Update on Erie's Shipyard

[Jeff Thoreson]

On Friday, VanEnkevort officialy signed a lease on the shipyard here in Erie, Pennsylvania. The new company will be called Erie Shipbuilding, Inc. and will begin work immediately, with its first ship coming in for repair in mid-November.

The article below comes from Friday's Erie Times-News.

Lease deal floats
Port, shipbuilder to sign pact today
 
By KARA RHODES

A deal between a Michigan shipbuilder and the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority is expected to become final today when a lease is presented to the Port Authority's president for a signature.

Van Enkevort Tug & Barge, of Escanaba, Mich., plans to build and repair ships at Erie's shipyard. The company expects to employ 200 people in its first 12 months of operation.

Van Enkevort will pay $2.5 million over five years for the 14-acre property located on Erie's bayfront.

Van Enkevort hopes to take control of the property Oct. 1. Dirk Van Enkevort, the company's owner, said he will start hiring in about a month.

According to the lease agreement, the company must maintain a $6 million payroll annually during the last four years of the agreement, said Ray Schreckengost, the Port Authority's executive director.

"If they go below $1.5 million, then we can renegotiate the lease," Schreckengost said.

The lease, which will become public record after it is signed Friday, also includes the option of two five-year renewals, Schreckengost said.

Dirk Van Enkevort said he has a contract in December for a $5 million engine conversion to a tug and barge, which together total 714 feet in length.

He hopes to do the work in Erie.

He also has a contract to build a 740-foot barge and 135-foot tug, work that will begin in summer 2006.

"We've got a lot to do in the next few weeks," said the owner, who was in Erie Thursday to iron out details of the lease agreement.

Dirk Van Enkevort competed for the shipyard -- the second largest on the Great Lakes --with a local group, Erie Management Group, that joined with Erie-based Logistics Plus Inc. on its plan.

The Erie group's plan included turning the property into a mixed-use facility that would have pulled together shipbuilding, ship repair, container shipment and storage and warehousing.

But Erie Management Group also wanted the Port Authority to make a number of improvements to the property, which Schreckengost estimated would have cost $9 million.

The Escanaba company has asked the Port Authority for no changes to the building.

[efigs]

To whom it may concern:

My name is Edgardo Figueroa I am currently enrolled at Tri-State Business Institute for welding. I took the test for ASME section 9 and past it and became certified. I also have 3 years experience in GMAW(mig)welding. I still am taking GMAW welding to keep my experience up to date and fresh.

I heard about Erie's Shipyard through my Instructor at School.  Ever since he mentioned it I have been intrested in becoming an employee there.  I have read the news paper everyday to keep on top of the updates of the project. I also go to the Website to see when you guys are going to start accepting  applicattions.

Please contact me through email at [email protected] or you may also contact me via phone (814)384-0276 with any updates of any kind.