New $31 million assembly hall opens at Alaska Ship & Drydock

Written by Marine Log Staff

AUGUST 16, 2012 — asdVigor Industrial’s expansion plans kicked into the next phase with the opening of a new $31 million assembly hall and production center at Ketchikan Shipyard at Alaska Ship & Drydock (ASD).

“The new assembly hall positions the Ketchikan Shipyard to be very competitive for emerging shipbuilding opportunities in Alaska,” says Adam Beck, President, Alaska Ship & Drydock. “Its strategic position coupled with the exceptional expertise of ASD’s skilled workforce in meeting the needs of Arctic and north-water mariners, makes ASD an important part of Vigor’s ongoing growth plans.”

The facility will now be capable of constructing ships of up to 500 feet in length. The 70,000 square feet assembly hall is adjacent to a five-story production center to minimize material flow and maximize efficiency.

Since this past March, ASD has been building modules for Alaska Longline Company’s 136 ft x 40 ft factory longliner Arctic Prowler.  This month,the 95-ton engine room module of Arctic Prowler was moved into the new hall, marking its official opening.  ASD teams are currently outfitting the module and other pieces of the hull with wiring, piping, machinery, and equipment. The longliner is scheduled for delivery in early 2013.

ASD has also signed on as a partner with the State of Alaska to design the Alaska Class Ferry. ASD will work with naval architectural and engineering firm Elliott Bay Design Group, Seattle, WA, on the project.

ASD Vice Chairman Randy Johnson called the opening of the assembly hall “a great example of government and industry working together to create employment and investment opportunity in Alaska.” About 120 people are currently employed at the shipyard.

The Ketchikan Shipyard is owned by Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) and managed by ASD Vigor under a 30-year operating agreement.  

“The partnership between ASD and AIDEA has allowed the creation of a new and invigorated industry in Ketchikan,” says Ted Leonard, the Executive Director of AIDEA. “This true public/private partnership has resulted in the development of a state-of-the-art facility that has created and continues to create new jobs in the region and new opportunities for the state.”

The next phase of improvements for the Ketchikan Shipyard include a $10 million steel fabrication shop that will be ready in the late summer of 2013. Below is an artists’s rendering of the current ad planned expansion at ASD.

ASDRendering

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