The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration on Friday announced that Blount Boats, Inc., of Warren, RI, will receive $937,933 to purchase a telehandler, two 3-ton overhead cranes, a single forklift and four scissor lifts to significantly improve their material handling efficiency.
This follows MARAD’s announcement of $19.6 million in grant awards to 24 small shipyards in 19 states through the Small Shipyard Grant Program. The funds will help awardees modernize, increase productivity, and expand local employment opportunities while competing in the global marketplace.
“Small businesses are the lifeblood of the American economy, and small shipyards play a critical role in America’s maritime industry, helping us get the goods we depend on every day,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “These grants will help modernize small shipyards in communities across the country, creating and protecting local jobs, strengthening America’s maritime industry, and securing our economic future.”
Since 2008, MARAD’s Small Shipyard Grant Program has awarded $282.2 million to nearly 300 shipyards in 32 states and territories throughout the U.S. They strengthen communities along and near our nation’s ports and waterways. Many small shipyards are family-run businesses—and they are all enterprises in which small investments can make big differences.
“These grants will allow small businesses to do what they do best, which is to build essential infrastructure while creating long-term and well-paying jobs for Americans,” said Maritime Administrator Ann Phillips. “Better equipment means increased productivity and more ships and watercraft moving through our small shipyards. Growing this industry further supports and strengthens our domestic maritime industry.”
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