JAG Ketchikan LLC, which began operating the state-owned Ketchikan Shipyard in September, has secured a nearly $100 million contract for a service-life extension project involving a federal research vessel.

The $99.6 million contract from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for its Rhode Island based fisheries survey ship Henry B. Bigelow has a start time of June 6 for procurement of long lead-time materials and an estimated completion date of April 14, 2029, according to information from NOAA and the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority that owns the Ketchikan Shipyard.

The new project adds to NOAA’s work for the Ketchikan Shipyard, which in October already had four NOAA projects scheduled. That included a $95 million mid-life renovation project for NOAA’s Kodiak-based ship Oscar Dyson.

JAG Marine Group President Doug Huff said that JMG is “encouraged by the continued faith” that NOAA has placed in the group.

“NOAA plays an important and significant role in maritime commerce, port safety, nautical charting, research, and fishing and resource management,” Huff said, as quoted in a Monday press release from AIDEA. “The investment being made in the NOAA vessels will allow them to fulfill their responsibilities well into the future. JMG is pleased to play a small role in advancing NOAA’s mission.

“This award will positively impact the shipyard, our employees, the State of Alaska, the City and Borough of Ketchikan, through continued growth in the economic activity of the region,” Huff continued. “JMG specifically appreciates our employees and partners for their support in making this ‘win’ possible.”

NOAA’s solicitation for a request for proposals for the Henry B. Bigelow project was issued in January. The solicitation includes an extensive list of “base work items” such as vessel repowering, structural repairs to the hull and house, and replacing the propellor blades and hub, in addition to a wide variety of inspection, maintenance and other overhaul tasks.

The engineering phase of the project continue through Feb. 14, 2028, with the industrial phase running from Feb. 15, 2028, through April 14 2029, according to the solicitation.

AIDEA and JAG anticipate that the Henry B. Bigelow project “is expected to drive additional demand for skilled maritime labor, including core trades and specialized engineering, electrical, mechanical and fabrication expertise,” according to the press release, which adds that the project is expected to “support more stable year-round employment by adding long-duration vessel modernization work beyond seasonal Alaska Marine Highway System maintenance cycles.”

The four-page AIDEA press release included comments from Gov. Mike Dunleavy, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan, Alaska Rep. Nick Begich III, state Sen. Bert Stedman, City of Ketchikan Mayor Bob Sivertsen, Generations Southeast Prince of Wales Campus Director Charles Edwardson, and Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development Commissioner Julie Sande.

“Much appreciation goes to (AIDEA Executive Director) Randy Ruaro for the hard work that was done to help bring JAG to Ketchikan as the operator of the shipyard,” Sande said in the prepared statement.

In early 2025, AIDEA announced that it would not be extending its operating agreement with the shipyard’s then operator, Vigor Alaska, and in September transferred the operating agreement to the JAG Marine Group.

Another subsidiary of the Michigan-based JMG, JAG Alaska Inc., has operated the Seward Shipyard since 2018.

Sande said that the improvement at the shipyard has been “tremendous.”

“As a community member, I see it firsthand when I drive past the shipyard parking lot,” she said. “The progress is clear: what had been an underutilized and underperforming state asset is now showing visible momentum. The shipyard is not only Ketchikan’s Shipyard; it is an asset for the entire state of Alaska, and it is so encouraging to continue hearing good news from JAG.”

Mayor Sivertsen called the NOAA contract “welcome news” for Ketchikan and the shipyard’s “skilled men and women who make the shipyard such an important part of our local economy.

“The continued growth of work at the Ketchikan Shipyard means more family-supporting jobs, more opportunities for young people to enter the trades, and a stronger economic foundation for our community and Southeast Alaska,” Sivertsen said in the prepared statement. “The shipyard is an economic driver that is poised for growth within our community. This contract is just an example of opportunity that lies ahead Ketchikan.”