Duffy Announces Small Shipyard Grant Awards

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the awarding of grants July 21 totaling $8.75 million through the Maritime Administration’s Small Shipyard Grant program.

The grants target projects that a focus on training, workforce development and the implementation of new technologies for U.S. shipbuilding and repair facilities.

“President Trump’s plan to reclaim maritime dominance starts with rebuilding America’s shipyards,” Duffy said. “This program will help America to build big, beautiful ships again to counter Chinese competition and maintain freedom on the seas.”

Seventeen shipyards spread across 12 states will receive funding as part of the 2025 Small Shipyard Grant program. Since it was launched in 2008, the Small Shipyard Grant program has awarded $320.5 million through 382 grants.

“Unleashing the full power of America’s shipyards will boost our economic strength and national security,” said Sang Yi, acting MarAd administrator. “The Small Shipyard Grant program is revitalizing America’s maritime industry by investing in businesses that spur innovation, improve productivity and fuel job creation in communities around the country.”

Among the 17 grants recipients are nine inland or Gulf Coast shipyards, including five on the Gulf Coast and one each on the Tennessee, Monongahela, Wicomico and St. Johns rivers. Those shipyards are listed below.

Conrad Shipyard’s facility in Orange, Texas, located on the Sabine River just north of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW), will receive $418,200 to support the purchase of a CNC plasma cutting system.

Breaux’s Bay Craft Inc., located in New Iberia, La., on Bayou Teche, will receive $817,150 to support the purchase of a 200-ton Marine Travelift. PAR61 Marine Repair in Port Allen, La., will receive $723,242 to go toward Travelift infrastructure improvements, three new power distribution panels, a telehandler and a crane apron.

Master Boat Builders, located in Coden, Ala., will garner $427,596 from the program to support the purchase of a Caterpillar 980 wheel loader.

Eastern Shipbuilding Group of Panama City, Fla., will receive $93,537 to support the purchase of a 10-foot plate shear. Across the Florida peninsula from Eastern, in the city of Palatka, Fla., St. Johns Ship Building, located on the Wicomico River, will receive $617,040 for the purchase of a Grove GRT8100 100-ton rough terrain crane.

Inland on the Tennessee River, JamesBuilt LLC of Calvert City, Ky., will receive $599,130 to go toward the purchase of a 65-ton rough terrain crane. Farther east, Heartland Fabrication of Brownsville, Pa., located on the Monongahela, will receive $588,092 to support the purchase of a Koike Aronson plasma cutting machine.

Chesapeake Shipbuilding Corporation, located on the Wicomico River in Salisbury, Md., will receive $817,150 to go toward the purchase of a 160-ton rough terrain mobile crane.

The remaining grant recipients include the following.

• Resolve Marine Inc. of Dutch Harbor, Alaska, will receive $447,341.00 to support the purchase of a Caterpillar 980 Wheel Loader.

• Marine Group Boat Works of Chula Vista, Calif., will receive $248,402.50 to support the purchase of a Flow Mach 500 Waterjet Metal Cutting Table.

• Bay Ship & Yacht Company of Alameda, Calif., will receive $388,777.00 to support the purchase of a CNC plasma arc and gas cutting equipment.

• J. Goodison Company of North Kingston, R.I., will receive $274,596.00 to support the purchase of welding equipment and a press brake.

• Ice Floe LLC, operating as Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, of Freeland, Wash., will receive $357,317.00 to support the purchase of a CNC router table, CNC laser table, dust collector, dehumidifier and 15 multi-process welders with wire feeds.

• Snow & Company Inc. of Seattle will receive $817,150.00 to support the purchase of a CNC press brake with segmented dies and a deburring machine.

• Lake Union Drydock Company of Seattle will receive $298,131.64 to support the purchase of a 9-ton mobile crane, a 4-pack of weld machines, plate cutter and drydock LED lighting.

• Fraser Shipyards of Superior, Wis., will receive $817,146.23 to support the purchase of Link Belt 130-ton telescopic boom rough terrain crane.

Of the 17 grants awarded, the four largest totaled around $817,000, while Eastern Shipbuilding Group’s $94,000 grant was the smallest. Just over half of the grants (nine) went toward fabrication equipment, with five going toward cranes. Only one grant supported worker training. Geographically, Gulf Coast shipyards garnered five grants, the West Coast received four and East Coast shipyards received three grants. Two inland shipyards received grants. The Great Lakes region and Alaska each received one grant.