24 Small Shipyards Garner $19.6 Million In Grants From MarAd
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao announced April 20 the award of $19.6 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MarAd) through the Small Shipyard Grant Program. Twenty-four small shipyards, defined as those with fewer than 1,200 employees and involved primarily in the repair or construction of commercial vessels, received grants ranging from just over $300,000 to nearly $1.7 million.
The goal for the annual grant program is to help modernize and boost efficiency at the nation’s small shipyards.
“This $19.6 million federal government investment in the nation’s small shipyards will help maintain the U.S. shipyard infrastructure of our country,” Chao said in announcing the awards.
In addition to capital projects, work eligible for the grant program includes training projects to enhance crew skills and productivity.
“Small shipyard grants play a significant role in supporting local communities by creating jobs for working families,” Maritime Administrator Mark Buzby said in a statement. “These shipyards are a tangible investment in our nation’s maritime infrastructure and the future of our maritime workforce.”
According to the Department of Transportation, shipyards across the United States account for close to 400,000 jobs, more than $25 billion in labor income and $37.3 billion in gross domestic product.
A third of grant recipients are located in the Gulf Coast region, which include the following:
• Alabama Shipyard LLC in Mobile, Ala., $571,887 to upgrade four travel trucks with new assemblies on a 150-ton portal crane
• Blakely Boatworks Inc., Mobile, Ala., $379,408 for a 500-ton press brake, welding machines, overhead cranes and man lifts
• Gulf Marine Repair Corporation, Tampa, Fla., $692,100 for a CNC plasma cutting machine and 100-ton rough terrain crane
• C&C Marine & Repair LLC, Belle Chasse, La., $979,638 for a 275-ton crawler crane
• Cooper Consolidated LLC, Convent, La., $1.2 million for a 620-ton Marine Travelift
• VT Halter Marine of Pascagoula, Miss., $1,695,118 for a 1,250-ton press brake
• Gulf Copper Ship Repair Inc., Corpus Christi, Texas, $423,186 for a 110-ton crane
• Bludworth Marine LLC of Houston, Texas, $1,337,468 for a 275-ton crawler crane
Other shipyards receiving Small Shipyard Grant Program funds include, by region:
Great Lakes
• Mackinac Marine Service of St. Ignace, Mich., $752,933 for a travelift and welding equipment
• Smith Boys Marine Sales Inc. of North TonAwanda, N.Y., $317,641 for a transporter and CNC plasma cutter
• Great Lakes Towing Company of Cleveland, Ohio, $1.4 million for an 820-ton travelift
• Fraser Shipyards Inc., Superior, Wis., $793,162 for improvements to overhead material handling and steel brake processing
Southeast
• Metal Trades Inc., Hollywood, S.C., $492,128 for a 55-ton Grove all terrain crane and three Skytrak telehandler forklifts
Northeast
• J. Goodison Company Inc., North Kingstown, R.I., $504,237 for a shipyard rough terrain crane project
Mid-Atlantic
• Philly Shipyard Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., $640,158 for a Messer system
• Colonna’s Shipyard Inc., Norfolk, Va., $799,996 for the purchase of welding machines
• Chesapeake Shipbuilding Corporation of Salisbury, Md., $830,622 for a 130-ton rough terrain crane
Pacific Northwest
• WCT Marine & Construction Inc., Astoria, Ore., $573,075 for an enclosed work structure, work pad with drains and a filtration system
• Diversified Marine Inc. of Portland, Ore., $1,253,160 for a 275-ton crawler crane
• SAFE Boats International LLC of Bremerton, Wash., $587,035 for a router and press brake
• Mavrik Marine Inc., La Conner, Wash., $564,850 for a bridge crane, welding system and compressor
California and Pacific Islands
• Madre Island Dry Dock, Vallejo, Calif., $1,066,326 for a 165-ton rough terrain crane
• Cabras Marine Corporation, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana’s Islands, $1 million for a 275-ton truck crane
• Marisco Ltd of Kapolei, Hawaii, $745,872 for a blast and paint booth
The Small Shipyard Grant Program funds up to 75 percent of the cost of a project, program or piece of equipment, with the shipyards identifying the remainder of the funding. The program was created in 2006, with the only lapses in funding coming in fiscal years 2014 and 2015.
