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HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | NOVEMBER 7, 2022 9 ing laborers, workforce training and a supply chain that already feeds larger defense contractors like Sikorsky Aircraft, Pratt & Whitney and Electric Boat. "Connecticut's got a lot to offer," said Anne Evans, who is working as a strategic advisor to Birdon. "These folks came to the right place for that reason between the work- force development support, the great supply chain and the innovation that goes on here. This is a state that has things up in the sky and under- water. And there's no place else in the world that does that. So, they can make anything these guys want." Evans, a former director with the U.S. Department of Commerce Inter- national Trade Administration and a longtime promoter of the state's man- ufacturing industry, is helping Birdon navigate Connecticut's political and business waters. Among other tasks, she is helping the company connect with area man- ufacturers, and establish workforce development partnerships. Building a local workforce Birdon has so far hired 37 staff to work on the Coast Guard contract in Portland, with plans to increase to 65 employees by the end of 2023, Scott said. And there could be more to come, depending on responses to additional contract bids Birdon is now pursuing. While Connecticut has a strong manufacturing tradition and a history of skilled labor, manufacturers are increasingly struggling to fill open positions. State employers reported 114,000 job openings at the end of August, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. About 11,000 of those jobs were in manufacturing, according to Connecticut Business & Industry Association CEO Chris DiPentima. Birdon will face competition for talent from another boat maker, sub- marine manufacturer Electric Boat, which is in the process of hiring thou- sands of people at its Groton campus as it builds a new fleet of ballistic missile submarines for the U.S. Navy. Scott notes labor shortages aren't confined to Connecticut. It's a chal- lenge that would exist wherever the company locates, he said. Birdon hopes to establish appren- tice programs with Vinal Technical High School, Goodwin University, UConn and others. It is working with the Connecticut Department of Labor to establish apprenticeship opportuni- ties targeted at veterans. Scott said the company also tries to be a "great place to work," so employees will recruit friends and family. It offers referral bonuses of $2,000 to $4,000. Birdon is also maintaining the rec- reational marina it purchased as part of a promise it made to the property's former owners, Dean and Kristin Bourbeau. It kept on 14 Yankee Marina staff and has hired six more. If Birdon is going to be in the marina business, it wants to be the premier family facility in the region, Scott said. Eastern Australia roots Birdon got its start in 1977 as a dredging company based in Port Macquarie, on Australia's east coast. Its founder, truck driver Jim Bruce, started the business with just a cou- ple of deckhands, according to Scott. The company landed its first major military contract in 1992, refitting troop landing craft for the Austra- lian military. It got its big "break- through" in 2003, with a contract for 23 bridge erection propulsion boats for the Australian military. The company expanded to America in 2008, with a contract for 200 bridge erection boats, an order that was later expanded to 491 through a second contract. Birdon does more than defense contracting. It runs the freight service between mainland Australia and Lord Howe Island. It has a dredging divi- sion. It disassembles ships and builds waterjet propulsion units for civilian and military use. It also designs and builds boats for marine trades and defense applications. In early October, the company announced it secured a contract worth up to $1.2 billion for the design and construction of up to 27 "water- way commerce cutters" for the U.S. Coast Guard. These are essentially working boats used to maintain buoys and other navigation aids. Those boats, which are up to 180 feet long, will be built in Louisiana, Scott said. Birdon's bridge erection boats are built in Denver. There is one tied up in Portland. It's a drab green, boxy, aluminum boat of nearly eight tons and 24 feet in length. With twin 248-horsepower diesel engines powering waterjets, the boats are designed to drag bridge sections in rivers and hold them in place while troops and equipment cross. The boat in Portland will be used for research and development, allow- ing innovations in propulsion and automation to be tested on the water, said Dennis Hancock, a Birdon program director who helps manage the Portland facility. Able to quickly power up to about 32 mph, turn and stop on a dime, the bridge erection boat is also a power- ful marketing tool. Warm welcome Portland First Selectmen Ryan J. Curley went for a ride Oct. 21, when he visited the boat yard with mem- bers of the town's Economic Devel- opment Commission. Curley said he was already impressed by ongoing property beau- tification, and the com- pany's growth plans. "Ever since they arrived, they have been a wonderful partner with the town," Curley said. "Every time I've been down there, there's been additional changes, improvements and new employ- ees. They are really hiring some highly-skilled positions." Birdon's proposal for a new produc- tion building and a temporary pow- er-washing facility are before local land-use boards, Curley said. Town officials are also consider- ing adopting new "marine" zoning in that area to help Birdon with future growth, Curley said. Curley said he hopes to see the company continue to grow its pres- ence and employee rolls in Portland. "Portland's history was in shipbuild- ing and quarrying," Curley said. "We are very appreciative we can keep the history of Portland shipbuilding alive under this new endeavor and it plays a role not just in Portland's economy, but also for Middlesex County and the state." Birdon paid $250,000 for this decommissioned motor lifeboat in order to prepare for its ultimately successful bid to overhaul most of the U.S. Coast Guard's fleet. HBJ PHOTO | STEVE LASCHEVER Anne Evans Ryan J. Curley