ...

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