MARITIME
EXPANSION
WHY ERIE
EXPAND CAPACITY.
BUILD MORE SHIPS.
Erie, Pennsylvania offers a unique opportunity for shipbuilders to expand capacity, reduce costs, and increase throughput within the U.S. maritime industrial base.
ANCHOR Erie is focused on positioning the region as a Great Lakes maritime manufacturing and shipbuilding expansion platform supporting existing shipbuilders with workforce, fabrication capacity, and scalable waterfront infrastructure.
With a natural harbor, active port facilities, available industrial land, and a deep manufacturing base, Erie provides a lower-cost, inland complement to existing shipyard operations.
Erie is not starting from scratch—we are building upon an existing industrial base to help shipbuilders scale.
STRATEGIC
LOCATION
Erie sits at the center of the Great Lakes industrial corridor, offering direct access to:
- Domestic steel and raw materials
- Established manufacturing supply chains
- Great Lakes shipping routes
- National rail and highway networks
- Erie provides access to a captive inland vessel market that coastal shipyards cannot efficiently serve due to Seaway constraints.
Erie enables shipbuilders to expand into the Great Lakes market while strengthening national production capacity.
WORKFORCE:
BUILT FOR SHIPBUILDING
Erie offers a skilled, industrial workforce aligned with shipbuilding needs, including:
- Welders
- Fabricators and machinists
- Electrical and mechanical technicians
- Engineers and production specialists
Erie’s regional integrated education and workforce system produces approximately 750 technically trained workers annually, spanning engineering, cybersecurity, skilled trades providing a deep and scalable talent pipeline aligned with shipbuilding and defense manufacturing.
Erie County Technical School, which graduates approximately 15 welding and metal fabrication students and nine CNC machining students annually
Erie County Community College, which has produced approximately 90 graduates in welding, fabrication, CNC machining, precision manufacturing, and industrial maintenance since its launch
Erie is building a workforce pipeline specifically aligned with shipbuilding growth—not generic training.
IN WAGES
JOBS SUPPORTED
%
INCREASE IN SHIPBUILDING EMPLOYMENT
JOBS BY 2026
JOBS IN 2021
MANUFACTURING JOBS IN ERIE CO.
IN WAGES
JOBS SUPPORTED
%
INCREASE IN SHIPBUILDING EMPLOYMENT
WORKFORCE:
BUILT FOR SHIPBUILDING
Erie offers a skilled, industrial workforce aligned with shipbuilding needs, including:
- Welders
- Fabricators and machinists
- Electrical and mechanical technicians
- Engineers and production specialists
Erie’s regional integrated education and workforce system produces approximately 750 technically trained workers annually, spanning engineering, cybersecurity, skilled trades providing a deep and scalable talent pipeline aligned with shipbuilding and defense manufacturing.
Erie County Technical School, which graduates approximately 15 welding and metal fabrication students and nine CNC machining students annually
Erie County Community College, which has produced approximately 90 graduates in welding, fabrication, CNC machining, precision manufacturing, and industrial maintenance since its launch
Erie is building a workforce pipeline specifically aligned with shipbuilding growth—not generic training.
JOBS BY 2026
JOBS IN 2021
MANUFACTURING JOBS IN ERIE CO.
ACTIVE WORKING
PORT & INFRASTRUCTURE
Erie’s port and waterfront assets provide a ready platform for maritime operations and expansion.
The Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority offers direct access to the St. Lawrence Seaway and global markets, while rail and highway connectivity ensure efficient movement of materials and components.
Erie’s inland location provides:
- Operational flexibility
- Lower congestion
- National security resilience
In 2021 alone, vessels delivered more than 780,000 tons of goods and materials—equivalent to approximately 29,000 truckloads—through Erie’s port. Erie is positioned to support fabrication, module construction, and future shipyard development.
Donjon Shipbuilding & Repair Operates Largest Dry Dock on the Great Lakes
1,250’ x 120’ x 22’
DRY DOCK
1000 ft
DRY DOCK CAPACITY
200,000+ sq ft
PRODUCTION AREA
30’
CHANNEL & TURNING BASIN DEPTH
25 ft
DRY DOCK
DEPTH
20 ft
SLIP
DEPTH
WHY INVEST
IN ERIE?
- Lower-cost expansion platform
- Skilled and scalable workforce
- Available waterfront industrial sites
- Access to Great Lakes and inland markets
- Alignment with national shipbuilding priorities
Erie helps shipbuilders build more ships—faster and at lower cost.
ABOUT
ANCHOR ERIE
ANCHOR Erie is a regional initiative focused on expanding the U.S. maritime industrial base by aligning:
- Workforce development
- Industrial capacity
- Site readiness
- Public-private investment
ANCHOR Erie serves as a single point of coordination for shipbuilders evaluating expansion opportunities in the region. The initiative is led by a coalition of public and private partners, including:
Local industry and institutional partners
Shipbuilding in Erie County has federal backing. Senator Dave McCormick has cited Donjon as a “powerful example of maritime capability.” Investors in Erie join a conversation already underway, with support from Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro
OUR
HISTORY
Early settlers chose Erie for its natural, protected harbor, and it quickly became a center of maritime innovation. Long before the city’s founding, soldiers from Montreal recognized Presque Isle as one of the finest natural harbors on the Great Lakes. During the War of 1812, Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry built his fleet in Erie, including the iconic Brig Niagara, which helped secure victory at the Battle of Lake Erie over the British.
Erie industrial workers helped build America. During World War II, our city powered the war effort, manufacturing everything from airplane bodies to howitzers. Erie’s skilled workforce went on to build the trains that move America’s freight. Today, the tradition of grit continues. Erie’s workforce is trained, experienced, and ready to build the next generation of vessels to move across our waterways.
photo by Naval Historical Association