Groton’s state senator says the town’s biggest employer, the Electric Boat Co. submarine shipyard could offer housing to workers as a way to attract more employees amid a boom in orders from the U.S. Navy.

The Stamford Advocate reports that state Sen. Heather Somers, R-Groton, told a meeting of the Executive and Legislative Nominations Committee of the Connecticut General Assembly that the company’s managers think “they might have to get into the real estate business.”

But a company spokesperson cautioned that Electric Boat has “no plans at this time” to start building employee housing, although it is working with the administration to increase housing supply in the greater New London area.

Electric Boat’s demand for workers has drawn attention to the area from developers. The company has said it will need to hire 18,000 people by 2030 to both meet production quotas and account for attrition.