Mississippi Gulf Coast Shipbuilding 2007 www.mscoastshipbuilding.com

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 1

Partially funded by the

Copyright © 2007 Mississippi Gulf Coast Alliance for Economic Development

Researched, written and prepared by Tortorano Commissioned Publications, 1477 College Parkway, Gulf Breeze, FL 32563. Printed version available through Lulu.com, 860 Aviation Parkway, Suite 300, Morrisville, NC 27560 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the prior written permission of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Alliance for Economic Development. Permission is granted to quote from this publication with credit. Cover photos: USS Kidd, Northrop Grumman, Pascagoula, Miss.; artists drawing of DD(X), Raytheon; composite structure, Northrop Grumman, Gulfport, Miss.; Signal International shipyard, Signal International, Pascagoula, Miss.

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 2

Mississippi Gulf Coast Shipbuilding Preface

Contents

4

An opportunity

Part I: Overview The U.S. shipbuilding industry

8

Part II: Gulf Coast region A larger slice of a smaller pie

15

Part III: Synergies

22

How it fits together

Part IV: Businesses South Mississippi ship/boat businesses

Part V: RDT&E

27 31

Federal/university research

Part VI: Tech transfer, incubators Turning research into products

Part VII: Incentives GO Zone: Incentives on steroids

Part VIII: Work force

37 39 42

A convergence of interests Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 3

Preface

An opportunity

T

he worst natural disaster in United States history hit South Mississippi and New Orleans Aug. 29, 2005 and left devastation and death in its wake. Beachfront communities were destroyed and residents scattered. The hurricane would forever change the face of this region. What may wind up as the real legacy of Hurricane Katrina is a rebuilding in South Mississippi that will minimize the impact of future hurricanes. Casinos are coming back – on land this time – and condo developers are building hurricane-resistant high-rises near the shore. The latest thinking in urban planning is being adopted in many areas of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and the region along Interstate 10 has become a rebuilding hot spot. Several developers have plans to create self-contained I-10 communities with a mix of research, corporate and government offices, schools and housing along with pedestrianfriendly town squares. Gov. Haley Barbour vowed that South Mississippi will be rebuilt “bigger and better,” and the fact that most jobs lost during the hurricane were replaced by February of 2006 indicates a boom is at hand. Sen. Trent Lott noted in April 2006 that blue chip companies from across America have expressed interest in Mississippi, and Barbour has been saying that investing in the state is good for shareholders. Indeed, the availability of $4.8 billion in Gulf Opportunity Zone incentives makes this an ideal time for newcomers. For companies involved in shipbuilding, boat building and repair, it may be an opportune time to set up shop in the Gulf Coast. South Mississippi is home to Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, one of the key companies involved in building the next generation of surface warships; Rolls-Royce Naval Marine; VT Halter Marine and other companies that are big players in military shipbuilding. But it’s also home to one of the builders of some of the world’s largest pleasure vessels – Trinity Yachts, which moved to Gulfport in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, as did United States Marine, builder of special operations boats, and Gulf Ship, which builds ships for Edison Chouest Offshore. While that in itself if significant, it’s particularly important because South Mississippi is also a central location for research in polymers and building with composites, a material of choice for the shipbuilding industry.

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 4

Preface

Beyond South Mississippi, the Gulf Coast I-10 corridor, with a large work force and numerous federal and university research facilities, is a key shipbuilding corridor. The list of shipbuilders includes Bollinger in Louisiana and Austal USA in Alabama. This section of the Gulf Coast has the largest concentration of shipbuilders in what has become the largest shipbuilding region in the nation.

Mississippi Gulf Coast The Mississippi Gulf Coast is on the northern shore of the Gulf of Mexico, between the states of Alabama to the east and Louisiana to the west. The nearest foreign neighbors are Mexico to the south and southwest, Cuba to the southeast and the nations of Central America. It is the southern-most portion of the state of Mississippi. The cities closest to the Mississippi Gulf Coast are Mobile, Ala., to the east, New Orleans, La., to the west and Hattiesburg, Miss., to the north. The Mississippi Gulf Coast’s largest cities are Pascagoula, Biloxi, Gulfport and Bay St. Louis, but there are other population centers as well. The Mississippi Gulf Coast is composed of six counties - George, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Pearl River and Stone. Three of those counties – Hancock, Harrison and Jackson – are on the coast and contain most of the population and business infrastructure. One of the most notable features is the three counties share the Interstate 10 transportation corridor. Transportation, in fact, is one of the strong attributes of South Mississippi. It has multiple ports and airports, inHattiesburg cluding a growing comMobile mercial airport Mississippi Baton in the city of Gulf Coast Pensacola Rouge Gulfport. Fort Walton The three Beach New Orleans northern counties – George, Stone and Pearl River – are not along the I-10 corridor but are part of the Mississippi Gulf Coast because of strong social and economic ties with the counties to the south. Indeed, the three more rural counties are where the populations and businesses of the coast are expanding. Combined, the six counties are grouped into two metropolitan areas – Gulfport-Biloxi MSA and Pascagoula MSA – one one micropolitan area, Picayune (Pearl River County). The Mississippi Gulf Coast is a key part of two much wider regional economies. It is, of course, an integral part of the state of Mississippi, where it serves as one of the key economic engines. But the Mississippi Gulf Coast is also part of the Gulf Coast I-10 Corridor,

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 5

Preface Hattiesburg Mobile AL

Gulfport Biloxi

Ocean Springs

Bay St. Long Louis Beach

Slidell LA

Moss Point Pascagoula

Waveland

an urbanized region that spans more than 300 miles across four states, from the Baton Rouge MSA in Louisiana to the Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin MSA in Florida. It’s a region with seven contiguous MSAs and two micropolitan statical areas. While known for tourism, the less-told story is it has a strong mix of defense-related activities. It includes two dozen bases – many involved in aviation-related missions – and the world’s biggest defense contractors have set up operations here. I-10 region snapshot The I-10 corridor, in fact, has become increasingly States portions of 4 innovative. It’s home to more than 150 federal and university research units involved in everything from Land area* 12,216 sq. m. artificial intelligence to stem cell research. Nine uni7 versities with interests in the region spent $519 million Metropolitan areas Micropolitan areas 2 in fiscal year 2003 on R&D, with industry providing $35.2 million. More than 200 firms claim R&D func- Counties/parishes 27 tions, thought the real number is likely considerably Population (2000)* 3.42 million higher. Indeed, the Fort Walton Beach-CrestviewDestin MSA alone can count about 350 technology Work force* 1.62 million companies that work closely with the Air Force bases Gross metro product (2005)** $126.7 billion of Eglin and Hurlburt Field. The region’s innovation Commercial airports 6 infrastructure also includes science and technology parks, technology transfer offices, incubators and Major ports 9 more. Interstates 10; 65; 59 While the Gulf Coast I-10 Corridor has not promoted itself as such, it has all the elements in place. Major military installations 22 And while clearly less well-known than other technol*pre-2003 metro definitions ogy regions of the country, it’s in the enviable position **does not include two micropolitan areas of being far less costly. It is well on its way to creating Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 6

Preface

a 21st century knowledge-based economy that will help the United States compete in the global economy. Within this broader technology region, the Mississippi Gulf Coast is well-positioned. Because of Hurricane Katrina, this area has become something of a laboratory where innovative ideas are taking hold. The Mississippi Gulf Coast is exploring new ways of building communities and economic development officials, now more than ever, have set their sights on creating technology-driven economies. And a key to that effort is the shipbuilding, boat building and repair industry. The Editors Gulf Breeze, FL March 2007

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 7

Part I: Overview

The U.S. shipbuilding industry

T

he numbers are startling and tell the tale of a shrinking industry. In the early 1980s there were more than 200 major shipyards for build and repair in the United States and more than 112,000 workers. Some two decades later the numbers dropped to just over 80 yards, and the work force just over 46,000.1 The American Shipbuilding Association,

a trade group for the nation’s largest yards, has said the industry is in peril. Congressmen in shipbuilding states warn that any further dismantling will threaten the security of the United States because a domestic capability to produce and repair warships, support vessels, and commercial vessels is fundamental. In May 2001 the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security and Bureau of Export Administration performed an assessment of the industry. The report, National Security Assessment of the U.S. Shipbuilding and Repair Industry, pointed out that there is ongoing concern about U.S. shipbuilders’ inability to compete with foreign shipbuilders.2 The study, based on a survey of the industry itself, showed United States ranks 10th in terms of tonnage built (less than 1 percent), with over 1,000 gross tons constructed as of June 2000. The leading shipbuilding nations: South Korea with 43 percent and Japan with 23 percent of the worldwide market. By comparison, three Major U.S. shipbuilders

The DD(X), or Zumwalt class destroyers, are being developed and built at Bath Iron Works in Maine and Northrop Grumman Ingalls Operations in Pascagoula, Miss. Raytheon image

Active shipbuilding yards

9

Shipyards with build positions

13

Repair with dry docking

28

Topside repair

32

Work force

46,300

Sources: 2005 Report on Survey of U.S. Shipbuilding and Repair Industry, U.S. Department of Commerce, MARAD

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 8

Part I – Overview

other crucial industries – aerospace, computers and automobiles – have a much larger share of the market and are much more competitive, the study said.3 The military shipbuilding segment, a strength for United States shipbuilders, is facing a particularly rough time in part because of the huge costs of fighting the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, in part because the Department of Defense wants fewer ship. Add to that the growing bad publicity about newer warships that are flawed and it’s clear the industry is in deep trouble. Some in Congress are calling for change. Industry size The industry itself is one of the oldest in the nation, and involves the manufacture of ships, barges and other large vessels, both self-propelled and towed by other craft, as well as the ship repair segment. Most shipyards specialize in either building or repair work. The industry is divided into two segments: Those that produce for the civilian market and those that produce for the military. The commercial segment includes an assortment of associated businesses that produce shipboard equipment, and is closely tied to the oil and gas industry through the building of oil and gas platforms. The military segment, larger in terms of revenue, also includes companies involved in weapons systems, such as missiles, and communicationsrelated equipment. While shipbuilding is not nearly as large in terms of revenue as the nation’s aerospace industry, it is nonetheless substantial. U.S. shipbuilding and repair industry account for some $8 billion to $10 billion in annual sales,4 About 10 percent of the companies accounted for 85 percent of the revenues. The six largest shipbuilders, the socalled “Big Six,” accounted for two-thirds of the industry’s shipbuilding revenue in

Active shipbuilding yards •

Bath Iron Works Corp., Bath, Maine, est. 1826 and builds surface combat ships. Part of General Dynamics since 1995. In mid-2003 had 6,800 workers.*

•

Bender Shipbuilding and Repair Co. Inc., Mobile, Ala., est. 1919. Builds commercial vessels. In mid2003 had 870 workers.

•

Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Conn., est. 1899. Builds nuclear submarines. Modular sections built at Quonset Point, R.I. facility. Part of General Dynamics since 1952. In mid-2003 had 8,900 workers.*

•

Aker Philadelphia Shipyard Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., newly established at former Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. In mid-2003 had 850 workers.

•

National Steel and Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, Calif., est. 1959, builds military auxiliary and support ships, oil tankers and dry cargo carriers for commercial market. Part of General Dynamics Corp. since 1998. In mid-2003 had 3,300 workers.*

•

Northrop Grumman Newport News, Newport News, Va., sole builder of nuclear powered aircraft carriers. Part of Northrop Grumman since 2001. In mid-2003 had 17,400 workers.*

•

Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, Avondale Operations, Avondale, La., builds military, commercial and Coast Guard vessels. Part of Northrop Grumman since 2001. Sister yard in Tallulah, LA, builds modular sections. Avondale and Ingalls had a combined 19,000 workers in late 2003.*

•

Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, Ingalls Operations, Pascagoula, Miss., builds military and Coast Guard vessels. Part of Northrop Grumman since 2001. Ingalls and Avondale had a combined 19,000 workers in late 2003.*

•

VT-Halter Marine Pascagoula, Pascagoula, Miss., owned by Singapore Technologies Engineering. In mid-2003 had 430 workers.

* denotes one of the “Big Six.” Source: Department of Commerce, MARAD, 2005

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 9

Part I – Overview

1998 and perform nearly 90 percent of all military work. Ninety-five percent of the revenues of these yards were defenserelated.5 In fact, military orders account for the vast majority of U.S. shipbuilding revenues. The military portion of the industry – which declined 60 percent in the 10 years since the end of the Cold War – accounted for 70 percent of the revenues in 1998.6 At the time of the BIS assessment in 2001, the shipbuilding and repair sector consisted of 250 private companies and five publicly owned and operated repair yards.7 The Maritime Administration’s 2005 Report on Survey of the U.S. Shipbuilding and Repair Industry places the number of major shipbuilding and repair bases at 82, a figure that includes active shipyards, those with the capability of handling large vessels, large repair and dry docking operations and those that handle topside repair.8 The so-called “Big Six” from the BIS study included three shipyards owned by General Dynamics: Bath Iron Works, Electric Boat and National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. Two others, Avondale and Ingalls, were at the time owned by Litton Industries and the sixth one was Newport News. Since the assessment, Litton’s Avondale and Ingalls and Newport News were purchased by Northrop Grumman. While the number of yards has dropped dramatically over the past 20 years, the number of workers, too, has taken a nosedive. According to MARAD’s survey, there were 46,300 employed at the nation’s major shipyards in 2005. While there have been fluctuations from year to year, the general trend has been downward. In 1982 there were 112,500 workers at the major yards.9 But the malaise of the shipbuilding industry has an impact well beyond the yards. There are thousands of vendors involved in the shipbuilding field. Include their employ-

Public (Navy) shipyards •

Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Va., was established in 1767 under the British flag. It is the Navy’s oldest shipyard and the largest on the East Coast with 800 acres.

•

Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, was established in 1908 and is the largest industrial employer in Hawaii.

•

Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Maine, where in 1690 the first North American warship was built.

•

Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, Bremerton, Wash. PSNS and IMF merged in 2003.

Source: United States Naval Shipyards

ment into the mix and the number of workers who rely on the health of the industry skyrockets to 350,000 workers in 47 states.10 The regions There are five distinct regions surveyed by MARAD: The East Coast, Gulf Coast, West Coast, Great Lakes and non-CONUS. The 2005 survey by MARAD showed there are 82 major private shipbuilding and repair yards in the United States, down from the 89 in the 2003 survey. That number includes 9 active shipbuilding yards; 13 shipyards with build positions; 28 repair with drydocking; and 32 topside repair.11 The region with the largest number of yards, 31, is the Gulf Coast, down by three from the survey in 2003, followed by the East Coast’s 27, down from 29 in the 2003 survey. The West Coast has 15 yards and Great Lakes 6, with non-CONUS sites having 3 yards.12 According to the 2005 survey, the East Coast and Gulf Coast each have 4 active

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 10

Part I – Overview

shipbuilding yards and the West Coast has one. The Gulf Coast have 7 shipyards with build positions compared to 4 for the Great Lakes and 1 each for the East Coast and West Coast.13 The numbers have changed dramatically since 1982. The East Coast had the most yards with 41 at that time, while the Gulf Coast was second with 33 and the West Coast close behind with 27. By 2005 the Gulf Coast had 31 yards compared to the East Coast’s 27 and the West Coast’s 15. The Great Lakes was stable at 6 in 1982 and the same number in 2005. Non-CONUS was at 3 in 1982 and 2005. Significantly, the number of yards went from 110 in 1982 to 82 in 2005.14 The number of build and repair positions went from 212 in ’85 to 119 in 2005.15 Workers Of particular significance for the shipbuilding industry is what’s happened to the workforce. It has shrinked over the years, and like the aerospace industry, there is real concern about having enough workers for the future. In 1982 there were 112,500 workers at the major shipbuilding and repair yards, but by 2005 the number stood at 46,300. All regions saw a drop in workers. The East Coast went from 63,100 workers to 19,000, and the West Coast from 23,700 to 7,700. The Gulf Coast went from 22,900 to 18,200, a drop, but not as severe as the East and West coasts. The Great Lakes drop was from 2,300 to 1,300.16 The number of production workers shows the East Coast with the largest number at 19,000, followed closely by the Gulf Coast with 18,200, the West Coast with 7,700, the Great Lakes with 1,300 and non-CONUS with 200 for a total of 46,300 shipyard production workers.17 The BIS report in 2001 also sited the

Job market Over time the number of shipbuilding jobs have declined – hardly surprising, considering that in 1984 there were 229 major shipbuilders, repairers public yards. In 2003 it was 89, according to the Maritime Administration. Ingalls in Pascagoula is a good example of the changes. In 1977 the shipyard had 24,900 workers. In 2001 it had dropped to 10,120. The reasons for the drop: overall market demand, consolidations and more efficient production methods. Production jobs remain key to the industry, and include the same work typically found on heavy construction, such as welders, boilermakers and such. As with other heavy construction industries, there are entry level jobs that can be learned with on-thejob training. But many of the jobs require formal training or education, ranging from tech school to advanced degrees. Indeed, because of the importance of technology to modern shipbuilding, the expectation is for an increase of technology-intensive jobs. Scientists and technicians with advanced degrees are beginning to play a larger role. Average wage in 2002 was $16.66, according to MARAD and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but many technology jobs pay considerably more.

workforce as a problem. It noted at the time that labor shortages had reduced profits, impacted construction costs, and delayed project completion for most shipyards. In addition, many shipyards subcontracted work normally done at the yard and turned away new business. A few yards also used contract labor.18 The report also cited a high turnover in some yards, due in part to the uneven workload. The skill base of the U.S. shipbuilding industry is eroding, notably for welders, pipe fitters, and ship fitters. Shipyards also cited shortages of machinists, electricians and marine engineers. Shipyards compete with other industries and

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 11

Part I – Overview

with each other for skilled labor, according to the BIS report.19 Research and development Among the multiple concerns that have been expressed about the nation’s shipbuilding, one of the most troubling is the concern over research and development. There’s simply not enough going on. Nationwide, less than one percent of industry employees are engaged in R&D at least part time, and 25 percent of those workers have a four-year college degree.20 U.S. shipyard R&D averaged about 1.23 percent of revenues from 1996 through 2000. Half of the R&D was company funded (0.64 percent of revenues), which compares with more than 3 percent for all U.S. manufacturing.21 The Big Six accounted for 80 percent of the R&D averaging 1.49 percent of their revenues. The R&D range for the Big Six was from near zero to almost 3 percent. Slightly more than half their R&D was company funded.22 U.S. warships are acknowledged to be the best in the world. Advancements include the integration of nuclear power and gas turbine propulsion, advanced weapons systems, state-of-the-art electronic communications and stealth technologies.23 A key reason for U.S. warship superiority has been the shipbuilding research and development expertise residing in the Navy’s laboratories, acquisition commands and certain shipbuilders and universities. Collectively, they’ve conceived and designed most of the state-of-the-art hull, mechanical, electrical, power projection, air defense, and undersea warfare capabilities that are operational today.24 But with reduced R&D budgets, some of that capability is becoming fragmented. The shipbuilding industry’s principal roles in the development process have been in the appli-

Industrial codes Standard Industrial Classification codes and North American Industrial Classification System codes for the shipbuilding industry: SIC •

3731: shipbuilding and repairing; floating dry docks not associated with shipyards; shipbuilding and repairing except floating dry docks not associated with shipyards.

•

3732: boat building and repairing; boat repair; boat building NAICS

•

336611: shipbuilding and repairing

•

336612: boat building

•

48839: other support activities with water transportation (pt)

Related SIC, NAICS: •

SIC 1382: oil and gas field exploration services, geo-

•

physical surveying and mapping 3663: radio and television broadcasting communica-

• • • • • • •

tions equipment 3679: electronic components, NEC (antennas) 3761: guided missiles and space vehicles (except research and development) 3812: search, detection, navigation, guidance, aeronautical, and nautical systems and instruments 3829: measuring and controlling devices, NEC 7371: computer programming services 7372: prepackaged software (software publishing) 8713: surveying services, geophysical surveying

•

NAIC 334220: space satellites, communications manufac-

•

turing 334220: earth station communications equipment

•

manufacturing 334511: search, detection, navigation, guidance, aeronautical, and nautical system and instrument

• • • •

manufacturing 511210: software computer packaged, publishers 54136: geophysical surveying and mapping services 54137: surveying and mapping, except geophysical, services 541511: software analysis and design services custom computer

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Part I – Overview

cation of technology, detailed design, and manufacturing and system integration.25 An existing effort to bolster the shipbuilding R&D infrastructure is the National Shipbuilding Research Project Advanced Shipbuilding Enterprise (NSRP ASE). This project is an industry/U.S. Navy partnership focused on improving the commercial competitiveness of the U.S. shipbuilding industry, thereby reducing the cost of Navy ships. The Navy and the 11 major shipbuilders that comprise NSRP are jointly funding R&D costs.26 The U.S. Navy directly funded 42 percent of the R&D that took place in the shipbuilding industry. Most Navy R&D is devoted to the development of weapons and combat systems, which is not performed by shipyards.27 As part of recent DoD acquisition reform policies, the Navy transferred its design and life cycle responsibilities to the shipbuilding industry. The transfer has been a part of an overall defense downsizing effort that began in the early 1990s.28 Now the thinking is, that shift of design responsibility may have been a mistake. Turbulent waters With the industry already besieged by problems, bad publicity about some problems or potential problems with ships has served to put a spotlight on the industry. The LPD 17 San Antonio amphibious assault ship was $1 billion over its projected price of $876 million, and it arrived two years late.29 There were so many safety and craftsmanship problems the Navy declined initially to accept the vessel. But some of the worst publicity has been more recent. A case in point: the Coast Guard’s $24 billion deep-water program, an ambitious plan to replace the agency’s aging fleet with new ships, patrol boats and

helicopters over 20 to 25 years. In December the Coast Guard said it would pull eight patrol boats – retrofitted at Bollinger Shipyard in Lockport, La. – from service after deeming them unfit for use. Bollinger had received a $488 million contract to convert 49 aging, 110-foot patrol boats into 123-foot vessels with new equipment and enhanced capabilities. The Coast Guard canceled the contract in July 2005 after Bollinger had delivered just four of the boats. The hulls on some of the boats, the Coast Guard said, cracked and buckled. In mid-January the Navy issued a stopwork order to Lockheed Martin on its $197.6-million littoral combat ship – a key component of the future fleet, under construction at Bollinger Shipyard. The Navy cited “significant cost increases” and “poor contractor performance.” The Navy planned to review the feasibility of the program over 90 days. Also under fire is the $385 million National Security Cutter, the 410-foot flagship of the deep-water program, built by Northrop Grumman in Pascagoula. Congress has held hearings on the defective design and is trying to determine why it was built despite early indications of design flaws. Some congressional leaders are calling for reform of the shipbuilding process. “I'm seeing a pattern here,” said Rep. Gene Taylor, D-Miss., referring to the failure of the patrol boats and the problems with the cutter. “In the (patrol boat) program, you have eight vessels that were fully capable before they went to the shipyard, but now you’ve got eight pieces of junk. In the case of the LCS, you’ve got a ship that’s 70 percent complete but at a higher cost. When things like this fail, that means the taxpayer is being cheated, the sailors are being cheated. What I’m trying to do is hold these contractors

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Part I – Overview

accountable.”30 Lawmakers have said they take issue with having contractors oversee the design and the building of ships. Insufficient oversight has resulted in higher costs and in some cases has prevented the government from getting the best price for work, lawmakers said. Some legislators want the design work to again be done by the Defense Department, while only building would be done by defense contractors. Taylor said he plans to introduce legislation requiring defense agencies to design their own ships. While some members of Congress are unhappy with the current lot of contractors and would like to increase the net of contractors, the reality is the options are slim. There is no realistic expectation that work could be shifted to other yards because the pool of yards capable of building warships is so small. “I don’t know where else (the work) would go,” said James McCaul, a shipbuilding expert at International Maritime Associates Inc.31

13

Ibid. Ibid. 15 Ibid. 16 Ibid. 17 Ibid. 18 DOC, National Security Assessment. 19 Ibid. 20 Ibid. 21 Ibid. 22 Ibid. 23 Ibid. 24 Ibid. 25 Ibid. 26 Ibid. 27 Ibid. 28 Ibid. 29 Andrew Scutro, Smoother sailing for San Antonio, Navy Times, Dec. 19, 2005 30 Jaquetta White, Rough seas ahead, The (New Orleans) Times Picayune, Feb. 4, 2007. 31 Ibid. 14

Next: Gulf Coast region

1

U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration (MARAD), Office of Marine Asset Construction and Technology, 2005 Report on Survey of the U.S. Shipbuilding and Repair Industry, October 2005. 2 U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), National Security Assessment of the U.S. Shipbuilding and Repair Industry, 2001. (http://www.bis.doc.gov/ defenseindustrialbaseprograms/index.htm). 3 Ibid. 4 American Shipbuilding Association. 5 DOC, National Security Assessment. 6 Ibid. 7 Ibid. 8 MARAD, 2005 Report on Survey. 9 Ibid. 10 American Shipbuilding Association. 11 MARAD, 2005 Report on Survey. 12 Ibid. Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 14

Part II: Gulf Coast region

A larger slice of a smaller pie

A

lthough the nation’s major shipbuilding industry has been shrinking, the Gulf Coast to a large extent has managed to hold its own. And because of that, its proportion of the major shipbuilding pie has increased. It’s now the location for nearly 40 percent of shipbuilders as well as the work force. The Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration tracks the shipbuilding sector in five regions: The East Coast, West Coast, Gulf Coast, Great Lakes and nonCONUS areas. Over the years the numbers have shown the nation’s major shipbuilding sector is shrinking. The biggest regions have lost companies and employees. Figures show that between 1982 and 2005, the number of major shipyards and repair facilities nationwide declined 25.45 percent – from 110 to 82 – while the number of workers tumbled by 58.84 percent – from 112,500 to 46,300. The regions that suffered the biggest losses were the East and West coasts. The East Coast in 1982 had 41 shipyards, but by 2005 that figure had dropped to 27 yards, a loss of 34.1 percent. The number of shipbuilding and repair jobs also declined, from 63,100 in 1982 to 19,000 in 2005, a staggering loss of 96.9 percent. The West Coast also took a huge hit, going from 27 shipyards in 1982 to 15 yards in 2005, a loss of 44.4 percent. The work force slid as well, going from 23,700 workers in 1982 to 7,700 in 2005, a 67.5 percent drop.

Major Gulf Coast shipbuilders Active shipbuilding yards

4

Shipyards with build positions

7

Repair with dry docking

6

Topside repair

14

Work force

18,200

Sources: 2005 Report on Survey of U.S. Shipbuilding and Repair Industry, U.S. Department of Commerce, MARAD

By contrast, the losses on the Gulf Coast among major shipbuilding and repair yards were much smaller. In 1982 the Gulf Coast had 33 yards and in 2005 it had 31 yards, a loss of just over 6 percent. The work force slipped as well, from 22,900 in 1982 to 18,200 in 2005, a drop of 20.5 percent – small compared to the other two big regions. The result was that the Gulf Coast became a bigger player in a smaller field. In 1982, the East Coast had 37.3 percent of the big shipbuilding yards, the Gulf Coast 30 percent and the West Coast about 24.5 percent. By 2005, the Gulf Coast had increased its proportion to 37.8 percent, while the East Coast slipped to 32.9 percent and the West Coast fell to 18.3 percent. The same type of shift occurred with the workforce. In 1982 the East Coast had well over half the work force with more than 56 percent, followed by the West Coast’s 21 percent and the Gulf Coast’s 20.35 percent. By

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 15

Part II – Gulf Coast region

2005 the East Coast still had the most workers with 41 percent, followed by the Gulf Coast with 39.3 percent and the West Coast with 16.63 percent. Gulf Coast core The Gulf Coast shipbuilding region is large, spanning an area between south Texas and the tip of Florida. But within that large crescent most of the major shipbuilding operations are concentrated in a 200mile area between New Orleans and Mobile. It has four of the nation’s nine active yards: Bender Shipbuilding and Repair Co. Inc. in Mobile, Ala., Northrop Grumman Ship Systems’ Ingalls Operations and VTHalter Marine Pascagoula, both in Pascagoula, Miss., and Northrop Grumman Ship Systems’ Avondale Operations in New Or-

leans. The Northrop yards in Pascagoula and New Orleans are part of the “Big Six.” In addition, four of the seven Gulf Coast shipyards with build positions are in two adjacent counties: Alabama Shipyard and Austal USA, both in Mobile County, Ala., and Signal International LLC – East Yard and VT-Halter Moss Point, both in Jackson County, Miss. This focus on shipbuilding has been a way of life for a long time in this region of the country, beginning with the first European settlers. In World War II, Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Co., Gulf Shipbuilding, Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp., Delta Shipbuilding and Avondale Marine Ways were among the U.S. shipyards that produced 4,600 ships for the war effort. Ingalls by June 1945 had built more than 70 ships.

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 16

Part II – Gulf Coast region

Today the Gulf Coast continues to have a strong base of major shipbuilders and a large slate of smaller shipbuilders, as well as an array of vendors. But the region’s shipbuilding industry is far different than it was in the ’80s or ’90s. Companies that once existed are no more, new players have come into the region and shipyards that once competed for contracts are now under the same corporate umbrella. One of the “new” shipbuilders in the Gulf Coast is Los Angeles-based Northrop Grumman, which through a series of acquisitions beginning in the mid-1990s went from an also-ran in the defense industry to No. 3 behind Lockheed Martin and Boeing. It became a major player in the shipbuilding industry with the purchase of Litton, which

owned a yard in Pascagoula and New Orleans, and Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Va. Foreign interest in the U.S. defense industry also brought additional players to the Gulf Coast. Rolls-Royce Naval Marine in Pascagoula makes $650,000 propellers for Navy ships at a foundry in Pascagoula, and has designed the facility a center of excellence. Defense conglomerate Singapore Technologies Engineering, which owns aerospace company ST Mobile Aerospace Engineering, entered the shipbuilding sector when Friede Halter Goldman got into a deep financial jam, was forced into bankruptcy and began selling off pieces of the company. STE’s Vision Technologies purchased the FHG yards in Mississippi and

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 17

Part II – Gulf Coast region

renamed them VT-Halter Marine. Just across the state line Australia’s Austal Limited entered a joint venture with Bender Shipbuilding to set up Austal USA on the banks of the Mobile River. Bender has since sold off its interest to Austal. In recent years, Northrop Grumman began to consider the possibility of converting its old East Bank facility into a 130- to 160acre park for his component and subsystem suppliers. The idea was to borrow a page from the auto industry by bringing suppliers closer to take advantage of just-in-time delivery techniques. It had the potential to lower costs and shorten the time frame for building ships. There were early indications that many suppliers were interested. But Hurricane Katrina, which gave Northrop enough to handle simply putting its yards

back together, put that project on the backburner. More recent changes When Hurricane Katrina plowed into South Mississippi Aug. 29, 2004, the shipyards were at the very front of the assault. It caused considerable damage to every yard and the displacement of many workers. For the major yards recovery was costly. More than a year later shipbuilders were still coping with a shortage of workers. Interestingly, South Mississippi after the hurricane got additional shipbuilders. Trinity Yachts opted to leave New Orleans and move its operation to Gulfport along the industrial canal of Bernard Bayou Industrial District. It specializes in high end megayachts that are purchased worldwide.

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 18

Part II – Gulf Coast region

In addition, United States Marine, which builds specialty boats for special operations forces, also moved from New Orleans to Gulfport at a site along the same canal. Another company, Gulf Ship, set up operations at a 31-acre site along the waterway to build ships for Louisiana-based Edison Chouest Offshore. In what may be one of the more significant developments for South Mississippi in the shipbuilding sector, a group of Gulfport companies and colleges formed a marine composites consortium that could turn South Mississippi into the nation’s leading center for cutting-edge research in the use of advanced materials for the shipbuilding industry. Its primary focus will be research to tackle common problems in the use of

composites with shipbuilding. But the consortium will also work to build a cadre of scientists, technicians and workers who will create future generations of military and commercial vessels. Members of the group include Northrop Grumman, Seemann Composites, United States Marine, Trinity Yachts, the University of Southern Mississippi, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and Pearl River Community College. Formation of the consortium, insiders said, made sense because South Mississippi is the nexus of academic and industrial interests in composites. Southern Miss has an international reputation for its polymer program, and this region is home to some of the biggest industrial users of composites.

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 19

Part II – Gulf Coast region

Mississippi’s big dogs While the amount of shipbuilding in South Mississippi is significant, one of the most striking aspects is that of the nation’s nine active major yards, four are in the Gulf Coast and two of those are in one city, Pascagoula. Los Angeles-based Northrop Grumman Corp. operates three of the Big Six shipbuilders, and two of them are in the Gulf Coast: Avondale and Ingalls. Although the company has been around for a long time, Northrop Grumman’s foray into shipbuilding is of recent vintage. The company has shown that if you have a vision and you pursue it, you can go from an also-ran into a player to contend with. When Northrop first began its buying spree it was an aerospace company that faced strong competition. But after an eight-year buying spree, it is today world’s leading shipbuilder and third largest U.S. defense contractor. Its last major acquisition was in 2002 when it purchased TRW in a $7.8 billion stock deal. High profile products include the B-2 stealth bomber, amphibious assault ships, and oil tankers. It operates in seven sectors: Electronic Systems (airborne radar, navigation systems, electronic countermeasures), Information Technology (engineering and science; training and simulation), Integrated Systems (intelligence, surveillance, battle management), Ship Systems (military and commercial ships), Newport News (nuclearpowered submarines and aircraft carriers), Mission Systems (mission-enabling systems and service) and Space Technologies (satellite payloads, laser systems). Its footprint in the Gulf Coast region is considerable, with about two dozen operations ranging from shipbuilding to information technology and aerospace. But the big dog on the block is its shipbuilding efforts,

anchored by Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, headquartered in Pascagoula. There are four yards that fall under the jurisdiction of Ship Systems – Pascagoula and Gulfport in Mississippi, and New Orleans (Avondale) and Tallulah in Louisiana. In addition to shipbuilding and repairing, the company is involved in system support, steel sales and is a partner in a research operation with the University of New Orleans. Not far from the Northrop Ingalls yard is another of the nine active shipyards. Singapore Technologies Engineering is the holding company for a group of engineering firms divided into four business segments: aerospace, electronics, land systems and marine. Its aerospace unit maintains, repairs, overhauls commercial and military aircraft like F-16 fighters; its land systems unit upgrades and manufactures military vehicles and weapon systems as well as provides custom design, maintenance, and repair services. The company's electronics unit designs communications, transportation, simulation, microwave, and industrial electronic products; its marine segment builds and repairs ships; primarily patrol, container and military vessels. In October, 2002, VT Systems acquired the assets of Halter Marine, a leading commercial shipbuilder and one of the top builders in the world for mid-sized ocean going vessels. Its shipyards in the U.S. have built more than 2,600 vessels – more than any other shipbuilder in the world. The marine sector of VT Systems provides shipbuilding ship conversion and ship repair services on a total turnkey basis. It constructs naval and paramilitary crafts, including the installation and integration of advanced weapon and electronic systems on these vessels. It also designs commercial vessels for a worldwide clientele. Just to the east of Pascagoula is home to

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 20

Part II – Gulf Coast region

another of the nine major active yards: Bender. For nearly 80 years, Bender Shipbuilding and Repair Co. Inc. has been a ship repair facility on the central Gulf of Mexico. Along 7,000 feet of deep water frontage, the company has built new yards and wet docks, improved equipment, and expanded dry docks to raise lifting capacities to more than 24,000 tons. It has a Panamax dry dock and an around-the-clock work force. Bender builds all types of vessels, crabbers, offshore supply vessels, push boats, shrimp boats, factory trawlers, riverboats, passenger vessels, tuna seiners, tug boats. There are more than 800 Bender-built ships currently operating worldwide. Mobile is the outlet for the TennesseeTombigbee Waterway, which connects the city with the nation's major river systems and inland ports. The company partnered with Austal to establish the Australian company’s operation in Mobile, but has since sold back its part to Austal. Next: Synergies

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 21

Part III: Synergies

How it fits together

A

t the February 2005 groundbreaking for a Rolls-Royce marine propeller center of excellence in Pascagoula, the head of Rolls Royce North America offered an interesting observation about some of the activities in South Mississippi. James Guyette was there for propellers, but he mentioned that Mississippi is also building UAVs in nearby Moss Point, and noted that his own company planned to test Trent 900 engines at Stennis Space Center, not far away. Guyette pointed out that

Because of the growing use of composites, Northrop Grumman established a center for composites excellence in Gulfport, Miss. This is the lower part of a ship mast. Northrop Grumman image

Rolls-Royce engines power some UAVs. “I think you’re finding our futures really are coming together here in quite an unusual way,” he said about South Mississippi. Guyette was talking about synergy, convergence; the way we do business in today’s highly competitive, global environment. It was a telling comment about what the future might hold for South Mississippi as it begins to host activities that “fit together.” South Mississippi has long been known as the place where the nation turns to build state-of-the-art warships, but how many know that helicopter drones that can land on those warships are built a few miles away? How many are aware that South Mississippi is on the leading edge of work with the composite materials used to make ships and aircraft? How many know aerospace propulsion systems are tested here and some built here, or that Mississippi is home to more than a quarter of the nation’s total supercomputing capacity? It’s a convergence of activities that is significant for the future of this region. In today’s military, the operative word for warfare of the future is “network-centric.” Put in its simplest terms, it means tying together all the forces available – air, sea, ground and their permutations – through the use of an information technology network. It is a fundamental change in the way the military conducts warfare. Rather than building separate fighting entities then trying to mesh them together in a coordinated

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Part III – Synergies

fashion, the military is building from the ground up a war fighting machine that starts out with the concept of integration. Technological advances, much of it in the field of information technologies, allow the military to do a lot more with a lot less. Precision weaponry, real-time satellite imagery, robot aircraft, lighter and stronger materials and an ability to compile, digest and utilize massive amounts of data is changing the nature of warfare. The key to both the commander on the ground and the foot soldier is the integration of all that information and capability into a useable package. The new generation of naval ships involves not only marine engineering per se, but materials engineering, information technology engineering, aerospace engineering and a host of other specialties to make it fit together in the broader warfighting effort as a coherent package. The following are just a sample of the fields with ties to shipbuilding. Advanced materials No doubt ships of the future will rely on a new family of advanced materials. The Mississippi Gulf Coast’s materials activities are spread across a nine-county region. While only a handful can be called true advanced materials companies, the potential for attracting more is great because of the co-location of research and users of those products. Five locations have emerged as centers and potential centers for the growth of this sector. In Hattiesburg the primary focus is on research; in Gulfport there are a host of composite operations; in Bay St. Louis a number of raw materials plastics companies are in operation; in Pascagoula there are key chemical, including petrochemical, operations and in Picayune there are plastics operations.

The battlelabs The 1997 battlelab initiative resulted from the Air Force’s long-range planning document, “Global Engagement: A Vision for the 21st Century Air Force.” The Air Force felt it needed teams to assess technologies and potential uses due to the speed of technological change. Battlelabs rapidly identify innovative ideas and measure how well they contribute to the core mission of the Air Force – air and space superiority, global attack, precision engagement, information superiority, rapid global mobility and agile combat support. The idea is to rush new concepts and technologies to the field so adversaries have no time to consider how to counter U.S. capabilities. Battlelabs differ from Air Force research labs in that battlelabs focus on identifying innovative operational concepts that exploit mature technologies. Research labs concentrate on identifying and developing new technologies. Each battlelabs has 15 to 25 people who use video conferencing and unclassified and classified Internet technologies to work together to identify promising concepts. An on-line forum allows them to work with other organizations to generate and coordinate the plans necessary to measure the worth of promising concepts. Modeling and simulation as well as actual employment of capabilities in operational units are some techniques to test concepts. Battlelabs span many technologies, with half falling into the category information-in-warfare, which includes intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, navigation, weather and other activities. About a third of the projects are in the general category of electronic warfare, including activities associated with psychological operations. Other military branches also have adopted the battlelab approach, and there are nearly a dozen joint and federal battlelabs. Scattered throughout the country, the I-10 corridor has two: The Command and Control Battlelab at Hurlburt Field and the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Battlelab at Eglin Air Force Base. Just outside the region, in Dothan, Ala., the Army has its Air Maneuver Battlelab at Fort Rucker.

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 23

Part III – Synergies

Revolution at sea It’s been called the next revolution at sea, and it’s occurring right here, right now. The Navy’s “Sea Power 21” is a bid to make the most of U.S. technological strengths in advanced computer networks, modular designs, unmanned vehicles and high-performance materials in order to build a faster, stealthier, more lethal Navy. The Navy’s efforts are part of a broader, all-service effort, called “ForceNet,” to build a more efficient military where advanced computer networks link sensors, weapons, ships, air and land forces into an integrated entity that can bring power to bear where it’s needed. Battle commanders will have responsibility for every aspect of the fight in a given sector in a future battlefield where even foot soldiers will be walking data receivers. For the Navy’s part, it involves a family of new ships that make use of advanced materials that allow more flexibility in design, and it’s using modular construction to allow the Navy to “plug-and-play” capabilities based on a particular mission’s needs. Sensor and weapon coverage will allow the Navy to reach further and longer over the battle space. Unmanned air, surface and subsurface vehicles from ships will further extend sensor coverage and combat reach.1 That the Central Gulf Coast will play a pivotal role in the remaking of the Navy and, by extension, the remaking of the military in general, is a given because of Northrop Grumman’s key role in the DD(X) project, one of the family of ships that will be a part of this next generation Navy. 1 Rear Adms. H.G. Ulrich III and Mark J. Edwards, The Next Revolution at Sea, Proceedings, October 2003 (U.S. Naval Institute)

The nerve center for South Mississippi’s research in the plastics field is at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. At the center of it all is the School of Polymers and High Performance Materials. Faculty research areas are polymer engineering; coatings and films; biomedical research; polymer synthesis; formulation science; and water soluble polymers. The university has five research units: Materials Research Science and Engineering Center; Industry University Cooperative Research Center in Coatings; Mississippi Polymer Institute; and The Institute of Formulation Science; and Center for StimuliResponsive Polymeric Films and Coatings. Gulfport’s Bernard Bayou Industrial District, just south of Interstate 10, has become a magnet for companies that do fabrication work with composites, primarily in marine composites. In late 2006 a handful of the Bernard Bayou companies and several schools, including Southern Miss, formed a marine composites consortium to tackle problems associated with the use of com-

posites in shipbuilding. Corporate members are Northrop Grumman, Seemann Composites, United States Marine and Trinity Yachts. Unmanned aerial vehicles A California aerospace trade publication in the summer of 2004, intrigued that Northrop Grumman chose Moss Point for a helicopter drone facility, called Mississippi the world’s newest UAV capital. The importance of unmanned aerial vehicles for the shipbuilding industry is clear: Many of the next generation ships being built will be aviation-capable, and much of that aviation will involve unmanned aerial vehicles, such as the Fire Scout. Indeed, UAVs are growing in importance to every aspect of military operations. Projections are the United States could be spending nearly seven times more on UAVs than it did before the 9/11 attacks, reaching $12 billion over the next five years. Northrop Grumman decided to locate the final assembly site for its Fire Scout drone

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 24

Part III – Synergies

helicopter in Moss Point at the Trent Lott International Airport. Only months after that decision, the company opted to also build the central fuselage for the Global Hawk at the same location. Since that time it has also done work on the Hunter UAV and expects to do more at the new center. UAVs are part of the broader aerospace corridor that’s developed in South Mississippi. The Mississippi Gulf Coast’s aerospace corridor includes five federal and university aerospace-related research units, aerospace businesses that include six of the biggest names in the industry, aerospace technology parks, aviation-related military bases, technology transfer offices, incubators and military aerospace test ranges, including the vast Gulf of Mexico range. South Mississippi’s aerospace activities are part of two other broader aerospace regions. In Mississippi itself, the state hosts some of the biggest names from the industry, including EADS North America, L-3 Communications, Lockheed and Northrop. Every commercial jetliner in the world has at least one hydraulic component designed and manufactured in Mississippi. The state is also home to Mississippi State University’s National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center and Raspet Flight Laboratory, both in Starkville. South Mississippi is also part of a broader aerospace corridor that has developed along the Central Gulf Coast. It includes activities ranging from the development of smart weapons to the building of the next generation of space craft. Research units focus on engineering engineering and design; materials engineering; human factors; battlelabs; munitions; power technologies; and remote sensing. This aerospace corridor has captured the attention of the industry. At the April 2006 ribbon-cutting for the $13 million Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems

Unmanned Systems Center in Moss Point, the head of Northrop called the new facility part of what he sees as an emerging aerospace corridor. Sensors While it’s known for rocket testing, Stennis Space Center has been a key player in one field that has tremendous growth potential. Stennis is one of the few areas of the world with a cluster of companies involved in geospatial technologies. Scores of companies large and small have gathered in and around Stennis to work in the field. That intense activity prompted the federal government to pick a site at Stennis International Airpark for the Joint Airborne Lidar Bathymetry Technical Center of Expertise. The geospatial activity expanded in 2002 with the opening of the 220,000 square-foot Lockheed Martin Space and Technology Center, which prepares satellites for space by fitting them with the thermal protection systems they need to survive in space. That portion of the operation is run by LM Space Systems. In the same facility, Lockheed Technology Services operates an Integrated Metrology Center and provides engineering and manufacturing services. Sensors are integral to every phase of military operations, from the troop on the ground to huge systems like destroyers, aircraft carriers and satellites. The capabilities of sensors have increased dramatically over the years. Remote sensing is also crucial to non-military activities, such as weather forecasting. South Mississippi’s geospatial activities also include several research units, including the Center of Higher Learning and University Research at Stennis, the Enterprise for Innovative Geospatial Solutions, Stennis Office, the Joint Airborne Lidar Bathymetry Technical Center of Expertise, Bay St. Louis, and NASA’s Engineering and Sci-

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Part III – Synergies

ence Directorate, Science and Technology Division. Test and evaluation The Central Gulf Coast has a longstanding role as a location for the testing and evaluation of sea, land and air systems. It has some of the largest land areas as well as vast ranges over water in the Gulf of Mexico. One of the premier facilities is Eglin Air Force Base, a 726-square-mile base in northwest Florida where conventional air armaments are developed and tested. It’s also become an important training site for other branches, including the Navy, which uses it to test cruise missiles. Eglin, which has a huge test reserve in the Gulf of Mexico, is also being used for training that was previously done in Puerto Rico. In Panama City, Fla., the Coastal Systems Station Naval Warfare Center has been used since 1923 as a proving ground for littoral and expeditionary warfare. It conducts research into amphibious warfare, coastal operations, expeditionary maneuver warfare, mine warfare and other operations. Near Gulfport, Miss., the National Guard uses a Gulf of Mexico range for air maneuver training, as well as Camp Shelby. The region already has three military battlelabs that have as their mission finding ways to incorporate new technologies into the nation’s fighting forces: Command and Control at Eglin Air Force Base, the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., and the Army Air Maneuver Battlelab at Fort Rucker, Ala. For the Central Gulf Coast, the mix of corporate heavy hitters with interests in a wide range of military sectors, revolutionary changes in shipbuilding, a fundamental shift in war fighting and the need to test it all will impact the Gulf Coast. The co-location of academic, federal and

corporate shipbuilding research, companies involved in the shipbuilding, the key enduser, battlelabs, and proving grounds has huge implications for the Central Gulf Coast. Add to that mix the presence of related clusters – composites, aerospace and geomatics – and the Central Gulf Coast has a shipbuilding/military infrastructure that bodes well for the future.

Next: Businesses

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 26

Part IV: Businesses

South Mississippi ship/boat businesses

T

he following list includes the businesses along the Mississippi Gulf Coast that work in ship and boat building through the designing, building, repairing and supplying of ships and boats. Also included are some of the suppliers to the industry. It was compiled using lists of the Mississippi Development Authority, Dun and Bradstreet, phone directories, the Web and other sources. BAE Systems Applied Technologies Address: 330 Highway 90, Gautier, MS 39553 Products or services: defense-related engineering for naval ships Phone: 228.497.0340

M.M. Flechas Shipyard Co., Inc. Address: 4514 Flechas Street, Pascagoula, MS 39567 Products or services: motorboats, inboard and outboard: building and repairing SIC: 37314 Nonmilitary ship repair; 37320105 Employees: 5 Phone: 228.762.3628

GME Address: 6525 Sunplex Dr., Ocean Springs, MS 39564 Products or services: boat repairing SIC: 37320 Employees: 4 Phone: 228.872.2807

Gulf Ship Address: 12351 Glascock Dr., Gulfport, MS 39503

Bay Marine Boat Works, Inc.

Address: 151 5th Street, Biloxi, MS 39530 Products or services: aluminum, steel and wood boats, built and repaired; outboard, inboard motorboats SIC: 37322; 37323 Employees: 8 Phone: 228.432.2992

Coastal Marine Equipment, Inc.-Gulfport Address: 20995 Coastal Parkway, Gulfport, MS 39503 Products or services: Marine equipment:; winches, windlass and capstans; electric and non-electric SIC: 3531KD Employees: 24 Phone: 228.832.7655

Shipbuilding and repairing (SIC 3731) Establishments primarily engaged in building and repairing ships, barges, and lighters, whether self-propelled or towed by other craft. Also includes the conversion and alteration of ships and the manufacture of offshore oil and gas well drilling and production platforms (whether or not self-propelled). U.S.

1,034

100

91,855

$36.36 billion

Businesses

% total

Total workers

Total sales

Baton Rouge

9

0.9

842

Blxi-Gport-Pas

10

1

10,553

$1.2 billion

Ft Walton Bch

1

0.1

1

$0.2 million

Mobile

21

2

1,783

$198.3 million

New Orleans

48

4.6

8,772

$661.7 million

Pensacola

1

0.1

40

$0.9 million

Total

90

8.7

21,991

$2.1 billion

Metro area

Source: D&B. Compiled February 2007

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 27

$30.4 million

Part IV – Businesses Products or services: builds ship hulls for Edison Chouest; supply vessels for the oil services industry Phone: 228.897.9189

High Tech, Inc. Address: 1390 29th Ave., Gulfport MS 39501 Products or services: Seismic exploration systems, hydrophones, telemetry systems Phone: 228.868.6632

KSI Building and Home Construction Address: 14258 Fred and Al Key, Road D, Stennis International Airport, Bay St. Louis, MS 39556 Products or services: stainless cabinets for boats and off-shore Phone: 228.467.3888

Boatbuilding and repairing (SIC 3732) Establishments primarily engaged in building and repairing boats. Rubber and nonrigid plastics boats are classified under rubber and plastic products. marinas which perform incidental boat repair are classified in 4493; membership yacht clubs are classified in 7997; and outboard motor repair is classified in 7699. U.S.

3,393

100

64,203

Businesses

% total

Total workers

Baton Rouge

8

0.2

58

$5 million

Blxi-Gport-Pas

10

0.3

521

$142.7 million

Ft Walton Bch

9

0.3

22

$1.2 million

Mobile

27

0.8

176

$16.3 million

New Orleans

24

0.7

275

$25.4 million

Pensacola

23

0.7

231

$28.9 million

Total

101

3

1,283

$219.5 million

Metro area

$9.1 billion Total sales

Source: D&B. Compiled February 2007

Northrop Grumman Ship Systems/ Gulfport (Center for Composites Excellence) Address: 13303 Seaway Road, Gulfport, MS 39501 Products or services: shipbuilding and repairing, boat building and repairing; fiberglass marine products, composites, miscellaneous fabricated metal products. The company has set up this site as its Center for Composites Excellence. SIC: 37310D; 37320 Employees: 800 Phone: 228.935.1122

Address: 6608 Sunscope Dr., Ocean Springs, MS 39564-8608 Products or services: information technology Phone: 228.872.7300

Omega Shipyard Address: 5659 Elder Ferry Rd., Moss Point, MS 39563 Products or services: repairs and builds boats and barges; repairs and constructs steel and aluminum marine vessels; fiberglass boat work and repair SIC: 37310000; 37320 Employees: 45 Phone: 228.475.9052

Northrop Grumman Ship Systems/ Ingalls

Parker Marine Inc.

Address: 1000 Access Rd., Pascagoula, MS 39567 Products or services: design, engineering, construction, life cycle and fleet support, repair and modernization of surface combatant ships for the U.S. Navy and international fleets. Northrop Grumman, which is building the next generation of combat vessels, also has electronics and aerospace operations in South Mississippi SIC: 37312D; 37313; 3731335; 37310200; 37310201 Employees: 11,750 Phone: 228.935.1122

PEMCO - Naval Engineering Works, Inc.

Northrop Grumman Data Systems

Address: 11179 Lamey Bridge Rd., D’Iberville, MS 39540 Products or services: canvas and related products SIC: 37320000 Phone: 228.392.1279

Address: 3614 Frederic Street, Pascagoula, MS 39567 Products or services: steel fabrication for the marine industry SIC: 34413D Employees: 30 Phone: 228.769.7081

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Part IV – Businesses

Rebel Boatworks Address: 161 5th St., Biloxi, MS 39530 Products or services: boat repair (wood and fiberglass, up to 35 tons) SIC: 37320000 Phone: 228.435.2762

Rolls-Royce Naval Marine Inc. (Center of Excellence for Naval Propulsors) Address: 3719 Industrial Road, Pascagoula, MS 39581 Products or services: marine propeller manufacturer. This company is also establishing a Center of Excellence for Naval Propulsors at this same site. Phone: 228.762.0728

Sea Fab Inc. Address: 4111 Cedar St., Pascagoula, MS 39567 Products or services: shipbuilding and repairing; offshore oil supply vessels, drill barges and trawlers SIC: 37310000 Phone: 228.769.2500

Seemann Composites Address: 12481 Glascock Dr., Gulfport, MS 39503 Products or services: fabrication of specialized composite products for the aerospace and shipbuilding industry Phone: 228.314.8000

Signal International LLC – East Yard Address: 600 Louis St., Pascagoula, MS 39581 Products or services: oil rig fabrication and repair; shipbuilding and repair SIC: 37316 Phone: 228.762.0000

Signal International West Address: 3400 Litton Road, Pascagoula, MS 39567 Products or services: oil rig fabrication and repair; shipbuilding and repair Phone: 228.762.9274

Smith Construction & Welding, Inc. Address: 12511 Glascock Circle, Gulfport, MS 39503 Products or services: barge construction SIC: 37311 Phone: 228.896.1221

South Coast Electric

Address: 13061 Road D, Port Bienville Industrial Park, Bay St. Louis, MS 39520 Products or services: manufactures switchgear and switchboard apparatus for maritime industry Phone: 228.533.0002

Trinity Yachts LLC Address: 13085 Seaway Road, Gulfport, MS 39503 Products or services: boat building (custom superyachts) and repairing Phone: 228.276.1000

United States Marine Inc. Address: 10011 Lorraine Road, Gulfport, MS 39503 Products or services: ship, boat building and repairing; constructs craft for military special operations SIC: 37310; 37320 Employees: 75 Phone: 228.679.1005

VT Halter Marine (corporate) Address: 900 Bayou Casotte Parkway, Pascagoula, MS 39581 Products and services: shipbuilding, boatbuilding and repair, multiple categories with multiple yards in South Mississippi Employees: 161 Phone: 228.696.6888

VT Halter Marine, Pascagoula Operations Address: 900 Bayou Casotte Parkway, Pascagoula, MS 39581 Products or services: shipbuilding and repairing SIC: 37310 Employees: 363 Phone: 228.696.6888

VT Halter Marine, Halter Moss Point Operations Address: 5801 Elder Ferry Road, Moss Point, MS 39563 Products or services: shipbuilding and repairing SIC: 37310 Employees: 206 Phone: 228.475.1211

VT Halter Marine, Moss Point Marine Operations Address: 7801 Trinity Drive, Escatawpa, MS 39567 Products or services: shipbuilding and repairing SIC: 37310

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 29

Part IV – Businesses Employees: 203 Phone: 228.475.6885

Williams Machine Works, Inc. Address: P.O. Box 8640, Moss Point, MS 395628640 Products or services: heavy structural steel fabrication, marine SIC: 34413D Phone: 228.475.7651

Next: RDT&E

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 30

Part V: RDT&E

Federal/university research

I

n the Gulf Coast there are 11 federal and university research units along the Interstate 10 corridor and in the broader region that are involved in shipbuilding and maritime-related research. The following list was compiled through the help of the universities and federal facilities, and includes information obtained through multiple sources. This list does not include any research and development done by the companies in the region. Center for Advanced Power Systems

Federal/state/private/consortium: state of Florida Established: 2000 Physical location/address: 2000 Levy Ave., Tallahassee, FL 32310 Annual R&D expenditures: Federal and industry grants of $5 million annually

The 5 MW superconduction propulsion motor undergoes tests at Florida State University’s Center for Advanced Power Systems in Tallahassee, Fla. Center for Advanced Power Systems image

Overview: The Center for Advanced Power Systems (CAPS) was established at Florida State University to perform basic and applied research to advance the field of power systems technology, with emphasis on application to electric utility, defense, and transportation, and, to develop a power systems engineering education program to train the next generation of power systems engineers. With the support of the US Navy, Office of Naval Research (ONR) and the US Department of Energy, Office of Electricity, CAPS has developed a unique test and simulation facility and a vibrant research and development program aimed at advancing power systems innovation and application for the future terrestrial power grid as well as future all-electric naval surface combatants. The center is supported by a research team comprised of dedicated and highly skilled researchers, scientists, faculty, engineers, and students, recruited from across the globe, with strong representation from both the academic/research community and industry. The 34,000 sq. ft. CAPS research, development, test and demonstration facility is located in Innovation Park in Tallahassee, Florida, adjacent to the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, the Applied Superconductivity Center, and the FAMUFSU College of Engineering. FSU-CAPS is the lead university of the Electric Ship Research and Development Consortium supported by ONR. Technical expertise/research fields: electric power systems, superconductivity and electrical insulation Research/site/business development contact: Steinar Dale, Director Mailing address: 2000 Levy Ave., Tallahassee, FL 32310 Phone: 850.645.1183 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: http://www.caps.fsu.edu:80/

Center for Turbine Innovation and Research Federal/state/private/consortium: academia and

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 31

Part V – RDT&E corporate Established: 2000 Physical location/address: CEBA 1419B, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 Annual R&D expenditures: about $1 million Overview: The primary mission of TIER is to enhance the understanding of flow, heat transfer and combustion in a gas turbine, and propose innovative solutions for improved design, performance and reliability. Ongoing research involves improvements to conventional technology in gas turbines and energy generation (e.g., fuel cells) as well as the use of emerging approaches to enable fuel flexibility (e.g., SYngas, LNG) and Microsystems technology for improving mixing, cooling and control of aero, heat transfer and combustion processes in the engine. Education of undergraduate and graduate students and curriculum revisions is a key component of TIER’s mission. In addition, outreach activities through workshops and information/technology transfer is emphasized. TIER is a collaborative effort between academia, gas turbine engine companies, and industries with cogeneration facilities. Technical expertise/research fields: Gas Turbine Heat Transfer and Aerodynamics, Gas Turbine Combustion, Flow and Combustion Control, Syngas Combustion, Emissions, Fuel Cells, Microsystems, Computational Fluid Dynamics & Heat Transfer, Advanced Diagnostics How academic/commercial can access research: via Website and email requests Physical location/address: CEBA 1419B, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 Research/site/business development contact: Sumanta Acharya, Mechanical Engineering Department Mailing address: CEBA 1419B, LSU, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 Phone: 225.578.5809 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: http://me.lsu.edu/tier/

Electric Ship Research and Development Consortium Federal/state/private/consortium: consortium Established: 2002 Physical location/address: multiple university locations Annual R&D expenditures: five-year program totaling $52 million Overview: The Office of Naval Research manages the consortium, which brings together in a single entity the combined programs and resources of

Mississippi and Gulf Coast shipbuilding RDT&E snapshot Shipbuilding research

Center for Advanced Power Systems Center for Turbine Innovation and Research Electric Ship Research and Development Consortium Fire and Safety Test Detachment Full Scale Fire Test Facility Marine Composites Consortium Center of Excellence National Biodynamics Laboratory National High Magnetic Field Laboratory Naval Surface Warfare Center Simulation Based Design Center University of New Orleans/Gulf Coast Region Maritime Technology Center

leading electric power research institutions for research on near to mid-term electric ship concepts. In addition, the consortium addresses the national shortage of electric power engineers by providing educational opportunities for students in state-of-theart experimental facilities, ensuring the United States superiority in electric systems well into the future. Participating members are Florida State University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mississippi State University, Purdue University, United States Naval Academy, University of Texas at Austin and University of South Carolina. FSU Center for Advanced Power Systems is the lead university of ESRDC. Technical expertise/research fields: power systems; power electronics; controls, protection strategies; modeling and simulation, power train, thermal management Research/site/business development contact: Steinar Dale, director, Center for Advanced Power Systems, FSU; Terry Ericsen, ESRDC program manager, Office of Naval Research Mailing address: 2000 Levy Ave., Tallahassee, FL 32310 (Dale)

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 32

Part V – RDT&E Phone: 850.645.1183 (Dale); 703.696.7741 (Ericsen) E-mail: [email protected] (Dale); [email protected] (Ericsen) Web site: http://www.esrdc-workshops.org/

Fire and Safety Test Detachment, Coast Guard Research and Development Center Federal/state/private/consortium: federal (U.S. Coast Guard) Established: n/a Physical location/address: Little Sand Island on upper Mobile Bay, Mobile, Ala. Annual R&D expenditures: n/a Overview: A sub-unit of the U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development Center in Groton, Conn., it focuses on improving fire safety in the maritime community. It conducts full-scale fire tests aboard ships, a virtual fire research laboratory for developing and establishing fire fighting techniques and performance criteria for improved marine fire safety. Coast Guard personnel with specialized technical rates serve under a supervisor who is an engineering specialist. Project managers from the Safety and Human Resource Division control fire research projects at the F&STD. The managers develop proposals and detailed test plans, supervise testing, analyze test results, and prepare final reports for project sponsors. Technical expertise/research fields: Facilities/equipment: F&STD maintains test facilities on Little Sand Island on upper Mobile Bay, where full-scale test work is performed. These facilities include a fire test site (on the 50 acre island), the test vessel, State of Maine, and a Navy test vessel, the ex-Shadwell. The Coast Guard and the Navy have a joint research agreement in order to share resources and reduce project cost. The F&STD is the only facility in the world with complete oceangoing vessels available for marine type fire testing. These test ships provide settings of unmatched realism for simulating all types of shipboard fire scenarios in accommodation areas, machinery spaces, cargo holds, and/or on deck. Three small workboats provide rapid transport of personnel to the test site while two landing crafts ferry all major equipment items. How academic/commercial can access research: Research/site/business development contact: David Beene, program manager Mailing address: Phone: 860.441.2759

Research activities Power technologies • Center for Turbine Innovation and Research, LA National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, FL Test and evaluation • Fire and Safety Test Detachment, AL • FullScale Fire Test Facility, AL • Coastal Systems Station Naval Warfare Center, FL

•

Engineering/design & production • Gulf Coast Region Maritime Technology • • • •

Center, LA Louisiana Transportation Research Center, LA Simulation Based Design Center, LA University of New Orleans /Northrop Grumman Maritime Technology Center of Excellence, LA University of South Alabama College of Engineering, AL

Human factors/human-centered computing • Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, FL

• National Biodynamics Laboratory Military battlelabs • Command and Control Battlelab, FL • Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Battlelab, FL • Army Air Maneuver Battle Lab, AL

E-mail: [email protected] Web site: http://www.rdc.uscg.gov/

Full Scale Fire Test Facility (Ex-USS Shadwell) Federal/state/private/consortium: federal (U.S. Navy) Established: 1987 Physical location/address: Little Sand Island in upper Mobile Bay, Mobile, AL Annual R&D expenditures: varies between $2 million and $10 million Overview: The Ex-USS Shadwell is a full-scale damage control research, development, test and evaluation facility for studies on active and passive fire protection and flooding. Measures men, materials, equipment, sensors, systems, doctrines, tactics and command and control under time-critical situa-

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 33

Part V – RDT&E tions. Ship includes features of DDG 51, LPD 17, 688 submarine, LHAR, CVN 21 and DD 1000 ship classes. Technical expertise/research fields: Damage control, fire, flooding, fluid mechanics, modeling, fire scaling, fire suppression Facilities/equipment: All shipboard facilities required for damage control, computerized systems, control systems Research/site/business development contact: Dr. Fred Williams, director of NRL Navy Technology Center for Safety and Survivability, or Xuan Nguyen, associate technical director, ex-USS Shadwell Mailing address: Naval Research Laboratory, Code 6180, Washington, D.C., 20375 Phone: 202.767.2476 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: http://www.chemistry.nrl.navy.mil/6180

Marine Composites Consortium Center of Excellence Established: 2006 Overview: Established by Northrop Grumman, Trinity Yachts, Seemann Composites, United States Marine, University of Southern Mississippi, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and Pearl River Community College. It will focus on tackling common issues associated with the use of composites in shipbuilding. Research/site/business development contact: Phil Dur, visiting professor of economic and workforce development, USM Mailing address: Department of Economic and Workforce Development, University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive, #5022, Hattiesburg, MS Phone: 228.712.2090 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: none

National Biodynamics Laboratory Federal/state/private/consortium: state Established: 1971 Physical location/address: NASA Michoud, 13800 Old Gentilly Road, Building 420, New Orleans, LA 70129 Annual R&D expenditures: n/a Overview: Conducts biodynamics and human factors research to enhance performance and prevent injury to human beings when they are exposed to

external forces, motions, and accelerations such as those encountered in aircraft, ships, automobiles and other moving environments. Technical expertise/research fields: Human factors investigations of optimal operator/equipment or operator/environment interaction; head and neck acceleration of the human body; data processing for the National Crash Survival Data Bank; cognitivebehavior anti-motion sickness training program; machining of test fixtures for high-g testing applications; operation and configuration of horizontal accelerator and vertical accelerator; recording of shipboard motion data; configuration of data acquisition systems to measure ship shock, vibration, or acceleration data Facilities/equipment: Horizontal and vertical acceleration test facilities based on the Bendix (CVC) Hyge Shock Testing Systems; Ship Motion Simulator; Six Degrees-of Freedom Motion Platform; Triaxial tilt/rotation chair, machine shop, welding shop and woodworking shop Research/site/business development contact: Thomas G. Dobie Mailing address: National Biodynamics Laboratory, c/o University of New Orleans, Room 910, 2000 Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans, LA 70148 Phone: 504.257.3918 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: http://www.nbdl.org

National High Magnetic Field Laboratory Physical location/address: 1800 E. Paul Dirac Dr., Tallahassee, FL 32310 Established: 1990 Overview: Develops and operates high magnetic field facilities that scientists use for research in physics, biology, bioengineering, chemistry, geochemistry, biochemistry, materials science, and engineering. It is the only facility of its kind in the United States and one of only nine in the world. It is the largest and highest powered magnet laboratory, outfitted with the world’s most comprehensive assortment of high-performing magnet systems. Research/site/business development contact: Greg Boebinger, director Mailing address: 1800 E. Paul Dirac Dr., Tallahassee, FL 32310-3706 Phone: 850.644.0311 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: http://www.magnet.fsu.edu/

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Part V – RDT&E

Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Federal/state/private/consortium: federal (U.S. Navy) Established: 1945 Physical location/address: 110 Vernon Ave., Panama City, Fla. 32407-7001 Annual R&D expenditures: $31.6 (FY 2002) Overview: Formerly named the Coastal Systems Station Naval Warfare Center, the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City is the Navy’s premiere research and development organization focuses on littoral warfare and expeditionary warfare. Provides research development, test and evaluation, and inservice engineering for mine warfare, special warfare, amphibious warfare, diving and other naval missions that take place primarily in the ocean region and other responsibilities by the Commander, Dahlgren Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center. It’s one of the major research, development, test and evaluation laboratories of the U.S. Navy and boasts a wide base of expertise in engineering and scientific disciplines. How academic/commercial can access research: The Office of Research and Technology Assessment (ORTA) at the Coastal Systems Station is chartered under the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980, and its amendments, for the express purpose of transferring federally owned technologies and facilities to state and local government, educational institutions, and private industry. E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 850.235.5107 Web site: http://nswcpc.navsea.navy.mil/

Simulation Based Design Center Federal/state/private/consortium: consortium Established: 1998 Physical location/address: at UNO/Northrop Grumman Maritime Technology Center of Excellence, adjacent to Northrop Grumman Ship Systems Avondale Operations, on the west bank of the Mississippi River, a few miles upstream from New Orleans Annual R&D expenditures: $2.5 million Overview: A nonprofit operating under the College of Engineering at the University of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast Region Maritime Technology Center. Focuses on integrating advanced information technologies and techniques to enhance design and engineering. It views itself as a leader in the use of virtual prototyping tools to support the development of

moderate to complex products and processes. Technical expertise/research fields: virtual prototyping; design and operation testing; physics based simulation; automation and robotics; process modeling and simulation; ergonomic studies; immersive environments; cost modeling; computer processing time; visualization theater, classroom/meeting room utilization Facilities/equipment: visualization theater; conference room; hardware and software Research/site/business development contact: Dr. Greg Dobson Mailing address: SBDC, 5100 River Road, Station 721-1-1, Avondale, LA 70094-2706 Phone: 504.654.2773 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: http://www.gcrmtc.org/sbdc/

University of New Orleans/Gulf Coast Region Maritime Technology Center Federal/state/private/consortium: partnership (public-private) Established: 1993 Physical location/address: UNO campus on the lakefront Annual R&D expenditures: $7 million Overview: Designed to help the U.S. maritime industry become more competitive on an international scale through sponsored research, the Gulf Coast Region Maritime Technology Center works closely with the Office of Naval Research. Focus is to improve design and production technologies for shipbuilding, reduce material costs, reduce total ownership costs, educate and train, improve environmental engineering and management. The Maritime Environmental Resources and Information Center is also located at this site. In addition, the Simulation Based Design Center is located at the Maritime Technology Center of Excellence adjacent to Northrop Grumman Ship Systems Avondale Operations. Technical expertise/research fields: Research and teaching laboratory for UNO’s College of Engineering, 3D simulation and modeling facilities, and robotic welding laboratory and production test facility Facilities/equipment: 4.5 acres, four-story, 200,000square-foot center. Co-located here is the Simulation Based Design Center (SBDC), ShipWorks Robotics Laboratory (SWRL), and Distance Learning Facility. How academic/commercial can access research: see web site www.gcrmtc.org/ Research/site/business development contact: Frank Bordelon

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 35

Part V – RDT&E Mailing address: Gulf Coast Region Maritime Technology Center of Excellence, 409 CERM, New Orleans, LA 70148 Phone: 504-280-3871 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: http://www.gcrmtc.org/

Next: Tech transfer, incubators

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Part VI: Technology transfer and incubators

Turning research into products

T

here are 12 technology transfer offices in the region, three of them in South Mississippi, that handle a variety of technologies. Each will handle any technology developed by research units under their jurisdiction, including advanced materials technologies. The Central Gulf Coast also has 12 business incubators, two in South Mississippi,

that help startup companies make the transition to the marketplace. South Mississippi Gulf Coast Business Technology Center Location: 1636 Popps Ferry Road, Biloxi MS 39532 Phone: 228.392.9741 Function: business incubator Focus area: does not specialize in any particular field, but has facilities for technology companies. Incubator includes 42,000 square feet of space. Overview: Owned by Harrison County, the BTC is a short distance from Interstate 10. Contact: Adele Lyons E-mail: [email protected] Web site: http://www.gulfcoast.org/btc/

Mississippi Enterprise for Technology

Satellite-imaging technology developed by Stennis Space Center in the 1980s has been used by doctors to improve disease detection. NASA image

Address: Building 1103, Room 143, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529-6000 Phone: 228.688.3144 Function: technology transfer office and business incubator Focus area: remote sensing, software and hardware development, oceanography applications, general information technology Overview: MsET helps industry utilize the scientific and technical expertise, facilities and other resource of NASA, the Navy and their prime contractors, the federal laboratories, the Mississippi Department of Economic and Community Development and Mississippi colleges and universities. Additional partners include the Army Corps of Engineers, USDA Laboratory in Stoneville, MS, Mississippi Contract Procurement, Mississippi Resource Center and the Small Business Development Centers. It has 25,000 square feet of incubator space and focuses on tech-

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Part VI – Technology transfer and incubators Mississippi Gulf Coast technology transfer, incubator snapshot Technology transfer and business incubators

Gulf Coast Business Technology Center Mississippi Enterprise for Technology NASA Technology Transfer Office Noetic Technologies

nology companies. Research facilities used: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Naval Oceanographic Office, Naval Research Lab, Mississippi Technology Transfer Center, state institutions of higher learning. Contact: Greg Hinkebein E-mail: [email protected] Web site: http://www.mset.org

Function: technology transfer office Focus area: polymer science, chemistry, biochemistry, marine science, construction engineering Overview: The marketing and commercialization arm of the University of Southern Mississippi Research Foundation. The goal of NTI is to create opportunities for inventors in and outside the university and connect their technology to the market. Research facilities used: Polymer Science Department, Marine Science (Gulf Coast Research Lab), Stennis Space Center, Chemistry and Biology Departments. Contact: Les Goff Phone: 601.261.1316 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: http://www.noetictechnologies.org

Next: Incentives

NASA Technology Transfer Office Location: EA30/Technology Transfer Office, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, John C. Stennis Space Center, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529 Phone: 228.688.1929 Function: technology transfer office Focus area: Propulsion test technologies, Earth science remote sensing technologies Overview: The mission of the technology transfer program at Stennis Space Center is to assist in the transfer and commercialization of NASA-developed technologies into the private sector. The program identifies technologies at the center with commercial potential. NASA seeks commercial partners to share in the time and costs of co-developing a technology into a useful government and/or commercial product. U.S. business and industry can also enter into a variety of agreements with NASA to develop new products or applications, find better ways to do business, and solve technical problems using Stennis expertise. Research facilities used: NASA facilities at Stennis Space Center Contact: John Bailey E-mail: [email protected] Web site: http://technology.ssc.nasa.gov

Noetic Technologies Inc. Location: 3610 Pearl St. Hattiesburg, MS 39401

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Part VII: Incentives

Go Zone: Incentives on steroids

W

hile money may not be the most important reason a company moves or expands, it’s certainly a crucial part of the equation. Mississippi has proven to be a competitive state when it comes to incentives. For Mississippi, the lead economic development agency is the Mississippi Development Authority. In the past incentives were primarily geared towards luring traditional manufacturing sectors. While it still does that, the state has put more emphasis on cre-

One of the most dramatic new tools came about with passage of the Gulf Opportunity Act of 2005, designed to help the areas hit by hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. ating a technology-driven economy, including offering incentives for research and development operations. In the Biloxi-Gulfport-Pascagoula metro area there are a host of chambers of varying sizes that offer activities to promote local businesses and represent members on local issues. But economic development functions, including the granting of incentives, are managed by three organizations: The Harrison County Development Commission, the Jackson County Economic Development Foundation and the Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission. One of the most dramatic new tools came about with passage of the Gulf Opportunity Act of 2005, called GO Zone, designed to help areas hit by hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. In Mississippi, 47 counties qualify for the incentives, which encourages investment by companies large and small, preexisting and new. Mississippi can issue $4.8 billion in tax exempt, private-activity bonds to finance

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Part VII – Incentives

development of a wide array of commercial projects in the GO Zone. They can be used to fund the construction and renovation of nonresidential real property. Tax-exempt status should result in savings of up to 200 basis points in interest costs per year for participating businesses. In lieu of bond money, a company can take advantage of accelerated depreciation. Qualified GO Zone property is placed in service equal to 50 percent of the cost. This is in addition to the normal depreciation deduction for the balance of such costs. Bonus depreciation is available to businesses of all sizes for their investments in equipment, nonresidential real property or residential rental property, substantially all of which is used both in the active conduct of the business’ trade or business and in the GO Zone. Eligible personal property must be placed in service on or before Dec. 31, 2007, and eligible real property must be placed in service on or before Dec. 31, 2008.

Local incentives available: Varies depending upon number of jobs, wages and capital investment. “GO Zone” incentives available. Contact: John W. Zink, executive director E-mail: [email protected] Web site: http://www.portandharbor.com

The following lists contact information for the key economic development organizations with an interest in the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Jackson County Economic Development Foundation, Inc.

George County Economic Development Foundation Location: P.O. Box 441, Lucedale, MS 39452 Phone: 601.947.2755 Geographic coverage: George County Contact: Sue Wright, executive director E-mail: [email protected] Web site: http://www.georgecounty.ms

Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission Location: P.O. Box 2267, Bay St. Louis, MS 39521 Phone: 228.467.9231 (800.558.1658) Geographic coverage: Hancock County Services/departments: Rail service at Port Bienville Industrial Park, truck and rail car facilities and barge and ship facilities at Port Bienville Industrial Park. General aviation service at Stennis Airport/Airpark.

Harrison County Development Commission Location: 12292 Intraplex Parkway, Gulfport, MS 39503 Phone: 228.896.5020 Geographic coverage: Harrison County and municipalities of Pass Christian, Long Beach, Gulfport, Biloxi and D’Iberville Services/departments: responsible for industrial recruitment, industrial park management, commercial development, retail development, recreational and leisure development, existing business and industry development and retirement development Local incentives available: tax exemptions, industrial property, foreign trade zone, financing programs. Check with commission for more detailed information Contact: Larry S. Barnett, executive director E-mail: [email protected] Web site: http://www.mscoast.org

Location: 3033 Pascagoula St., Pascagoula, MS 39568 Geographic coverage: county of Jackson and the municipalities of Pascagoula, Moss Point, Gautier and Ocean Springs Services/departments: economic development/ industrial development; commercial development Local incentives available: finance programs and tax exemptions available on city, county and state levels. Incentives such as Foreign Trade Zone, industrial property, industrial buildings, infrastructure and training also available to eligible companies. Contact: George Freeland Jr., executive director Phone: 228.769.6263 (800.362.0103) E-mail: [email protected] Web site: http://www.jcedf.org

Mississippi Development Authority Location: 501 North West Street, Jackson, MS Phone: 601.359.3449 Geographic coverage: the entire state Services/departments: economic development; exist-

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Part VII – Incentives ing business and industry; financial resources; international development; minority business enterprise; rural minority business development centers; national development; tourism development; community development; community services; employment training; energy Web site: http://www.mississippi.org

Mississippi Power Location: 2605 13th St., Gulfport, MS 39502 Phone: 228.865.5653 Geographic coverage: 23 counties in southeastern Mississippi Services/departments: In addition to providing electric power, Mississippi Power has operated an economic development division since 1925. Among other things, it will host visits to sites, identify land for development purposes and available buildings, provide maps and plats of an area or site, describe applicable tax credits and incentives, offer family relocation advice, fringe benefit surveys, transportation availability, employee training programs and other services. Contact: Mark Loughman, economic development director E-mail: [email protected] Web site: http://www.southernco.com/mspower

sippi Small Business Assistance Loan Program. E-mail: [email protected] Web site: http://www.smpdd.com/

Stone County Economic Development Partnership Location: P.O. Box 569, Wiggins, MS 39577 Phone: 601.928.5418 Geographic coverage: Stone County Contact: Sandra Maniscalco, executive assistant E-mail: [email protected] Web site: http://www.stonecounty.com

Next: Work force

Partners for Pearl River County Location: P.O. Box 278, Picayune, MS 39466 Phone: 601.749.4919 Geographic coverage: Pearl River County Contact: Ron Fine, director of operations E-mail: [email protected] Web site: http://www.partners.ms

Southern Mississippi Planning and Development District Location: 9229 Highway 49, Gulfport, MS 395034317 Phone: 228.868.2311 Geographic coverage: 15 county and 37 municipal governments, the districts geographic service area encompasses Covington, Forrest, George, Greene, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Lamar, Marion, Pearl River, Perry, Stone and Wayne Counties. Services/departments: local and regional planning and development; human services. Among other things, it operates three financing programs that enhance economic development: the Economic Development Administration Revolving Loan Fund, the Minority Business Enterprise Loan Fund and the MissisShipbuilding Corridor Directory – 41

Part VIII: Work force

A convergence of interests

T

he comment by the CEO of Northrop Grumman didn’t have anything to do with the advanced materials sector, but it did speak directly to the type of employees who work in South Mississippi. Ron Sugar was talking to an Alabama newspaper in April 2006 after the groundbreaking of the company’s new unmanned system center in Moss Point. He was asked to elaborate on the aerospace “center of excellence” he sees emerging along the Gulf Coast between South Mississippi and North-

“...we know all about the quality of workers and the quality of life here. It's an attractive place to be, and it shouldn't be a surprise that others are discovering that.” - Northrop Grumman CEO Ron Sugar west Florida. “First, remember that we’ve had this wonderful relationship over the years building great ships for the Navy and the Coast Guard, so we know all about the quality of workers and the quality of life here. It’s an attractive place to be, and it shouldn’t be a surprise that others are discovering that,” Sugar told the Mobile Press-Register. Northrop Grumman has a long history with Mississippi and Louisiana through shipyards in Pascagoula, Gulfport and New Orleans. Not only has it poured money into the yards that received $1 billion in damages from Hurricane Katrina, but the company is also investing more in aircraft operations here. Why such a large investment? “There’s a wonderful convergence of the interests of the folks of this region with the interests of our military and with the interests of Northrop Grumman as a corporation,” Sugar told the newspaper. He said the company has to be focused on creating value as a corporation. So it’s a

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Part VIII – Work force

good business case to invest in the Gulf Coast region. But he said he also sees the human side of it. The work force has shown it has the right stuff, so to speak. “Following Katrina and watching what you folks endured and how you’ve handled it at every level, my respect has risen to the highest levels,” Sugar told the newspaper. Corporate officials have frequently pointed out that one of the benefits of an operation in South Mississippi is the can-do attitude, the work ethic, a patriotic bent and a willingness to learn. A work force, after all, is one of the key resources of any company. Mississippi is a right to work state with competitive wage rates – average hourly earnings are roughly 75 percent of the United States average – corresponding to the state’s lower-than average living and business costs. The state, recognizing the importance of the work force, has in place training programs designed to guarantee a new or expanding company has the workers it needs to get the job done. Mississippi offers customized employee training at little or no cost to the company through the community college system, at vocational-technical centers, at a company’s work site or in specialized mobile training units. The training includes customer-designed pre-employment training, post-employment training and upgrade/retraining services for new, expanding or existing industries through the Workforce Education Program in conjunction with the community college system. The cost of each program is negotiated based on required training needs of each industry. A program that can be leveraged with the Workforce Education Program is the federal government’s Workforce Investment Act. Through WIA’s on-the-job training program, the employer may be reimbursed up to

50 percent of the wages for new workers for up to six months. When participants complete the training and enter unsubsidized employment, the employer may realize additional savings through a tax credit available under the Targeted Job Tax Credit Program. WIA assistance is provided through the Mississippi Development Authority. For the advanced materials industry, the state’s four-year universities offer programs that are among the best in the nation. The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg is a national leader in the area of polymer science, with one of the top programs in the United States. Southern Miss is home to the Polymer Research Institute. Further upstate in Starkville, Mississippi State University offers undergraduate, masters and doctoral degrees in aerospace engineering. MSU is home to Raspet Flight Laboratory, part of the Aerospace Engineering School, and a nationally recognized institute. The Center for Manufacturing Technology Excellence also provides training to companies located in Mississippi. That training option, combined with training available through the community college system, offers aerospace and aviation companies a variety of options for adequately providing workers with the technical skills needed for success. A 2002 report stated that 55 percent of the plastics companies surveyed contracted with Mississippi community colleges for training. Two-thirds of those companies gave positive ratings to the training. Interviews conducted in this study also identified the community college system as an asset to the Mississippi plastics industry. In particular, the Plastics Technology Program at Jones County Junior College was identified as a program that should be ex-

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 43

(Continued on page 46)

Part VIII – Work force Biloxi-Gulfport-Pascagoula MSA, employment and wage estimates, selected fields (Nov. 2004) The following list is based on data from the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics and is designed to show occupations likely of interest to industries, like plastics and chemicals, that require workers from a variety of fields. It is not a complete list of occupations in the MSA. Estimates do not show self-employed workers. Code number

Occupation title

Employment

Median hourly

Mean hourly

Mean annual

1,410

$22.83

$23.74

$49,380

15-0000

Computer and mathematical occupations

15-1021

Computer programmers

110

$19.83

$20.69

$43,020

15-1031

Computer software engineers, applications

170

$23.53

$23.79

$49,490

15-1032

Computer software engineers, systems software

40

$29.51

$28.11

$58,480

15-1041

Computer support specialists

350

$16,30

$17.00

$35,350

15-1051

Computer systems analysts

280

$27.44

$27.87

$57,960

15-1061

Database administrators

50

$22.78

$23.28

$48,430

15-1071

Network and computer systems administrators

140

$24.60

$24.75

$51,470

15-1081

Network systems and data communications analysts

50

$21.47

$21.63

$44,990

17-0000

Architecture and engineering occupations

4,470

$23.80

$25.56

$53,160

17-2051

Civil engineers

440

$27.01

$28.72

$59,730

17-2071

Electrical engineers

170

$31.96

$32.24

$67,060

17-2072

Electronics engineers, except computer

180

$35.63

$32.05

$66,660

17-2121

Marine engineers and naval architects

90

$28.60

$28.33

$58,920

17-2141

Mechanical engineers

140

$31.02

$31.04

$64,570

17-3011

Architectural and civil drafters

170

$28.21

$26.24

$54,570

17-3012

Electrical and electronics drafters

50

$29.07

$25.60

$53,250

17-3013

Mechanical drafters

40

$18.04

$19.64

$40,850

17-3022

Civil engineering technicians

(1)

$12.57

$13.62

$28,330

17-3023

Electrical and electronic engineering technician

420

$21.06

$22.03

$45,820

17-3026

Industrial engineering technicians

50

$22.27

$22.78

$47,390

17-3027

Mechanical engineering technicians

90

$19.09

$18.86

$39,240

17-3029

Engineering technicians, except drafters, all other

270

$31.50

$31.28

$65,060

17-3031

Surveying and mapping technicians

40

$12.44

$12.03

$25,030

19-0000

Life, physical, and social science occupations

1,290

$29.70

$29.74

$61,860

19-2012

Physicists

40

$39.88

$40.94

$85,160

19-2031

Chemists

100

$30.96

$32.69

$68,000

19-2042

Geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers

220

$36.72

$36.48

$75,880

19-2099

Physical scientists, all other

220

$33.29

$33.36

$69,400

19-4031

Chemical technicians

100

$19.34

$18.25

$37,970

Continued page 45

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 44

Part VIII – Work force (cont.) Biloxi-Gulfport-Pascagoula MSA, employment and wage estimates, selected fields Code number

Occupation title

Employment

Median hourly

Mean hourly

Mean annual

19-4099

Life, physical and social science technicians, al other

70

$22.01

$21.05

$43,780

49-0000

Installation, maintenance and repair occupations

7,220

$15.58

$16.39

$34,100

49-1011

First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, etc.

660

$20.78

$21.13

$43,960

49-2011

Computer, automated teller, office machine repairers

70

$13.37

$14.21

$29,560

49-2022

Telecom equipment installers/repairers, exc. line

120

$23.89

$21.72

$45,180

49-2094

Electrical/electronics repairers, comm and industrial

60

$19.94

$20.22

$42,050

49-3011

Aircraft mechanics and service technicians

190

$19.92

$20.31

$42,240

49-3021

Automotive body and related repairers

140

$18.55

$19.05

$39,620

49-3023

Automotive service technicians and mechanics

670

$12.31

$13.94

$29,000

49-3031

Bus and truck mechanics/diesel engine specialists

280

$14.71

$14.54

$30,240

49-3042

Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, exc. engines

230

$16.04

$16.63

$34,590

49-3051

Motorboat mechanics

(1)

$10.23

$12.92

$26,880

49-3053

Outdoor power eqmnt/other small engine mechanics

(1)

$6.37

$7.47

$15,530

49-9021

Heating, air cond/refrigeration mechanics/installers

500

$15.67

$15.52

$32,290

49-9041

Industrial machinery mechanics

560

$24.51

$23.17

$48,190

49-9042

Maintenance and repair workers, general

1,650

$11.04

$12.39

$25,770

49-9043

Maintenance workers, machinery

120

$28.04

$24.69

$51,350

49-9044

Millwrights

(1)

$25.25

$23.91

$49,740

49-9051

Electrical power-line installers/repairers

230

$22.88

$21.80

$45,350

49-9098

Helpers – installation, maintenance, repair workers

160

$9.14

$10.14

$21,100

49-9099

Installation, maintenance, repair work, all other

130

$12.43

$15.06

$31,320

51-0000

Production occupations

11,520

$16.50

$16.42

$34,160

51-1011

First-line sups/mgrs of production/operating wkrs

730

$23.95

$24.10

$50,120

51-2041

Structural metal fabricators and fitters

160

$14.86

$14.48

$30,120

51-2092

Team assemblers

710

$8.33

$9.14

$19,010

51-4011

Computer-control’d machine tool operators

30

$11.98

$11.79

$24,510

51-4031

Cutting, punching and press machine setters, etc.

80

$13.07

$13.59

$28,260

51-4034

Lathe/turning machine tool setters, operators, etc

30

$13.33

$13.53

$28,150

51-8091

Chemical plant and system operators

720

$20.86

$20.24

$42,110

51-9023

Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, etc.

100

$10.97

$11.05

$22,990

51-9061

Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers and weighers

400

$21.37

$21.32

$44,350

51-9111

Packaging and filling machine operators/tenders

120

$8.81

$9.47

$19,690

51-9121

Coating, painting/spraying machine setters, etc.

100

$15.36

$14.72

$30,630

Continued page 46

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 45

Part VIII – Work force (cont.) Biloxi-Gulfport-Pascagoula MSA, employment and wage estimates, selected fields Code number

Occupation title

Employment

Median hourly

Mean hourly

Mean annual

51-9193

Cooling and freezing equipment operators, tenders

30

$7.92

$10.51

$21,850

51-9198

Helpers – production workers

260

$9.78

$10.35

$21,540

53-0000

Transportation and material moving occupations

10,160

$10.15

$11.45

$23,810

53-1021

First-line sups/mgrs of helpers, laborers, etc.

170

$18.07

$19.13

$39,800

53-1031

First-line sups/mgrs transportation machine oprtrs

200

$18.54

$21.23

$44,170

53-3032

Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer

1,390

$14.85

$15.21

$31,650

53-3033

Truck drivers, light/delivery services

1,180

$10.27

$10.72

$22,300

53-5011

Sailors and marine oilers

60

$12.60

$12.58

$26,180

53-5021

Captains, mates and pilots of water vessels

90

$16.73

$19.46

$40,490

53-5031

Ship engineers

60

$20.59

$23.06

$47,960

53-6011

Bridge and lock tenders

40

(1)

(1)

(1)

53-6099

Transportation workers, all other

30

$17.33

$16.37

$34,050

53-7021

Crane and tower operators

200

$15.93

$16.02

$33,330

53-7032

Excavating/loading machine/dragline operators

(1)

$12.58

$12.63

$26,260

53-7051

Industrial truck and tractor operators

390

$12.81

$12.81

$26,640

53-7061

Cleaners of vehicles and equipment

320

$7.77

$8.20

$17,060

53-7062

Laborers and freight, stock/material movers, hand

2,440

$8.97

$9.99

$20,770

53-7063

Machine feeders and offbearers

30

$9.02

$9.37

$19,500

53-7064

Packers and packagers, hand

570

$6.67

$7.07

$14,700

(1) Estimates not released Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Compiled April 2006

(Continued from page 43)

panded throughout the community college system, according to a report by the Mississippi Technology Alliance.

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 46

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 47

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 48

Mississippi Gulf Coast Shipbuilding

Summary

Why the United States? • • •

One of the largest markets in the world Congress has a buy-U.S. mindset U.S. remains an innovation leader

Why Mississippi? • • • • • • • • • •

Strong congressional delegation holds leadership positions on the Appropriations Committee, Homeland Security Committee, Energy and Commerce Committee and Armed Services Committee Low cost of doing business A predominantly rural state, there’s room to grow Prime Mississippi locations offer air, highway and rail access. Within a day’s drive to more than half the U.S. business population, including Atlanta, Birmingham, Dallas, Houston, Little Rock, Memphis, Mobile, Nashville, New Orleans and St. Louis. Interstate 55 provides access to markets in Chicago, Memphis, New Orleans and St. Louis Interstate 10 and 20 provide access to Atlanta, Birmingham, Dallas and Los Angeles 20 rail systems Offers incentives for traditional manufacturing operations and research and development efforts Worker training programs

Why South Mississippi? • • • • • • • • • •

Strategic location with direct access to the Gulf of Mexico and foreign ports Foreign trade zones Availability of tax incentives through GO Zone Act of 2005 Two ports provide access to worldwide markets Home of the University of Southern Mississippi and its respected polymer research enterprise Home of a cluster of plastics and chemicals companies Home to a cluster of cutting-edge composite fabrication plants, the material of choice for many platforms Vast test ranges on land and in the Gulf of Mexico Proximity to key end-users in the military Universities eager to work with private companies

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 49

Mississippi Gulf Coast Shipbuilding BAE Systems Applied Technologies, Part IV Bay Marine Boat Works, Inc., Part IV Center for Advanced Power Systems, Part V Center for Turbine Innovation and Research, Part V Coastal Marine Equipment, Inc.-Gulfport, Part IV Electric Ship Research and Development Consortium, Part V Fire and Safety Test Detachment, Coast Guard Research and Development Center, Part V M.M. Flechas Shipyard Co., Inc., Part IV Marine Composites Consortium Center of Excellence, Part V Full Scale Fire Test Facility (Ex-USS Shadwell), Part V GME, Part IV George County Economic Development Foundation, Part VII Gulf Coast Business Technology Center, Part VI Gulf Ship, Part IV Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission, Part VII Harrison County Development Commission, Part VII High Tech, Inc., Part IV Jackson County Economic Development Foundation, Inc., Part VII KSI Building and Home Construction, Part IV Mississippi Development Authority, Part VII Mississippi Enterprise for Technology, Part VI Mississippi Power, Part VII NASA Technology Transfer Office, Part VI National Biodynamics Laboratory, Part V National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Part V Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City, Part V Noetic Technologies Inc., Part VI Northrop Grumman Ship Systems/Gulfport (Center for Composites Excellence), Part IV Northrop Grumman Ship Systems/Ingalls, Part IV Northrop Grumman Data Systems, Part IV Omega Shipyard, Part IV Parker Marine Inc., Part IV Partners for Pearl River County, Part VII PEMCO - Naval Engineering Works, Inc., Part IV

Index Rebel Boatworks, Part IV Rolls-Royce Naval Marine Inc. (Center of Excellence for Naval Propulsors), Part IV Sea Fab Inc., Part IV Seemann Composites, Part IV Signal International LLC – East Yard, Part IV Signal International West, Part IV Simulation Based Design Center, Part V Smith Construction & Welding, Inc., Part IV South Coast Electric, Part IV Southern Mississippi Planning and Development District, Part VII Stone County Economic Development Partnership, Part VII Trinity Yachts LLC, Part IV United States Marine Inc., Part IV University of New Orleans/Gulf Coast Region Maritime Technology Center, Part V VT Halter Marine (corporate), Part IV VT Halter Marine, Pascagoula Operations, Part IV VT Halter Marine, Halter Moss Point Operations, Part IV VT Halter Marine, Moss Point Marine Operations, Part IV Williams Machine Works, Inc., Part IV

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 50

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 51

Shipbuilding Corridor Directory – 52