SEWARD, ALASKA-U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), chairman of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee overseeing the Coast Guard, and Admiral Kevin Lunday, the 28^th Commandant of the Coast Guard, yesterday celebrated the awarding of more than $2.3 million in federal grants to two Seward shipyard operators to expand vessel-handling capacity, modernize equipment, and strengthen Alaska's maritime infrastructure. The announcement came during an event in the community with Admiral Lunday celebrating the forthcoming homeporting of an icebreaker in Seward.

The Maritime Administration's (MARAD) Small Shipyard Grant Program awarded $916,223 to Catalyst Marine Engineering, LLC and $1,405,113 to JAG Alaska Inc. Sullivan and his Alaska congressional delegation colleagues supported both grants in letters to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy earlier this year.

The funding will enable Catalyst Marine Engineering to acquire advanced fabrication, welding, and material-handling equipment, and support JAG Alaska's expansion of its rail system and acquisition of new carts and cradles to move vessels throughout the Seward Shipyard. These investments will also strengthen Seward's maritime capacity as the community prepares to welcome a new Arctic Security Cutter. In June, the U.S. Coast Guard announced that the third Arctic Security Cutter funded through the Working Families Tax Cuts Act will be homeported in Seward once the necessary infrastructure is ready.

Click here or the image above for photos from the visit to Seward.

Click here to view opening remarks from Sen. Sullivan at the community event.

"These investments are another important part of what I call the 'virtuous cycle' in shipbuilding and ship maintenance that we're delivering across our great state," said Sen. Sullivan. "We bring more Coast Guard and NOAA vessels to Alaska, and Alaska workers maintain and repair them while generating even more maritime work right here in our state. Through the largest investment in Coast Guard history in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act-which I pushed for as chair of the Commerce Subcommittee that oversees the Coast Guard-we are seeing this cycle accelerate as we bring four icebreakers to Alaska, including one slated to be homeported in Seward, driving good-paying jobs and new investments in workforce development, housing, and infrastructure in our coastal communities. These grants will build on that momentum by expanding capacity and modernizing operations in Seward. I want to thank Secretary Duffy and MARAD Administrator Stephen Carmel for recognizing Seward's vital role in Alaska's maritime economy and working with me to support these important investments."

"The Maritime Administration is deeply committed to supporting the vital maritime infrastructure of Alaska and delivering these grants is a direct reflection of our aggressive dedication to supporting Alaska's working waterfronts. Through these grants totaling over $2.3 million for Catalyst Marine Engineering and JAG Alaska, MARAD is proud to invest in the equipment and infrastructure that will keep Alaska's maritime sector efficient, competitive, and capable of sustaining good-paying jobs for years to come," said Maritime Administrator Stephen M. Carmel.

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