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Recognizing June 10, 2017 as the 20-year Anniversary of Philly Shipyard in South Philadelphia and honoring its excellence in the art of ship building, which continues the legacy of shipbuilding within our region and nation.
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WHEREAS, Large scale shipbuilding in the Philadelphia area can be traced back to the works of William Penn in 1681, along with the impacts through history made by Cramps Ship and Engine Building Company, and the Philadelphia Navy Yard; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia has a rich history of building many fine ships, such as the USS Pennsylvania in 1837, which is the largest wooden warship ever built for the U.S. Navy, the USS New Jersey & the USS Wisconsin both of which are battleships that fought in WWII, lastly the NS Savannah the first nuclear-powered merchant ship; and
WHEREAS, The Philadelphia Navy Yard was closed in 1995 by the U.S. Department of Defense, leading to foundation of the Philly Shipyard in 1997 by the City of Philadelphia, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the United States Government and the Kværner Shipbuilding Division; and
WHEREAS, The Philly Shipyard currently employs 1200 workers, ranging from welders to shipbuilders to engineers to planners, these jobs have had a major positive impact on the people and the economy of our City; and
WHEREAS, The Philly Shipyard has produced 26 outstanding ships, since the construction of its facilities began in 1997, beginning with launching the first ship the M.V. Manukai in 2003, and most recently delivering the ship American Freedom on March 29th of this year, with four additional ships currently in its backlog through 2019; and
WHEREAS, The Philly Shipyard has delivered more than 50% of all Jones Act ocean-going merchant ships including containerships, product tankers, and large crude oil tankers in since 2003, continuing the rich history of shipbuilding in Philadelphia; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby recognize and honor Philly Shipyard for its leadership, innovation, and successes in the ship building industry for these past 20 years.
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