Out of the dozen shipyards announced as award recipients by
the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) on July
24, only All American Marine is located on the West Coast.
Bellingham, Washington-based All American Marine was awarded
$999,100, which the company says it will use for overhead cranes, welding
machines, a CNC router, scissors lifts, painting area upgrades and ventilation
upgrades.
The federal grants are provided through MARAD’s Small
Shipyard Grant Program, which is designed to foster efficiency and
modernizations that allow shipyards to compete more effectively in the global
marketplace.
“Improvements at our shipyards mean more ships can be built
right here in the United States, which means more jobs for hard-working
Americans,” US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a prepared
statement. “These grants are about creating new opportunities in our local
communities, as well as competing in the global economy.”
For the latest round of awards, MARAD said it received 113
grant applications requesting a total of $96 million in assistance, over 10
times more than the $9.46 million available.
In addition to All American Marine, funding recipients
include Seacraft Shipyard, LLC in Amelia, Louisiana, which received the largest
portion of the funding -- $1.1 million -- for a marine travelift; and C&C
Marine and Repair of Belle Chasse, Louisiana, which was granted $999,920 for a
220-ton hydraulic crane.
Other grant recipients are based throughout the U.S.,
including in New Jersey, Florida, Texas and Maryland. A full list of recipient
shipyards and award amounts can be downloaded at http://www.marad.dot.gov/documents/Grant_Awards.doc.
