Moran Iron Works and Ann Arbor-based Watermaster NA have partnered in a venture to manufacture the Finnish-engineered AMD 5000 amphibious dredging machine in North America.
The Watermaster machine has been sold worldwide for thirty years but not in the U.S.A. due to an import policy called the Jones Act.
Because the AMD 5000 is now made in the U.S., it is a fully Jones Act-compliant vessel and is now available for purchase throughout the country.
The two companies came together over a year ago and through a series of leadership meetings in Helsinki, Finland and Onaway, MI they agreed to join forces in an OEM partnership.
The first machine is currently being manufactured in Onaway, MI.
Commenting the latest news, Jonathan Dreyfuss , President of Ann Arbor-based Watermaster NA, said: “We could not be more pleased working with such a high quality fabrication firm as Moran Iron Works (MIW).”
“Not only are we glad to bring manufacturing jobs to Michigan, but also to be bringing new technology to the marine environmental remediation industry and the subsequent jobs created there.
“We anticipate a long relationship with MIW as we introduce this machine across the U.S. and Canada as a new means of addressing the increasingly necessary maintenance and remediation of waterways.”.