Posted on September 13, 2022
Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding has broken ground on a new addition to its yard at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. On Saturday, it officially began work on a new 19,000 square foot, 300-foot-long machine shop to support its ship repair business.
The facility will have twin overhead cranes and a tool room, with enough space to bring many outdoor projects in out of the weather.
“We are modernizing our infrastructure and replacing some very old buildings,” said Craig Perciavalle, Vice President & General Manager of FBS. “Not only will our Bay Shipbuilding team have an improved place to work year-round, but we believe that the use of this facility will reduce dust and noise impacts for those who live nearby the shipyard, as work that was previously completed outside will be moved inside the new building.”
The project is the last element of a $70 million investment program that FBS launched in 2020. Its completion will support the yard’s commercial ship repair business and its busy newbuild program, which has won a string of high profile projects.
FBS recently completed the laker Mark W. Barker, the first ship of its kind to be built at a Great Lakes shipyard in more than 35 years. It also recently delivered the largest LNG bunker barge ever built in America, and it has two more on the way – both larger than its last record-setting unit.
The shop may also provide some support for Fincantieri Marinette Marine, the government-focused shipyard located across Green Bay from FBS. Fincantieri Marinette holds the contract to build the U.S. Navy’s Constellation-class frigates, and its workers are also fitting out the last few Freedom-class littoral combat ships for delivery.
