EconomyAlaska · July 15, 2026
a hundred million hits ketchikan
A nearly $100 million NOAA contract at the Ketchikan Shipyard is driving a hiring surge across Southeast Alaska.
Daily Alaska staff · July 15, 2026
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has awarded the state-owned Ketchikan Shipyard a contract worth about 99.6 million dollars to overhaul the NOAA research ship Henry B. Bigelow, with work running through 2029. The shipyard is operated by JAG Marine Group, which took over last year.
The contract is already changing the local job picture. When JAG Marine Group took over operations of the shipyard, the company had around fifteen workers. Today it employs closer to 150, and it plans to add more than 100 additional full-time jobs while growing the yard's business several times over in the next couple of years.
The overhaul work itself is skilled, hands-on labor, including new engines, radar, cranes and pumps. Because the contract is long term, it offers steady, year-round employment rather than the seasonal work that has traditionally defined Ketchikan's docks.
Ketchikan's mayor said the growth means more family-supporting jobs, more young people entering the trades, and a stronger economic foundation for the broader Southeast Alaska region.
In this story
Questions people ask
how much is the NOAA contract worth Ketchikan
About 99.6 million dollars. The contract is with NOAA to overhaul a research ship, which is bringing hundreds of jobs to Southeast Alaska.
what ship is being overhauled in Ketchikan
The Henry B. Bigelow, a NOAA research vessel. Work runs through 2029.
how many jobs at Ketchikan Shipyard
JAG Marine Group has grown the workforce from about 15 to about 150 since taking over last year and plans to add more than 100 additional full-time jobs.
who operates Ketchikan Shipyard now
JAG Marine Group took over operations last year and has been expanding the workforce significantly.
Evidence
Sources
Claims and where they come from
- NOAA awarded the Ketchikan Shipyard a contract worth about 99.6 million dollars to overhaul the research ship Henry B. Bigelow, running through 2029. · akbizmag.com
- JAG Marine Group took over the Ketchikan Shipyard last year, growing the workforce from about 15 to about 150 employees. · akbizmag.com
- The company plans to add more than 100 additional full-time jobs and grow the yard's business several times over. · akbizmag.com
Produced with AI assistance, narrated with Slav Lund's voice clone with his consent, and reviewed by a person before publishing. How we use AI →