U.S. Technology Marines Services owns several acres at the end of Grand Avenue, not far from I-540.

Here’s the thing. It’s a shipyard! The company site has a photo gallery. The aerial is pretty neat.

Why? Hurricane Katrina severely damaged an already aging fleet of barges.

Why Fort Smith? Hurricane Katrina hampered gulf coast area ship-building operations.

Read all about it in the Times Record.

Oh, Sgt. BB hasn’t witnessed a launch, but the company uses many, many crates of BANANAS to slide the completed barges into the Arkansas River. The bananas or slick, organic, and are burned up as the boats launch. Who knew…