SUPERIOR, Wis. – Fraser Shipyards is embarking on a three-year, $30 million project to upgrade one of its massive dry docks to secure the future of one of the region's longest-running businesses.
Fraser Shipyards in Superior eyes $30 million dry dock upgrade
With state and federal help, it could serve nearly 200 additional vessels.
June 20, 2020 at 9:46PM
"I always say the yard's been around 130 years and I don't want to be the one to close it down," said President Dave Steininger. "The objective here is to renew the dock to the point where we can use it again for large commercial vessels."
Tucked inside Howard's Bay on the northern edge of the city of Superior, Fraser Shipyards largely works on repairing commercial freighters that ply the Great Lakes. Most recently the yard restored Duluth's floating museum, the William A. Irvin.
Renewing Dry Dock No. 1, first built in 1891, will ensure the company can handle vessels with "deep drafts that cannot currently enter either of Fraser's dry docks," according to a project statement approved by the Superior City Council last week. The yard is also starting to take on new construction projects that the dry dock could help with, Steininger said.
It will take about $26 million in state and federal assistance to fully complete the project, and the process of securing those funds has just begun.
The project will be completed in phases and, if grants come through on time, could wrap up in 2023.
Still, Steininger said the company is charging ahead with the work it can do this year and expects to go out for bids in July.
"As a smaller private enterprise you can't afford to do these without help," he said, calling the project a "50-year asset" improvement that he expects the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to support.
Earlier this year the department granted $500,000 for the dock project — far less than what was requested — as part of $40 million in statewide Harbor Assistance Program grants. The next round of grants will be announced early next year.
Between the shipyard and its two subsidiaries, Lake Assault Boats and Northern Engineering, about 160 people work for Fraser Industries.
Earlier this year Lake Assault Boats year secured a $56 million contract with the U.S. Navy to build up to 119 patrol boats. Delivery is expected to begin this fall.
In addition to commercial freighters, the shipyard handles maintenance for Coast Guard and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers vessels stationed nearby.
Nearly 200 additional vessels could be served by the dock upgrades.
"Our hope is we could pull in other federal assets that are further away," Steininger said. "Our goal is to be a viable year-round shipyard that provides good employment opportunities for the local population."
The original dry dock is currently 628 feet long and was the largest on the Great Lakes for a time. Now the largest commercial ships on the Great Lakes are 1,000 feet long and need to be serviced at other shipyards. Fraser's second dry dock, first constructed in 1902, is 831 feet long.
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.
