briefs
70 Shipyards Awarded Grants
The Department of Transportation announced 70 grants totaling $98m in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds that will be used to improve small shipyards throughout the U.S. The funds are awarded through the Maritime Administration's Assistance to Small Shipyards program. The Small Shipyards Grant program provides up to 75 percent in ARRA funds for a project and requires the remainder be matched by the shipyard. Grantees include:
� Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa.: $2,312,614, for the first year of training program � All American Marine, Inc., Bellingham, Wa.: $297,827 for painting equipment, welding equipment, shipyard machinery, IT upgrades � Associated Naval Architects, Inc. Portsmouth, Va.: $476,893 for surface prep equipment; air service upgrades � Atlantic Marine Boston, LLC, Boston, Mass.: $412,688 for drydock ship handling system � Atlantic Marine Florida, LLC Jacksonville, Fla.: $1,234,340 for steel fabrication upgrades � Atlantic Marine Philadelphia LLC, Philadelphia, Pa.: $988,687 for a 60-ton crane; drydock ship handling system � Austal USA LLC, Mobile, Ala.: $1,807,500 for an overhead bridge crane; 225 ton mobile crane � BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair (Marine Training Program), San Diego, Calif.: $410,874 first year of training program � BAE Systems San Francisco Ship Repair, San Francisco, Calif.: $1,783,175 for drydock strengthening and upgrades � Bay Ship & Yacht Co., Alameda, Calif.: $1,452,526 for 90-ton crane; high reach equipment � Blount Boats, Inc. Warren, R.I.: $868,186 for hydraulic shear; brake press; plate roller � Bludworth Marine LLC (Orange), Orange, Texas: $124,875 for a 30-ton crane; forklift � Blue Danube Corporation, Georgetown, Pa.: $2,973,750 for new drydock � Blue Danube Incorporated, Dunlevy, Pa.: $365,115 for production enhancements � Colonna's Shipyard, Inc. Norfolk, Va.: $1,963,333 for a waste water treatment barge; DAF water treatment system; hydro blast equip; big top enclosure � Davis Boat Works, Inc., Newport News, Va.: $612,097 for blast enclosure; electrical upgrades � Derecktor Shipyards Connecticut, LLC, Bridgeport, Conn.: $2,947,710 for drydock modifications � Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc./Bay Fabrication, Inc., Panama City, Fla.: $2,986,620 for an Ogden panel line � Ellicott Dredges, LLC, formerly known as Baltimore Dredges, LLC Baltimore, Md.: $1,755,330 for material handling, machining, welding, and IT upgrades � Everett Shipyard, Inc., Everett, Wa.: $439,497 for mobile cover; training program � Fairhaven Shipyard Companies, Inc., September 2009
Aerial view of St. Johns Shipbuilding, Palatka, Fla., which was awarded $2,343,977 for drydock and air compressor. According to Bobby Barfield, General Manager, the funding was welcome. "With today's economy the shipbuilding market is extremely competitive. With banks lending less money to boat operators for repair, modifications and new builds, boat owners are holding on tighter to their dollars, forcing ship yards be even more competitive. St Johns Ship Building plans to use the stimulus grant money for improvements to our facility to help us be more competitive and also reach out and broaden our customer base. With the help of the stimulus money we plant to enlarge our drydock facility by adding (2) 40-ft. dry dock modules. That will allow us to increase our current dry dock in length by 80 ft. and allow us to go after larger jobs or separate the dock and operate as two each stand alone independent drydocks. Which will allow us to do multable jobs at one time. We will also be adding a larger air compressor, to support the dry docks with their compressed air needs, we plan on upgrading our fabrication shop with a Wheelabrator System complete with a paint booth, a CNC Cutting Table, Press Brake, and a Shear."
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