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w w w. m a i n e b i z . b i z 15 Ja n ua r y 2 6 , 2 0 1 5 on the Coast Guard's fiscal year 2013 budget in which Papp, who has since retired, explained how the OPC construction bids would be evaluated: "We needed to build a ship that was affordable," Papp told the committee. "We have battled ourselves within the Coast Guard to make sure we're asking for just exactly what we need, nothing more, nothing less. And I have said three things to my staff as we go on forward — affordable, affordable, affordable." O'Rourke's analysis spells out the Coast Guard's three assumptions guiding its cost estimates for the OPC program: 1. e winning shipyard(s) will generally continue to reduce the labor hours required to build the OPC through the production of all 25 vessels. 2. Upwards of 55% of the cutter's construction and material costs would reflect commercial ship con- struction standards and 45% the higher standards followed in the construction of Navy combat vessels. 3. e production schedule would switch from one ship to two ships per year starting with the fourth and fifth vessels. "It all boils down to cost," says Harris. Top-to-bottom effort Since becoming BIW's president in November 2013, Harris has focused on improving the shipyard's train- ing, planning and manufacturing practices, all with the goal of becoming more competitive in an increasingly tough shipbuilding environment. General Dynamics Corp., BIW's Falls Church, Va.-based owner, has invested more than $70 million in shipyard improve- ments in the last couple of years, including: A new 51,315-square-foot Outfitting Hall adjacent to Ultra Hall (a $40 million facility completed in 2008) that will enhance the shipyard's capability of building ship modules of up to 5,000 tons in a controlled environment. e facility is scheduled to be completed by late summer. A new blast and painting facility capable of handling three-deck-high units, also slated to open by summer. A new 6,000-square-foot Trades Learning Center that opened last spring, where even the most experienced of new hires must take a rigor- ous six-week training program before working on a DDG-51 or DDG-1000 destroyer. e training effort, says Harris, is a crucial ele- ment of the shipyard's cost-cutting efforts. Last year the shipyard hired 500 workers, with more than 400 of them being tradesmen. is year, he expects to hire another 440 to 500 workers, with up to 450 being tradesmen. With 40% of its workforce being between the ages of 55 and 65, roughly half of U.S. Coast Guard plans call for building offshore patrol ships of 340 to 360 feet, capable of covering 9,000 nautical miles. Bath Iron Works is making a bid to build the ships, which would cost $484 million apiece. Providing your specialized staffing needs statewide! • Brunswick • Westbrook • Biddeford • Lewiston • Augusta • Bangor Call us today! Direct Personnel / Project Staffing / Project Flagging 207-854-2422 directpersonnel.net 800-639-8802 mainestaff.com Not only do you get the convenience of valet parking at the airport for $10 a day, but we'll take care of your car needs, too. www.parknjetportland.com 747-5650 Drive 100 yards past baggage claim. Look for our green sign. Open 4:30AM - 1AM or later. per day $10 park perks OiL chANge • cAr wAsh • DetAiLiNg with C o n t i n u e d o n f o l l ow i n G Pa G e » Offshore Patrol Cutter Successor to 270-foot and 210- foot medium endurance cutters, the new offshore patrol cutter is designed to have a maximum range of 9,000 nautical miles and is expected to be between 340 feet and 360 feet long. Coast Guard offshore patrol cutter S o u r C e : U.S. Coast Guard Competition Bath Iron Works is competing against Bollinger Shipyards Inc. in Lockport, La., and Eastern Shipbuilding Group Inc. in Panama City, Fla. Procurement Value of the 25-ship program has been estimated at $12.1 billion, with an average per-ship cost of $484 million. First ship is to be procured in fiscal year 2017. r e n d e r i n G / C o u r t e S y b at h i ro n wo r k S

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