Mare Island Dry Dock To Close, Jobs Cuts To Follow

MARTINEZ, CA — The Mare Island Dry Dock will shut down its Vallejo operations, eliminating maritime industry jobs after the company lost a key U.S. Coast Guard contract, officials said.

The Mare Island Dry Dock will close its Vallejo facility, cutting maritime services and jobs, company officials said.

Operators of the commercial dry dock notified the City of Vallejo on Dec. 30 that the Mare Island facility would cease operations. The company employed more than 80 full-time union and non-union workers.

The closure was attributed to unforeseen business circumstances, including the loss of a critical U.S. Coast Guard contract, according to the Dec. 31 announcement.

“Despite efforts to secure additional financing and contracts, Mare Island Dry Dock determined that continuing operations was no longer viable,” the company said in the statement.

Mare Island Dry Dock told officials the company work with local agencies to support affected employees. In response, the City of Vallejo has coordinated with the Solano County Workforce Development Board to provide job search assistance, retraining programs, and other workforce resources.

City officials said Vallejo is committed to helping displaced workers transition to new opportunities and to expanding maritime and other commercial activity on Mare Island. The city recently hired a consultant to pursue federal funding and private investment aimed at expanding shipbuilding and ship repair operations and revitalizing Vallejo’s waterfront. Officials said the effort is expected to create future jobs and help bring skilled maritime workers back to Mare Island.

For more information on workforce assistance, contact the Solano County Workforce Development Board at (707) 648-4024 or info@solanowdb.org.