Anyone here work at Bath Ironworks (BIW)? (Brunswick, Bar Harbor: for sale, homes)

[thedavidwilson]

My wife and I are looking to relocate to Maine and BIW seems to be the main employment opportunity. I am an engineer comming from the Defense industry so I should have a pretty good shot at getting an offer. Can any of you tell me what it is like to work there? Are the salaries good? Do they provide relocation packages? Is there work in the future or will there be more periodic layoffs? How is the the housing situation in the surrounding area? Any reason I should/should not work at BIW or move to this area? Thanks for any info you can provide.

[Coaster]

BIW is the second or third largest private employer in Maine. It's now a part of General Dynamics, and so has the clout of GD to land government contracts. That's both its strength and its weakness -- BIW is totally dependent on defense contracts for its survival. It's just now laying the frames of the last of the DDG destroyers that it has been building for the last 20 years, and there were some real fears of major layoffs, since there was nothing in the pipeline coming along behind the last destroyer. Those worries have eased somewhat with the news that it will build the lead ship in the new Zumwalt class destroyers.

IMO -- and it's just my opinion -- BIW doesn't have a life expectancy beyond the next five-ten years. It's hampered by high labor costs, high overhead due to the Maine climate, and a location on a river ten miles from the ocean. It can't build anything larger than a destroyer-sized vessel because of the river channel -- tankers, cruise ships, bulk cargo vessels are all out of its reach. Unless we get into an old-fashioned shooting war with someone as big and mean as we are, well, the navy only needs so many ships.

Again, just my opinion. Depending on BIW for a long-term future might not be the best career strategy.

[dmyankee]

BIW and Ingalls have been awarded one each of the new class of Destroyers. There are basically 50% larger and manned by !/2 the crew. The bridge will be almost entirely made of composites. It will be the mainstay for the next few decades. It will operate with the fleet and also independently, close to shore. They will build in the most advanced technology available.

There is a raging controversy in Congress as to whether these two ships will be the final production models or a test of the technology to incorporate into other newly designed vessels.

Raytheon, down in Newport, R.I., has received a $3 billion for the technology development end of the project.

I guess the answer is...we'll see.

[flycessna]

Aside from the cost of such a construction project. Would it be possible to dredge the river where BIW is so that it would be possible to build larger ships? and if so what would the cost of such a project be? is that feasable?

I love watching "Extreme Engineering"

[Parrotpaul]

Originally Posted by flycessna

Aside from the cost of such a construction project. Would it be possible to dredge the river where BIW is so that it would be possible to build larger ships? and if so what would the cost of such a project be? is that feasable?

I love watching "Extreme Engineering"

I don't think it is so much the depth of the water, but there is a 90 degree very narrow turn about a mile down the river from the BIW that can be tricky.

My mom and sad both worked at the BIW from the 1940's until they retired in the late 1960's.

Bath would die without the BIW.

Here is a link to some great BIW pics.. Bath Iron Works pictures from maine photos on webshots

[ErikaLinnea]

BIW is a good employer, but not great and not always consistant. Maybe with the Zumwalts they will be a little better. It really depends on the level of position you are looking for. Salaried= better pay, more reliable. Unionized= red tape, more layoffs. But comaped to other manufacturing jobs in our area, you still can't beat it. If you have experience and education in marine engineering, you should definately see what they have to offer.

Lots of nice homes for sale in the Bath-Brunswick area (some due to Naval Air Station closing in 2011). Both are wonderful communities and seem to get better and better every year. We're all trying to get other industries moving along so that we are not dependant on BNAS or BIW. You might even be interested in being a part of the burgeoning composites niche that is coming about! Housing stock here is very affordable right now. Property taxes are high, but everywhere along the Maine coast (Bar Harbor and south) you'll find the same.

Originally Posted by flycessna
Aside from the cost of such a construction project. Would it be possible to dredge the river where BIW is so that it would be possible to build larger ships? and if so what would the cost of such a project be? is that feasable?

Dredge the Kennebec? Not likely! Just try getting that one past DEP!
And besides, is that where you want your tax dollars to go? My fiance works at BIW I don't even want that!

[Coaster]

Actually BIW does regular dredging work in the Kennebec every few years. BIW retained legal access to the pier in the new park south of the yard -- the one created from a former BIW storage lot -- so it can be used to offload dredging barges. DEP doesn't get involved that much unless wetlands are an issue. It's more a US Corps of Engineers area.

[flycessna]

Originally Posted by ErikaLinnea

Dredge the Kennebec? Not likely! Just try getting that one past DEP! And besides, is that where you want your tax dollars to go? My fiance works at BIW I don't even want that!

I really thought BIW would pay for the dredging, Last time I checked they were a private company, albeit a huge defense contract agency. Anyways even if the state had to pay for some I'd so much prefer to see my tax dollars go to some kind of infrastructure investment rather then to the massive welfare state we've become.