Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 63 A P R I L 2 9 , 2 0 1 9 25 T echnological advances revo- lutionized the boatbuilding industry over the past 25 years. Front Street Shipyard, Brooklin Boat Yard, Hodgdon Yachts, Lyman- Morse Boatbuilding, Hinckley Yachts and others are working with new lightweight, high-strength materi- als and digital tools, from computer numerical control machines to com- puter-aided drafting. ey incorporate electronics that can allow the boat to be controlled from a single touch- screen. More recently, yards are look- ing at 3D printing for its potential to produce parts and molds. Yet yards still value old-fashioned woodworking skills. And wooden boatbuilding remains a small but robust niche in a field dominated by fiberglass and composites. e most recent recession resulted in hundreds of layoffs. Many builders began addressing the market's unpre- dictability by diversifying. Hodgdon Yachts branched into building boats for government and military mar- kets. Others turned their composites capabilities toward the production of non-marine components. New partnerships created new opportunities. Front Street Shipyard in Belfast, founded in 2011, has seen unprecedented growth. Steve White, who owns Brooklin Boat Yard and is a partner in Front Street Shipyard, says Front Street was developed to meet customer demand for bigger boats over 80 feet. Indeed, the shipyard's footprint on Belfast's waterfront has expanded with additional boatbuilding space, including the 22,500-square-foot Building 6, which just opened. "We always felt there was a demand for that kind of yard on the coast of Maine," he says. White recalls the 1990s as a time when traditional wooden boatbuilding fell away, as composites took precedence. Since then, demand has increased for more sophistication in styles and systems. e digital revolution made design and construction far easier. "In the early days, we were lay- ing stuff out full-size on a loft floor, spending a couple of weeks on our hands and knees," he says. "Computer design was a big step toward saving time and improving accuracy." Changes at shipyards supplying the Navy Similar investments in Bath Iron Works and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard helped them maintain their shipbuilding prowess. At Bath Iron Works, the 1990s was marked by dramatic cuts in the defense budget and a subsequent cut- ting of the workforce. Today, BIW's workforce is roughly half the 1990 peak of 12,000 workers. In 1995, BIW was acquired by General Dynamics, which invested $500 million in modernization initia- tives. Soon after BIW received its first U.S. Navy order to build Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, followed by an order of three DDG 1000 destroyers. By 2014, BIW was looking to add 500 new employees and bring the work- force to 6,000. Over two decades, it has built more than 40 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. BIW currently has four DDG 51 destroyers under construction and two in backlog, with work expected to last into 2028. e shipyard continues to add workers, in many cases replacing those that have retired. Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery is also scrambling to find 700 workers to meet a booming workload. at's on top of the 1,400 hired over the past two years. e shipyard is a major driver of Seacoast region's economy. Established in 1800 and the U.S. Navy's oldest continuously operat- ing shipyard, it was long a center for submarine design and construction. e last submarine was built there in 1969. In 1994, the shipyard was placed on an EPA Superfund site. e 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission placed the yard on a list for closures. But employees organized a "Save Our Shipyard" campaign, and the commission reversed its decision. Today the shipyard performs subma- rine overhaul, refueling and modern- ization work. As of 2017, the yard had 6,450 employees and a total economic impact of $751.8 million. Plans are in the works now to construct a multi- mission dry dock and other upgrades. Laurie Schreiber, Mainebiz senior writer, can be reached at lschreiber @ mainebiz.biz Staying afloat New technologies shape growth of ship and boatbuilding B y L a u r i e S c h r e i b e r S H I P YA R D S A N D BO AT B U I L D I N G Fred Harris, president of Bath Iron Works. In 1995, BIW was acquired by General Dynamics, which invested $500 million to modernize the shipbuilding operation. Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery has been steadily hiring to keep up with its workload refurbishing Navy vessels. Front Street Shipyard is a privately held boatyard in Belfast. It builds, repairs and maintains a wide range of vessels. 2 0 1 5 F I L E P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY F I L E P H O T O / J I M N E U G E R P H O T O / B I L LY B L A C K

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