Master Boat Builders is moving forward with a major investment in coastal Alabama, announcing plans to construct a $60 million defense-focused shipbuilding facility in Coden that will significantly expand the company’s ability to support U.S. military maritime programs.
WorkBoat reported on the project details.
The new 150,000-square-foot manufacturing center will sit on a 20-acre site across Bayou Coden from the company’s existing yard.
By creating a standalone location dedicated entirely to government and defense contracts, the Alabama shipbuilder will increase production capacity for Navy and Coast Guard vessels and strengthen the Gulf Coast’s role in the nation’s maritime industrial base, the company says.
Garrett Rice, president of Master Boat Builders, said the expansion is driven by a need to meet growing federal shipbuilding demands.
“This new facility is about building more capability here at home,” he said. “By dedicating an entire yard to defense programs, we’re creating the capacity and flexibility needed to deliver for all of our customers and supporting the nation’s call for a stronger, more resilient maritime industrial base.”
The project includes a state-of-the-art assembly building designed for serial production of steel and aluminum ships, along with fabrication of complex modules for major federal programs.
In addition to work tied to the U.S. Navy’s Landing Craft Utility (LCU) program, supported through a strategic outsourcing agreement with Austal USA, Master Boat Builders also plans to pursue new government opportunities, including the U.S. Coast Guard’s Domestic Icebreaker program.
Engineering and construction partners Thompson Engineering and RJ Baggett, both based in Mobile, will lead development of the facility.
The site will also feature expanded workforce training space to cultivate the next generation of skilled Gulf Coast shipbuilders, as well as a modern layout to support modular construction methods.
WorkBoat stated that site clearing began last month.
Construction is expected to take 18 to 24 months, with LCU module fabrication continuing at the existing yard until the new facility is fully operational.
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
