MARITIME COMMISSION APPROVES FUNDS
FOR UNITED STATES MARINE, INC., IN GULFPORT

Cochran, Wicker Advocated Small Shipyard Grant Funds for Mississippi

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker today announced that the federal Maritime Administration has approved a $476,670 grant that will allow United States Marine, Inc., in Gulfport to purchase shipyard equipment to improve its production of military, patrol and special warfare boats.

The Maritime Administration, an agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation, awarded the funds as part of the Assistance to Small Shipyards grant program.  The grant to Gulfport is taken from the $17.5 million provided by Congress in the FY2010 Omnibus Appropriations Bill for the small shipyards program.

“The small shipyard grant program provides resources to increase the competitiveness of small shipyards.  I am pleased that this Gulfport facility will receive funding to acquire equipment that will help it expand its contributions to our national security and the economic base of the Gulf Coast,” said Cochran, who as vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee has advocated funding for the small shipyard grant program.

“This crucial funding will help the Gulfport facility to acquire state of the art equipment necessary to  continue producing top of the line boats used for homeland security and national defense missions, while retaining critical shipbuilding jobs along the Mississippi Coast,” said Wicker, who serves on the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmospheres, Fisheries, and Coast Guard.

United States Marine, Inc., applied for the grant to help it purchase an epoxy oven, composite freezer and CNC material cutter.  Founded in 1971, this Gulfport-based company builds high-performance, special mission capable boats for military and other agency use.

In all, the Maritime Administration today announced $14.7 million in grants to small shipyards in 16 states for capital and related improvements that will foster efficiency, competitive operations and quality ship construction, repair and reconfiguration.  Among the grants announced today was $1.1 million to G&G Boat Works, Inc., in Mobile for the purchase of a 220-ton crawler crane.

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