Fairhaven boatbuilder lands $5 million contract

All American Marine has landed a major contract to build passenger ferry boats for service in Florida.

The National Park Service recently awarded a contract of around $5 million to the Fairhaven boatbuilder to construct two 150-passenger catamaran ferry boats to serve the Gulf Islands National Seashore in the Pensacola Bay area of Florida.

Some of the money for the project will come from BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill fund, according to an article in the Pensacola News Journal.

All American Marine is expected to complete the construction in time for ferry service to begin in March 2017, said Matt Mullett, president and CEO.

The contract is the latest in what has been a busy year for All American Marine. The company currently has five contracts for catamaran vessels, including a 48-foot research boat for the University of New Hampshire and an 83-foot eco-tour/dinner cruise boat for a company in Southern California.

The new work means the company can’t get its new, bigger building fast enough. In June, the Port announced a major redevelopment project in the area that includes a new 39,000-square-foot building. Whatcom County Council recently approved a $1 million grant and a $2 million economic development loan for the redevelopment project, which includes environmental cleanup and a new pier/expansion project for Fairhaven Shipyard.

All American Marine’s new facility is expected to be ready in the summer of 2016. The expansion project will enable All American Marine to eventually add about 25 people to its current 45-employee workforce.

Mullett said that since they are near capacity, they will hire a few more people for the Florida project until they move into the bigger building.

This story was originally published October 17, 2015 at 10:00 PM with the headline "Fairhaven boatbuilder lands $5 million contract."