U .S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy has announced that the Maritime Administration (Marad) will distribute $8.75 million in grants through the 2025 Small Shipyard Grant program.
The funding level matches last year’s amount but remains significantly below previous years. From 2017 through 2023, the program allocated around $20 million annually. Last year, that number dropped to $8.75 million and remains unchanged in 2025.
The Small Shipyard Grant program supports workforce development, advanced training, and the adoption of new technologies within the U.S. shipbuilding sector. Seventeen shipyards across 12 states received funding in this latest round.
Fiscal year 2025 Small Shipyard Grant recipients are:
Master Boat Builders, Coden, Ala., will receive $427,596.38 to support the procurement and integration of training equipment and technologies.
Resolve Marine, Inc., Dutch Harbor, Alaska, will receive $447,341.00 to support the purchase of a Caterpillar 980 wheel loader.
Marine Group Boat Works, LLC, Chula Vista, Calif., will receive $248,402.50 to support the purchase of a Flow Mach 500 waterjet metal cutting table.
Bay Ship & Yacht Co., Alameda, Calif., will receive $388,777.00 to support the purchase of a CNC plasma arc and gas cutting equipment.
Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc., Panama City, Fla., will receive $93,537.75 to support the purchase of a 10’ plate shear.
St. Johns Ship Building, Inc., of Palatka, Fla., will receive $617,040.00 to support the purchase of a Grove GRT8100 110-ton rough terrain crane.
JamesBuilt, LLC, Calvert City, Ky., will receive $599,130.00 to support the purchase of a 65-ton rough terrain crane.
Breaux’s Bay Craft, Inc., of New Iberia, La., will receive $817,150.00 to support the purchase of a 200-ton marine travelift.
PAR61 Marine Repair, Port Allen, La., will receive $723,242.00 to support travelift infrastructure improvements, three new power distribution panels, a telehandler, and a crane apron.
Chesapeake Shipbuilding Corp., Salisbury Md., will receive $817,150.00 to support the purchase of a 160-ton rough terrain mobile crane.
Heartland Fabrication, LLC, Brownsville, Penn., will receive $588,092.00 to support the purchase of a Koike Aronson PlatePro XHD model 3700 plasma cutting machine.
J. Goodison Company of North Kingston, R.I., will receive $274,596.00 to support the purchase of welding equipment and a press brake.
Conrad Orange Shipyard, Inc., of Orange, Texas, will receive $418,200.50 to support the purchase of a CNC plasma cutting system.
Ice Floe, LLC, dba Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, Freeland, Wash., will receive $357,317.00 to support the purchase of a CNC router table, CNC laser table, dust collector, dehumidifier, and 15 multi-process welders with wire feeds.
Snow & Company, Inc., Seattle, Wash, will receive $817,150.00 to support the purchase of a CNC press brake with segmented dies and deburring machine.
Lake Union Drydock Company, Seattle, Wash., will receive $298,131.64 to support the purchase of a 9-ton mobile crane, 4-pack of weld machines, plate cutter, and drydock LED lighting.
Fraser Shipyards, LLC, Superior, Wis., will receive $817,146.23 to support the purchase of Link Belt 130-ton telescopic boom rough terrain crane.
This year’s awards include funding for two marine travel lifts and related infrastructure upgrades, a notable increase from zero travel lift-related awards last year, which experts have stated are the backbone of a shipyard’s functionality.
In its announcement, the Department of Transportation described the nation’s small shipyards as “strategic assets” critical to both national security and economic growth. “Employing more than 100,000 Americans, these shipyards are fundamental engines of local job growth and have unique capabilities, from custom vessel development to specialized repair services,” the statement read.
The department also referenced President Trump’s executive order aimed at restoring American maritime strength, emphasizing the shipbuilding sector’s role in advancing defense capabilities, growing manufacturing, and expanding the maritime workforce.
DOT noted that since the program’s inception in 2008, the Small Shipyard Grant program has awarded 382 grants totaling $320.5 million to qualified small shipyard facilities.
