A Maine firm and state federal shipyard came up the winners in a government contract that could be worth up to $30 million.
Portland-based engineering firm Colby Co. LLC won a “competition” contract with the U.S. Navy, according to a joint statement from U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King on Thursday.
Nearly $1 million of the architect-engineering contract is earmarked for construction at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, said the senators.
The construction at PNSY is the first order of business for the five-year contract, which has a potential maximum ceiling of $30 million, they said.
“Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is a critical piece of our nation’s defense infrastructure and an important economic driver for the State of Maine,” Collins and King said. “This competitive contract awarded to Colby Co. will support the work by the Portland firm’s skilled engineers to design building renovations and new construction at PNSY, ensuring the shipyard can continue to fulfill its important national security duties while providing good jobs in Maine.”
“This was an extremely competitive contract, and firms throughout the country competed for the opportunity,” said Sarah Emily Colby, CEO of Colby Company. “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 architect-engineering contract will cover services in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Mid-Atlantic area of responsibility, with a focus on Maine. The first project for the inspection and observation of construction operations at PNSY’s dry dock No. 1 is expected to be completed by September 2018.
Earlier this month the senators announced that another company with offices in Maine received a Naval contract that will also pay for work at the Kittery shipyard.
The U.S. Navy has awarded Stantec Consulting Services $4.9 million for architect and engineering services for the dry dock no. 1 super-flood basin at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.
“This design contract will help prepare for later military construction at the shipyard, and we applaud the Navy for continuing to plan for future investments in PNSY, the Maine economy, and our national defense,” said the senators.
PNSY has a civilian payroll of $496 million in 2016, paid to 6,329 civilian workers, 3,600 of whom live in Maine, according to the Seacoast Shipyard Association, which annually issues a report outlining the economic impact of the shipyard. Of those, more than 450 live in Sanford, 225 in Lebanon, 200 in Wells, 175 in Biddeford, and 100 in Saco, with most of the remainder of Maine workers living in smaller York County communities and in other Maine counties.
Founded in 2008, Colby Co. LLC is a woman-owned small business in Portland that employs nearly 40 people, including 17 University of Maine graduates.
Stantec Consulting Services is an international professional services company in the design and consulting industry, and has local offices in Topsham, Scarborough, and Caribou. It is headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts.
Sen. Collins is a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, and Sen. King is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.