Mainebiz

V O L . X X I I I N O. X V J U LY 1 0 , 2 0 1 7 12 L ike the nuclear-powered sub- marines it services for Uncle Sam, Maine's Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is a force to be reckoned with. Spread across 300 acres on a group of islands in the Piscataqua River and linked by two bridges to Kittery, PNS is the oldest of four remaining naval shipyards –with a reputation for delivering ahead of schedule at or below budget, like the USS Providence fi nished 23 days early in April. Established by the federal government in 1800, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard built submarines until 1971, when it switched to maintaining, repairing and modernizing nuclear submarines. "It's a 19th-century industry that's managed to stay relevant," says shipyard historian Joe Gluckert, adding that vessels leaving the yard today are "state of the art, the fi nest ships a Navy can have." Economic impact Unknown even to many Mainers, the government- owned and -operated facil- ity is one of the state's stop employers, with 5,430 civilians working at the ship- yard out of 6,329 total at the base. e Seacoast Shipyard Association, set up in 1964 to protect the interests of the yard and surrounding communities, estimates the 2016 economic impact at $756 mil- lion. e fi gure includes $496.2 million in salaries for civilians and $43.2 million for military personnel, $76.6 million in goods and services purchased and $140.6 million in contracted facility services. Capt. David Hunt, the shipyard's 50-year-old commander, puts the eco- nomic impact as high as $1 billion, count- ing secondary and tertiary eff ects. "It's pretty powerful, a pretty big economic engine, when you look at it, for the area." A third of the way into his three-year posting, Hunt is the yard's 85th com- mander, going back to "Old Ironsides" commander Isaac Hull in 1812. Like the more famous General Dynamics Corp.'s Bath Iron Works, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard has its own storied history and strategic impor- tance. Established two decades before Maine became a state, the shipyard has weathered two world wars, base closure threats, and a Maine-New Hampshire border dispute resolved by a 2001 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Maine's favor. ( e vote was 8-0 with Anchors Aweigh at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard The Kittery site is a major employer in southern Maine, with 6,300 civilian workers B y R e n e e C o r d e s S O U T H E R N M A I N E F O C U S Portsmouth Naval Shipyard: Historic milestones 1800 First Navy shipyard estab- lished at Portsmouth 1822 Bridge between Portsmouth and Kittery completed 1855 USS Constitution, "Old Ironsides," refurbished 1898 Captured Spanish prisoners held in the shipyard 1905 Signing of the Portsmouth Treaty ending the Russo- Japanese War 1944 Launched record four sub- marines in one day, Jan. 27 1958 First nuclear-powered submarine built in a Naval shipyard (USS Swordfish) 1971 Commissioned last new sub- marine built at the shipyard, USS Sandlance. Took on new mission to maintain, repair and modernize nuclear- powered submarines. 2017 Completed maintenance on USS Providence on budget and 23 days early P H O T O / J I M N E U G E R P H O T O / J I M N E U G E R P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y P O R T S M O U T H N AVA L S H I P YA R D Capt. David Hunt aims to ready the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for full- time Virginia-class maintenance. The shipyard has a prominent spot on the islands in the Piscataqua River, the border between Maine and New Hampshire. Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, which dates to 1820, employs a total of 6,329 civilians, including 5,430 at the shipyard and the balance elsewhere on the base.

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