Mobile County Commission approves industrial park designation for Master Boat Builders

The Mobile County Commission on Jan. 27 approved a resolution designating an industrial park petitioned by Master Boat Builders and DW Rice Properties, after a public hearing in which the company described plans to expand fabrication space and employment.

At the public hearing, Garrett, a company representative, said the family business began in the late 1970s and currently employs roughly 400 people in Mobile County. "We had the opportunity to build the first battery-powered harbor tug in the country, delivered it about this time last year," Garrett said, and added the company has "a series of over 20 tugboats on contract" to build in coming years.

The company told commissioners the industrial park would allow construction of new fabrication shops and facilitate planned growth. County staff had no objection to the petition; after hearing from Garrett the commission moved and adopted the resolution. The motion and second were recorded on the meeting minutes; a roll-call tally was not provided in the transcript.

Why it matters: Master Boat Builders is a longstanding shipbuilder in south Mobile County; commissioners and staff said the industrial park would support local job growth and permit the company to expand production capabilities. The item advanced with brief public comment and unanimous procedural support in the meeting record.

The commission opened and closed the public hearing for the petition at the meeting before adopting the resolution. No formal conditions attached to the designation were read into the record during the hearing. The county engineering department was mentioned as having assisted the company through the process.

The commission took the vote during its regular meeting on Jan. 27; no additional approvals or permits tied to the industrial park were recorded at the meeting.