Menominee County Business Development Corporation Director Nancy Douglas, in her quarterly report to the Menominee County Board, says she’s been in contact with the Michigan Governor’s Office and Michigan’s Senators among others to see what the state of Michigan may be able to do to assist Fincantieri Marinette Marine as the company bids on new contracts. She says there’s not a lot the state of Michigan can do in another state, but there are some significant issues in the river which may allow Michigan to assist. Marinette Marine needs to build a facility for lifting the new ships into the river, since they are too large to side-launch. Boom Landing is being looked at as a location, but it is a Super-Fund site, which requires the involvement of the EPA.
Douglas says using Boom Landing would not be impossible, but will be costly. She says there also may be training dollars from a new program available to train Michigan residents if the company is able to expand the workforce with new contracts. Currently, 40% of Marinette Marine workers live in Michigan.