Eastern Shipbuilding Group Ramping Up Capacity In Panama City
A Florida-based shipbuilding company with a long history and strong ties to the DOD has commenced Phase II of major infrastructure improvements.
This week Eastern Shipbuilding Group announced the construction of 1,000 linear feet of additional bulkhead and berthing space along with other improvements at one of the company’s government shipbuilding facility in Panama City.
Other improvements in Phase II will include quadrupling the company’s launch facility to over 500 feet and additional dredging of vessel berthing spaces and the shipyard turning basin.
According to the company’s official press release, these enhancements “will significantly increase ESG’s capability to construct and deliver multiple ships per year, supporting future Department of Defense (DOD) shipbuilding goals.”
“The increased capacity and shipyard enhancements will allow us to better support the Navy’s initiative to expand the shipbuilding industrial base in order to meet the demands of the national defense strategy.” -ESG Chairman & CEO Joey D’Isernia
A Rich History & Reputation For Complex Vessel Expertise
Established in 1976, ESG was formed by Chairman Emeritus Brian D’Isernia who owned a fleet of commercial fishing vessels. Like so many American success stories, the legacy business he created was not his original business, but rather one that he pursued out of necessity and a firm belief that he could do something better than what was currently being offered in the marketplace.
According to ESG’s history page, “Mr. D’Isernia ventured into the world of shipbuilding after learning firsthand that the only way to get the type of vessels he wanted was to design the vessels, write the specifications, and build them himself. As he built and developed his own personal fleet of vessels, other professionals in the industry took notice and began to request their own custom-built vessels.”
That interest and a rising tide of new orders came from away as New England, the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. Within four years of launching the business, ESG had already built and delivered 26 commercial fishing vessels.
Earning The Coast Guard's Trust And Repeat Business
While ESG started out building commercial fishing vessels, the company quickly diversified driven by a desire to fulfill any type of custom vessel request, large or small. This led ESG’s team of shipbuilders into the world of offshore supply vessels and ultimately offshore patrol cutters for the Coast Guard.
In October 2023, ESG had the honor of launching the U.S. Coast Guard’s first Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) at the company’s Nelson Street shipyard. (Video) The vessel was built by ESG’s team of over 1,500 highly skilled employees in conjunction with 200 businesses from 25 states supporting the production of the first four OPCs in Panama City.
As ESG approaches 50 years of excellence in shipbuilding, the company has an impressive portfolio of over 350 built vessels including the OPCs, Offshore Supply Vessels, Tugs, ATB’s, Inland Towboats, Passenger Vessels, Passenger Ferries, Inland Transport Vessels, Barges, Fireboats, Research Vessels, Offshore Construction Vessels and many more.
Contact CII Today
If you own an established shipbuilding or maritime service business in Florida or Georgia and would like to get a better understanding of the current market value of your company and important steps you can take today to maximize that value, get in touch with a CII business advisor today.