PORTLAND — An Australian company that has a 10-year, $190 million contract with the U.S. government to refurbish Coast Guard vessels showed off its newly acquired manufacturing facility on the banks of the Connecticut River late last week.
Birdon Group, whose US headquarters are in Denver, Colorado, bought a pair of marinas on Riverview Street for $4.6 million last spring. Riverview Marina and Yankee Boatyard and Marina have 31 acres along the eastern banks of the Connecticut River.
Both marinas will continue to operate for pleasure boaters, but Birdon’s primary use for the location will be as a manufacturing facility. The Portland location is the company’s first on the East Coast.
Birdon also has a similar manufacturing facility in Bellingham, Washington.
“A year ago, this was just an idea,” Gov. Ned Lamont said during a ceremony celebrating Birdon’s move to Connecticut on Friday. “But the state has been building boats for centuries.”
State Sen. Norman Needleman, D-Essex, said refurbishing the ships can be done for a third of what it would cost to buy new. The government contract provides for the repair of 107 aging motor boats, which are a type of Coast Guard vessel.
“To have Birdon come here is just spectacular,” Needleman said.
Work on 65 of the ships will be done in Connecticut, said Rob Scott, president of Birdon America.
The first of the ships to be refurbished arrived in Portland in July, according to company officials.
It will take about two years for Birdon’s Portland facility to ramp up to full production. Scott said.
Right now, about two dozen people work at the manufacturing facility, but Scott said the workforce will grow to 75 within two years. At that point, he said the facility will produce a dozen refurbished boats a year.
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said Connecticut “has a special connection with the Coast Guard” because its service academy is located in New London.
“These boats are going to save lives,” Blumenthal said.
He echoed Needleman’s thoughts on the importance of Birdon coming to Portland.
“But at the same time we’re trying to save lives, this contract is also saving us money,” Blumenthal said.
Ryan Curley, Portland’s first selectman, said Birdon’s decision to come to Portland “is really a big deal for us.”
“They’re bringing high-skill, high-paying jobs like welders and electrical engineers to town,” said Curley, who became first selectman after the November 2021 election.
But to meet the needs of companies like Birdon for skilled trades workers, Needleman said the state needs a comprehensive approach.
“I think all of us are looking at a lot of work ahead,” he said.
luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com
