A local contract would have created over 1,300 jobs, expanded the state’s apprenticeship pipeline, and reinvested millions into Washington’s economy, CEO says.
WHIDBEY ISLAND STATION, Wash. — A Washington-based shipbuilder says the state missed a major opportunity after Gov. Bob Ferguson awarded a $714.5 million contract for new hybrid-electric ferries to a Florida company.
Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, based on Whidbey Island, says its bid would have created over 1,300 local jobs, expanded the state’s apprenticeship pipeline, and reinvested hundreds of millions into Washington’s economy. Instead, the work is headed across the country to Eastern Shipbuilding Group.
“It’s disappointing for us because it’s the
→ Continue reading at King 5
