U.S. Department of Transportation Awards $17.1 Million in Shipyard Grants

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration today announced $17.1 million in grants to 14 small shipyards in 10 states. The grants are part of the Assistance to Small Shipyards program.

“Small shipyards are vitally important for the health of the maritime industry, and for the nation’s economy,” said Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood.

The purpose of the grants is to make capital and infrastructure improvements that facilitate the efficiency, competitive operations, and quality in ship construction and repair. Small shipyards fall into two categories: those with fewer than 600 employees, and those with between 600 and 1200 employees. All but two of today’s recipients have fewer than 600 employees.

Recipients, amounts, and purposes of grants are as follows:

• Pacific Ship Repair & Fabrication, Inc., San Diego, California: $319,365 for waterjet cutting machine, press brake, shear
• North Florida Shipyards, Inc., Jacksonville, Florida: $3,312, 369 for waterblast equipment and a 600-ton travelift
• Bollinger Shipyards Lockport LLC, Lockport, Louisiana: $1,146,596 for a press, plasma cutting table, 6” mill
• Total Marine Services of Jefferson, Inc., of Harvey, Louisiana: $640,264 for 100 ton crawler crane and welding equipment
• Duclos Corporation dba Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding of Somerset, Massachusetts: $629, 675 for lifts, skylights, lighting upgrades, overhead cranes, and two 22-ton cranes
• Basic Marine, Inc., of Escanaba, Michigan: $1,376,187 for a cutting table, press brake, and welders
• VT Halter Marine Inc (Pascagoula), Pascagoula, Mississippi: $1,565,587 for a 450-ton transporter and portable retractable platen cover
• VT Halter Marine Inc, Moss Point Marine, Moss Point, Mississippi: $868,011 for a CNC burning table
• VT Halter Marine Inc, Halter Moss Point, Mississippi: for $436,406 for press brake and CNC burning table
• Zidell Corporation, Portland, Oregon: $454,042 for plasma cutting machine, welding equipment, vacuum plate lifter
• Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, Inc., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: $1,951,022 for thermal machining center
• William E. Munson Co., Inc, Edmonds, Washington: $150,585 for welders, shear, press
• Bay Shipbuilding Co. (A Division of Fincantieri Marine Group LLC) of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin: $2,894,972 for 220-ton transporter, micro panel line, burning machine, magnetic lift beam, brake press
• Marinette Marine Company of Marinette, Wisconsin: $1,404,919 for bridge cranes, deck straightener, cable system, panel line jib cranes

The Department of Transportation is using the Small Shipyard Grants program to administer grants to be made under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Those grants will be for a much larger total, $98 million, and are expected to be announced shortly.

The Maritime Administration is the agency in the Department of Transportation dealing with waterborne transportation. Its mission is to improve and strengthen the U.S. marine transportation system, including infrastructure, industry and labor, to meet the economic and security needs of the United States.