Portland firm lands five-year Navy contract for work at Kittery shipyard

Photo / Jim Neuger Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, which dates to 1820, employs a total of 6,329 civilians, including 5,430 at the shipyard and the balance elsewhere on the base. The U.S. Navy has awarded Colby Co. LLC, a woman-owned engineering company based in Portland, a five-year construction contract worth up to $30 million.

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By Staff

Portland engineering firm Colby Co. LLC has been awarded a construction contract from the U.S. Navy worth up to $30 million, U.S. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Angus King, I-Maine, announced on Thursday.

The first part of the contract, is for $991,825 for construction at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, one of the state’s largest employers with a civilian workforce of 5,430 and a 2016 estimated economic impact of $756 million.

“Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is a critical piece of our nation’s defense structure and an important economic driver for the state of Maine,” Collins and King said in a joint statement.

They added: “This competitive contract awarded to Colby Co. will support by the work by the Portland firm’s skilled engineers to design building renovations and new construction at PNSY, ensuring that the shipyard can continue to fulfill its important national security duties while providing good jobs in Maine.”

Colby Co. CEO Sarah Emily Colby said in the announcement: “As full-time residents and great believers in the strong work ethic that Mainers possess, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to bring this contract home to Maine.

The first project, for the inspection and observation of construction operations at the shipyard’s Dry Dock No. 1, is due to be completed by September 2018. Colby is a woman-owned small business that employs nearly 40 people, including 17 University of Maine graduates.

Earlier this month the Navy awarded Stantec Consulting Services a $4.9 million contract for architect-engineering services for the shipyard’s Dry Dock No. 1 superflood basin, while Pittsfield-based Cianbro is working on dry dock repairs for completion in July 2019 under a $23 million contract announced in late June.

Capt. David Hunt, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard’s commander, told Mainebiz in July that while there’s not a preference for local suppliers, it helps to have them close by.