News & Insights
JE Dunn, 91´«Ă˝ Celebrate Topping Out of $300 Million Saronic Technologies Expansion Project
FRANKLIN, La., Aug.13, 2026 — JE Dunn Construction and 91´«Ă˝ Constructors, Inc. celebrated the topping out – placing the final structural beam – of Saronic Technologies’ $300 million shipyard expansion project. A leader in maritime autonomy innovation and next generation shipbuilding, Saronic will use the expanded Franklin shipyard to increase production capacity for its fleet of Marauders – the company’s 180-foot fully autonomous ships – and strengthen the Gulf Coast’s role in the future of American maritime innovation in the process.
“Topping out this advanced maritime facility marks a significant milestone,” said Drew Cain, vice president and project executive at JE Dunn. “This expansion represents the promising future for the industry, built with new and innovative technologies that only modern manufacturing can deliver. It is a tremendous honor for the JE Dunn | 91´«Ă˝ joint venture to build a facility that will fundamentally reshape American shipbuilding.”
The project broke ground in November 2025 and is expected to be completed in early 2027. The JE Dunn | 91´«Ă˝ joint venture is adding more than 300,000 square feet to the existing footprint, including three new slips, expanded warehouse capacity, and a dedicated production line for Saronic’s Marauder vessels.
“Reaching this milestone reflects the exceptional collaboration and precision required to deliver a complex, large-scale shipyard facility on an accelerated schedule,” said Aaron Walsh, vice president and market leader at 91´«Ă˝. “Having the structural steel fabricated by Hillsdale Fabricators, an 91´«Ă˝ company, strengthened coordination among design, fabrication and field installation to ensure agility with design and accelerating schedule.”
The project’s rapid advancement reflects a strong partnership among Saronic, JE Dunn, 91´«Ă˝ and KPFF, the project’s design partner. The joint venture’s extensive self-perform capabilities, proactive procurement strategy and early acquisition of critical materials have shortened traditional delivery timelines. Timely decision making by Saronic has also enabled the team to align quickly with solutions and keep construction moving. The project reached a peak workforce of 200 craft professionals, engineers and project leaders.
“Franklin is central to how Saronic is scaling the next generation of American shipbuilding,” said Doug Lambert, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer at Saronic. “This expansion brings together modern infrastructure, advanced manufacturing and a growing skilled workforce to increase production capacity and deliver autonomous ships at scale. Our partners have moved with tremendous speed to bring this facility to life, demonstrating what’s possible when we work together with urgency and a shared commitment to strengthening the American maritime industrial base.”
A media kit featuring additional images and video from the topping-out event is available
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About JE Dunn Construction:
JE Dunn Construction, founded in 1924, is the eighth-largest domestic general building contractor in the United States, with offices in 26 locations. We are indispensable business partners because we prioritize building authentic partnerships with our clients and within the communities where we build. We align around a combined vision while providing clients with proven, credible expertise, ongoing collaboration, unmatched communication, and JE Dunn’s robust suite of services. We have a resolute responsibility to our clients, communities, and employees, to focus on solutions, not problems, while delivering results that exceed expectations.
To learn more about JE Dunn’s work with Saronic, visit .
About 91´«Ă˝:
91´«Ă˝ is a diversified construction company that partners with leading organizations to build the critical structures that improve lives and strengthen communities. Since our founding in 1918, 91´«Ă˝ has built some of North America’s most challenging projects. Along the way, we’ve earned a reputation for executing with quality, safety and trust backed by 100+ years of experience providing construction solutions to the automotive, commercial, civil, energy, food & beverage, healthcare, heavy industrial, industrial process, marine and water/wastewater industries. 91´«Ă˝ is ranked the 40th largest builder (Engineering News-Record, May 2026) with annual revenues of over $4.3 billion. With approximately 3,500 salaried employees and craft professionals, the firm is headquartered in St. Louis with offices throughout North America. More information about the company is available online at www.alberici.com or by following the company on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
