Courtney Announces more than $430,000 in Federal Funding to Support Continued Growth at New London’s Thames Shipyard & Repair Co.

NORWICH, CT—Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02), Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces, announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) will award a federal grant totaling $438,690 to support the enhancement of operations at Thames Shipyard & Repair Co. in New London, CT. The federal grant will be awarded through USDOT's Maritime Administration (MARAD), and will provide funding to improve and expand surface preparation capabilities in order to achieve greater capacity and efficiency at the New London shipyard.

In February, Courtney wrote to MARAD officials in full support of the federal funding proposal submitted by Thames Shipyard & Repair Co. To read Rep. Courtney's letter of support, click here.

"The Federal Maritime Administration's award to Thames Shipyard and Repair demonstrates once again the deep connection eastern Connecticut has to our nation's maritime economy. As the Department of Defense and MARAD have consistently reported, Connecticut ranks in the top three states in the country for shipbuilding and repair, which extends beyond Electric Boat and includes commercial yards such as Thames," said Congressman Courtney. "Over the last decade, Thames has steadily grown its customer base and workforce, adding to the region's economy, and the federal government's award today is another vote of confidence in the value of its operation. The investments the Wronowski family has made in expanded dry docks and modernized equipment has paid off with a backlog of private sector and public work."

"We are thankful to MARAD in recognizing the small shipyard industry and its contributions to the local, state and national economies. This project of acquiring new surface preparation equipment to continue to modernize and create efficiencies at Thames Shipyard is consistent with our overall business strategy. In our efforts to meet the needs of our customers, this project will help keep Thames Shipyard a leader in the commercial ship repair industry," said John P. Wronowski, owner and president of Thames Shipyard & Repair Co., Inc.

USDOT will award Thames Shipyard & Repair Co. a federal grant award of $438,690 through MARAD's Small Shipyard Grants program. The new federal funding will enable the shipyard to achieve greater capacity and efficiency through the purchase of surface preparation equipment, including air compressors, blast pots, control systems, hoses and nozzles, and more.
MARAD's Small Shipyard Grants program was designed to support small shipyard projects that make capital and related improvements; or provide training for workers in shipbuilding, ship repair, and associated industries. Supporting these types of projects drives efficiency, competitive operations, and quality ship construction, repair, and reconfiguration across the industry. Grants are capped at 75 percent of the project's estimated cost and are available to facilities with fewer than 1,200 production employees. Click here to read more.

###