Superior Boat Builder Secures $6M Contract

A custom boat building company in Superior has received a $6.2 million contract to build dozens of riverboats for a Texas tourist attraction. The contract means more jobs for Superior.

Fraser Shipyards‘ Lake Assault Boats will build 43 riverboats this year for San Antonio’s River Walk. Chad Dumars, vice president of operations for Lake Assault Boats, said they’ll nearly double their workforce to build a boat each week.

“The majority of them will be hired once we reach full production, which is going to be early March,” he said.

Dave Minor, president and chief executive of the Superior-Douglas County Chamber, said the project is a big deal for the city.

“They’re going to be using not only Fraser Shipyards and Northern Engineers in the combined Fraser family to help build these, but again they’re going to be relying on local suppliers for product and everything,” Minor said. “So, it’s not just them. It’s how that money is going to filter through our community as well.”

Jason Serck, city planning and port director, agreed the deal will yield rewards beyond the 14 jobs to be added through the project.

“It’s tax base. It’s hopefully new people moving into the area and finding some housing. A lot of trickle down for that,” Serck said. “It is essentially continuing to make Fraser Shipyard, bringing them more out into the world of additional uses and additional services. I think it’s positive all the way around.”

Dumars said it’s the biggest contract the boat builder has ever been awarded “as far as the quantity of boats and the overall scale of the project.”

“It’s key for us, for our growth to be able to do a multiple-boat contract,” Dumars said.

Lake Assault Boats builds custom rescue, fire and patrol boats. Dumars expects to have all boats built and delivered by November this year. Lake Assault Boats currently employs about 18 people in Superior. The company is headquartered at Fraser Shipyards, which is one of the nation’s few independent shipyards on the Great Lakes.