The advanced composites center will join two other specialized manufacturing facilities, creating a hub for advanced manufacturing, metal and composite fabrication and technology development.
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Thomaston boatbuilder and manufacturer Lyman-Morse began construction of a 15,000-square-foot facility to support large-scale composite fabrication and assembly, marking a significant expansion of the company’s manufacturing campus on Elltee Circle in the midcoast town.
“This expansion is about giving our team the space and infrastructure they need to execute at the highest level,” said Samir Gupta, manager of Lyman-Morse’s advanced manufacturing division.
Flexible layout
The clear-span building includes a radiant-floor heat system to provide consistent climate control for construction projects and teams. Integrated compressed air lines, vacuum pumps and information technology infrastructure support modern tools and equipment used in composite manufacturing. Two 5-ton overhead cranes will enable efficient movement of large structures throughout the building. A 150-kilowatt solar array will be installed.
The interior layout is engineered for flexibility, allowing teams to manage complex manufacturing projects while maintaining precision and efficiency.
25 jobs
The building levels up Lyman-Morse’s scale, efficiency and technical capacity as demand increases across the marine, industrial, defense and specialized fabrication sectors.
“This new building allows us to take on larger, more complex projects with greater efficiency,” said Gupta.
The project received $1,985,502 toward the $4 million project from a program that provides loans with favorable terms and is administered by Maine Technology Institute’s Maine Technology Asset Fund.
The project team includes Chuck Campbell PLLC in Waldoboro for architectural services and Maine Coast Construction in Camden as general contractor also providing architectural services, a spokesperson told Mainebiz. The total cost of about $4 million encompasses the building as well as specialized equipment, including full-width overhead cranes, radiant-floor heat, a future solar array and other high-tech equipment.
The project is being financed through Lyman-Morse and the Maine Technology Asset Fund. The plan is for the Lyman-Morse advanced composites team to move their operations to the new building in late summer.
It’s expected the project will create 25 jobs and increase company revenue by 50% within five years.
Manufacturing hub
The center will join Lyman-Morse’s two other specialized manufacturing facilities on Elltee Circle and create an integrated hub for advanced manufacturing, metal and composite fabrication and technology development.
One of the other facilities provides precision computer numerical control machining operations, utilizing three- and five-axis machines, and a metal additive manufacturing system. The third facility is used to build aluminum workboats, landing crafts and emergency response vessels, providing specialized production of commercial and government vessels.
Together, the three facilities bring together composites, metals and additive manufacturing within a single campus, allowing Lyman-Morse to support a wide range of applications, from marine systems and vessels to industrial components and specialized engineered solutions. With the addition of the advanced composites center, the company continues to broaden its capabilities across rapid prototyping, composite fabrication and structural components, metal additive manufacturing and custom-engineered systems and assemblies.
“This project is about building capability for the long-term,” Drew Lyman, the company’s president, said in a news release. “We’re creating a facility that not only supports our current work but positions us for the next generation of manufacturing challenges.”
