News

Federal funding supports key equipment upgrade to enhance operational productivity and support growing vessel construction demands.

SAN DIEGO (August 11, 2025) – Marine Group Boat Works (MGBW), a boatbuilding and repair company operating a shipyard in Chula Vista, Calif., was recently awarded $248,402.50 from the Maritime Administration (MARAD) as part of the Small Shipyard Grant Program. The Small Shipyard Grant Program provides funding to help America’s shipyards modernize their operations, invest in new equipment, and train a skilled maritime workforce. This award marks the fifth time MGBW has received a MARAD grant, demonstrating the continued federal support for MGBW’s ongoing leadership in shipyard modernization and workforce development.

MGBW will use the funding to support the purchase and installation of a metal cutting machine for the New Construction department. Over the past decade, MGBW has processed well over a million pounds of aluminum plate — a number that is expected to rise significantly due to the New Construction contracts it has secured. 

The investment in this advanced equipment will enable MGBW to achieve a substantial increase in efficiency and reduce construction delays to current customers including the U.S. Navy. This project aligns with MGBW’s ongoing commitment to expanding its repair capabilities and enhancing customer satisfaction. 

The implementation of a new metal cutting machine directly correlates with MGBW’s business plan, which focuses on expanding its New Construction department and strengthening its position as one of the few American shipyards that regularly competes against foreign shipyards. MGBW provides a unique set of services in a highly niche market of vessels that are unable to be serviced anywhere else in San Diego enabling MGBW to continuously compete with shipyards around the globe and contribute to the revival of California boatbuilding and U.S. manufacturing. 

About Marine Group Boat Works

Marine Group Boat Works is a family-owned, full-service maritime vessel construction and repair company with two waterfront facilities, on San Diego Bay and in Los Cabos, Mexico. Its largest shipyard in Chula Vista, Calif., encompasses one million square feet, with over 2,000 feet of dockage and a new 820-ton lift, rough terrain cranes, a machine shop, metal working equipment and a propeller shop. Its sister boatyard in San Jose del Cabo features over 300,000 square feet of land and water, with a 150-ton and 75-ton Travelift. Between the two facilities, MGBW employs over 200 ABS-certified welders, shipfitters, pipefitters, mechanics, electricians, painters and other boatbuilding and repair specialists. For more information, visit www.marinegroupboatworks.com.