Posted on June 1, 2023
ONAWAY, MICH. – Moran Iron Works (MIW) and Ann Arbor-based Watermaster North America (WMNA) continue their partnership to manufacture a second Finnish-engineered AMD 5000 Amphibious Multipurpose Dredging machine. The Watermaster has been sold worldwide for over 35 years but not in the U.S.A. until 2020 when MIW fabricated the first one for WMNA, making it a fully Jones Act-compliant vessel.
The second Watermaster AMD 5000 will be delivered to Midwest Amphibious Equipment of Grand Rapids, Minnesota on Thursday, June 1. MIW completed the fabrication on budget and two weeks earlier than scheduled. The new AMD 5000 will be trailered from Onaway to a training location in Illinois, where the machine will lift itself off the trailer and hydraulically walk itself into the water beginning a two-week operator training process provided by Watermaster North America.
Jonathan Dreyfuss, President of Ann Arbor-based Watermaster NA told DredgeWire, “We could not be more pleased working with such a high-quality fabrication firm as Moran Iron Works (MIW). Not only are we glad to bring manufacturing jobs to Michigan, but also bringing new technology to the marine environmental remediation industry and the subsequent jobs created there. We anticipate a long relationship with MIW as we introduce the AMD 5000 across the US and Canada as a new means of solving the necessary maintenance and remediation of our waterways.”
Originally engineered in Finland, the Watermaster AMD 5000 is a NVDC registered, Jones Act compliant vessel designed to perform various maritime construction and dredging projects in waters up to 20 feet deep. The 5th generation machine is used for suction dredging, excavating and pile driving, building marinas, as well as removing invasive aquatic vegetation by raking. One multipurpose Watermaster does the work of multiple machines efficiently, saving time, operating costs, and the environment. The first U.S.A. produced vessel is being used to maintain waterways by breaking up ice in the canals of New York State.
The successful collaboration between Moran Iron Works and Watermaster North America exemplifies MIW’s commitment to innovation and meeting the diverse needs of the maritime industry. The introduction of the second Watermaster AMD 5000 to the U.S. market marks another significant milestone, opening up new possibilities for efficient and environmentally friendly dredging and construction operations.
About Moran Iron Works:
Moran Iron Works (MIW) is a dynamic fabrication facility that provides a full range of custom design, engineering, fabrication, installation, service, repair, and modification services throughout a number of industries including marine, power, industrial and hydro. MIW is a HUBZone-certified Small Business Concern, founded in 1978 by Thomas Moran and headquartered in Onaway, Michigan. For more information visit www.moraniron.com.
About Watermaster North America:
Watermaster North America is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan and is responsible for the marketing and manufacturing of the AMD 5000, a multipurpose machine used in over 80 countries for the past 35 years. The 36-foot dredger is used in waterway and marina maintenance, canal clearing, coastal care, beach replenishment, and wetlands restoration, as well as keeping industrial tailings and process water ponds fully functional and safe for the environment. Learn more at www.watermasterna.com.
