In the world of shipbuilding, Erie has some impressive credentials.
None are more noteworthy than the work Daniel Dobbins led during the winter of1812-1813 to build the wooden fleet that Oliver Hazard Perry used to win the Battleof Lake Erie.
More recently, ships have been built and repaired in Erie since the 1960s in ashipyard owned by the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority.
Donjon Shipbuilding and Repair, which is bidding for a contract to build light icecutters for the U.S. Coast Guard, has operated the shipyard since 2009.
Erie Forge and Steel, founded more than 120 years ago, has been supplyingpropulsion shafts for the U.S. Navy’s largest ships since World War I.
It all adds up to a notable track record.
But William Lewis, a 27-year-old North East native and U.S Navy surface warfareofficer, thinks there’s a new chapter to be written.
Lewis, who does not speak in any official role with the Navy, has proposed a plan forbuilding a Naval shipyard in Erie, possibly at the site of the former Erie Coke plant.
He’s been talking about the concept of Gem City Shipbuilding for a while now andsummarized his thoughts in an opinion column, writing: “We have the site. We havethe people. We have the history. Now we need the will.”
Idea catches Washington’s attention
No contracts have been signed, no commitments made. Lewis, whose familyoperates the restaurant company Red Letter Hospitality, doesn’t have a war chest tobring the concept to life.
But his idea caught the attention of U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick and sparked interestamong local political and economic development leaders who have launched aninitiative they’re calling Anchor Erie.
It’s a group led by Tina Mengine, CEO of the Erie County Redevelopment Authority,and Kim Thomas, executive director of Infinite Erie.
While Lewis was a source of inspiration, Mengine said the idea set sail whenMcCormick reached out to talk about how Erie might benefit from a new federalemphasis on expanding the U.S. shipbuilding industry.
At McCormick’s request, Kevin Miller, his commercial development officer, paidErie a visit.
“Kevin Miller came to town, pulled us together and said the senator wants to seeErie take advantage of this,” Mengine said. Since then, “We have been running withit.”
“We have done a lot of research in the last few months,” Mengine said. “We havetalked with shipbuilders across Pennsylvania, Virginia and beyond. We have talkedwith consultants around the industry and feel pretty good about what we’velearned.”
Anchor Erie, which includes the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority, ErieCounty Executive Christina Vogel and Erie Mayor Daria Devlin, isn’t on the cusp ofwelcoming a new shipbuilder to Erie.
But the group has devised a strategy that’s aimed at finding opportunities.
“Over the course of several months we have gained a broad understanding and anappreciation for the fact that we can attract investment here,” Mengine said.
Anchor Erie is focused on a three-step process that will include developing aworkforce, building a supply chain and then working to attract an investor.
Building the workforce — especially skilled welders — has to come first, Menginesaid. She said the county executive will be working with local trade schools and theErie County Community College to address job training needs.
Meanwhile, the Northwest Industrial Resource Center will be working with localcompanies to explore how they can become part of the supply chain.
Wabtec Corp. already supplies diesel engines to the marine industry from thecompany’s Grove City engine plant.
The last part of Anchor Erie’s mission, attracting investment, “is really a longer-term play,” Mengine said. “We have talked with consultants and are trying to figureout the best way to go forward.”
In July, members of Anchor Erie will attend the Pennsylvania Defense andInnovation Summit, which will be convened by McCormick July 14 and 15 at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle.
Erie’s Thomas has insights into shipbuilding industry
More than most, Kim Thomas, a native of Hampton Roads, Virginia, understandsthe challenges and the cyclical nature of the shipbuilding industry.
For decades, her grandfather and then her father and uncles owned MoonEngineering, a ship repair facility in Portsmouth, Virginia. The company, which had140 employees when it was sold in 2004, specialized in heavy steel fabrication andrepair services for a range of vessels, including Navy ships.
That business model might suggest a path for Erie.
Erie could be the home of a new shipyard, supply parts to others or build modularcomponents that could be assembled elsewhere, Thomas said.
Because of the limitations of the St. Lawrence Seaway, there is a limit to the size ofocean-bound vessels that could be built in Erie, Thomas said.
“But Erie can be a prime spot to build the capacity of other shipbuilders,” she said.
Because political winds change and companies need to be ready to pivot, theinitiative looks more broadly at both commercial and military applications.
Donjon owner has doubts
John Witte Jr., president of Donjon Shipbuilding and Repair’s parent company,hasn’t weighed in on plans for Erie to support the nation’s shipbuildinginfrastructure.
However, in an interview in early April, he expressed hesitation about attracting amajor shipbuilder to the former Erie Coke site.
“They are looking at a piece of land that is heavily contaminated,” Witte said.
Like the leaders of Anchor Erie, he acknowledged the local workforce couldn’tsupport a big shipyard.
“There is no such things as 1,000 shipyard workers in Erie. It’s not somethingDonjon believes makes a lot of sense.”
Rep. Kelly says ‘it’s going to happen’
U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, a Republican from Butler, believes that the goal of expandingthe U.S. Navy should move forward.
“It’s on the drawing board right now and it’s moving quickly,” Kelly said.
And he thinks Erie can benefit.
“I think we have really serious people looking at it and it’s going to happen,” Kellysaid in an April interview.
“I think this is something that started as a great idea. Now that it is started, we needto get some momentum,” he continued. “I don’t want to be sitting around 10 yearsfrom now and saying we should have people building ships.”
Jim Berlin, founder of Erie-based Logistics Plus, is excited about what expandedshipbuilding could do for Erie’s manufacturing economy.
“To me this is an idea that can drive Erie’s economy for the next 100 years as GEhas done for the last 100,” Berlin said in an email.
McCormick shares that optimism.
“Erie was once a powerhouse in shipbuilding, and there is absolutely nothingstopping it from being one again,” he said in a statement. “Erie has incredibleadvantages including deep-water docks, active rail connectivity, established infrastructure, and a skilled and dedicated workforce. The demand signals aregrowing, the legacy is strong, and the desire is there.”
Contact Jim Martin at jmartin@timesnews.com.