Two Maryland shipyards will receive grants the totaling more than $4 million as part of President Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), according to the U.S. Dept. of Transportation. General Ship Repair Corp. in Baltimore City received a $2.4 million grant to build a new 1,000-ton dry dock. The project is expected to be completed within one year and General Ship Repair has estimated it will hire 20 new employees as a result of the expansion.
Baltimore's Ellicott Dredges LLC, the largest dredge builder in the United States, was awarded $1.7 million. The company will use the funds to upgrade the facility, including IT and other mechanical systems, helping it to retain 20 jobs and create 5 new jobs in the next year.
This funding will have an immediate positive impact, helping to save and create jobs and keep ships � and the goods they carry � safe and moving in Maryland," says Senator Mikulski, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
The funds were awarded through the Maritime Administration's Assistance to Small Shipyards program and are intended to help create and preserve jobs, providing valuable employment training and improvements to shipyards.
Writer: Walaika Haskins
Source: DBED