STURTEVANT - Local manufacturer BRP has been awarded a $10 million contract to make outboard engines for the Marine Corps.

BRP, or Bombardier Recreational Products, won the contract to make Evinrude multi-fuel engines for the Marines' fleet of rubber Zodiac boats. All of the engines will be produced at the local plant in the Renaissance Business Park, Evinrude spokeswoman Julie Johnson said.

The company began shipping the engines last month and will continue through January, the company announced Wednesday. No jobs are expected to be added, because this line of engines was already on the market, Johnson said.

"It's pretty much folding right into our regular operation," she said.

The Marine Corps chose BRP because its product fit Department of Defense requirements that engines "be able to operate using available battlefield fuels and to operate from naval shipping without the need for gasoline," according to a press release. Other companies make only higher-horsepower versions, Johnson said.

The engines are built to run on kerosene, aviation fuel or gasoline, and customers can toggle between the fuels with the flip of a switch - a feature Johnson said is exclusive to BRP. Although it's available to the public, Johnson said the multi-fuel engine has not been a huge seller.

"It was definitely designed for military use," she said, adding that the company hopes to expand the sales to armed forces in other friendly nations.

It's encouraging to see the plant at 10101 Science Drive utilize its capacity at a time when the economy has dampened boating-related sales, said Roger Caron, president of Racine Area Manufacturers and Commerce.