Marinette Marine Corp Invests USD 40 Million in Upgrading Facilities as Part of US Navy LCS Program

Marinette Marine Corp Invests Around USD 40 Million in Upgrading Facilities as Part of US Navy LCS Program

Marinette Marine Corp, a parent company of Fincantieri – Cantieri Navali Italiani SpA, has invested around $40 million in upgrading its facilities as part of the U.S. Navy littoral combat ship program. For the past two years, massive improvement works have been done at the shipyard all in order to support Navy’s LCS program. Some of the works include main assembly building expansion, investment in new steel fabrication and production building.

Out of the $73.5 million that were planned for the shipyard improvement, so far Fincantieri has invested more than $40 million leaving some $22 million to be spent this year.

A new blast and paint shop, the one that will replace a 30-year old current blast and paint shop, is beginning to take shape. The shop is located at the company’s old steel fabrication building which is more than 70 years old. These new facilities are going to be opened this summer and the completion of the new electrical shop is scheduled for 2013.

Three years ago before these investments took place the shipyard had capacity to produce only one and half LCS a year. Now with these new upgrades, the company increased its production capacity by three times.

At the moment, Marinette Marine is building three LCSs the future USS Fort Worth, Milwaukee and Detroit with two more, USS Little Rock and Sioux City to come next month.

Marinette Marine Corporation is part of the Fincantieri Marine Group, a subsidiary of Fincantieri, one of Europe’s largest shipbuilders with a history dating back 200 years and a track record of producing more than 7,000 ships. Marinette Marine Corporation was founded in 1942 along the Menominee River in Marinette, Wisconsin to meet America’s growing demand for naval construction. From humble beginnings with a contract to build five wooden barges, MMC has grown into a world-class shipbuilder, having designed and built more than 1,500 vessels. The company is internationally recognized for innovative and highly efficient, modular, subassembly and assembly-line manufacturing techniques. This sophistication in construction methods has allowed Marinette to build some of the most technologically advanced vessels on the planet.

Marinette Marine’s performance on government contracts is impressive. Its portfolio includes the U.S. Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship, the improved Navy Lighterage System, mine countermeasure vessels and ocean tugs, as well as U.S. Coast Guard icebreakers, buoy tenders and response vessels. Because of its record of delivering ahead of schedule and within contracted costs, MMC has a long-standing relationship with the United States Navy.

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Naval Today Staff , February 27, 2012; Image: marinettemarine