The U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary gave Alpena a nod during testimony before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on Tuesday.

Secretary Pete Buttigieg highlighted funding awarded in 2021 to help Lafarge Alpena modernize its port as a good use of federal dollars earmarked for unsnarling the country’s current transportation woes.

Lafarge was slated to receive $3.7 million as one of 25 recipients of DOT’s port infrastructure development grants, awarded to upgrade U.S. ports.

The expected Lafarge modernization should allow Alpena to bring in larger cargo ships, meaning more business for the plant, more jobs for residents, and better access to materials for manufacturers across the region, Buttigieg told the committee in a printed statement.

A Lafarge representative could not be reached to confirm the status of the port updates.