Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/1164927
B Y N I K K I K A L L I O A N D J E S S I C A T H I E L 12 | /INSIGHT ON MANUFACTURING All hands ON DECK Talent needs surface as regional marine industry continues to grow With a boatload of new projects underway or in the works, the marine industry in the New North appears to be catching a strong wave toward the future. To capitalize on the tailwinds, industry leaders have turned their attention to finding and keeping the skilled workers the industry needs to fill these specialized orders. From Marinette to Door County, regional companies are pursuing both internal and external talent-building efforts. With the possibility of landing a $1.2 billion contract, the stakes couldn't be higher for Fincantieri Marinette Marine. The shipyard is one of three nationwide competing for a contract to build the first of the U.S. Navy's new guided missile frigates, or FFG(X). That $1.2 billion contract could lead to more than $19 billion for additional ships over the next 10 years. "The legacy I want to leave in Marinette is to secure the FFG(X) program so that it lasts the next 20 years, for many generations to come, so that's really what we're focusing on," says Jan Allman, CEO of Fincantieri Marinette Marine. This past summer, the State of Wisconsin awarded the shipbuilder $31 million in grants for workforce development initiatives and shipyard improvements, while the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration awarded it a $1.1 million grant for shipyard upgrades. That recent support is on top of a decade of private investment from Fincantieri totaling more than $120 million. Those funds went toward modernization, supply chain development and hiring and training initiatives for the 77-year-old shipbuilder. The efforts bolstered the company's ability to build the Littoral Combat Ship Freedom-variant for the U.S. Navy. P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y B R Y A N A S C H E N B R E N N E R