A Superior, Wis., boat builder that supplies fire and rescue agencies around the country has won a U.S. Navy contract worth up to $56 million, its largest federal order to date.
Superior, Wis., boat builder wins $56 million Navy contract
Lake Assault Boats in Superior, Wis., to produce up to 119 patrol boats.
February 26, 2020 at 2:04AM
Lake Assault Boats will start delivering the first of up to 119 Force Protection-Medium patrol boats in November as part of a five-year contract.
The 33-foot aluminum V-hull boats with four weapon mounts will provide "security for U.S. Navy ships and personnel from waterborne threats in and outside of Navy ports around the world," according to the Navy's contract specifications.
"Our entire team is very excited and prepared to provide these boats to serve with the U.S. Navy," said Chad DuMars, vice president of operations, in a statement. "Our selection, after a long and rigorous competitive bid process, represents a significant accomplishment for Lake Assault Boats and our sister company, Fraser Shipyards."
Lake Assault was founded in 2003 and is based on the Fraser Shipyards campus along Superior's waterfront. The company has delivered boats to fire departments, police departments and rescue squads from New York to California and many states in between.
In 2017 Lake Assault delivered 43 custom river barges to San Antonio to serve as dining, touring and taxi vessels for the city's famed River Walk.
Past federal awards include a $600,000 contract for two 35-foot patrol vessels to be delivered to a U.S. Army terminal in North Carolina this year and a $2.2 million contract in 2015 for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Brooks Johnson • 218-491-6496
The proposal suggests removing the 20-year protection on the Superior National Forest that President Joe Biden’s administration had ordered in 2023.
