Hornblower Announces Steelpointe Shipyard Expansion and New Vessel Services
Bridgeport Facility Significantly Expands Hornblower Footprint to 17 Acres Offering Vessel Construction, Propulsion, Management, Consulting, and Yachting Services
Hornblower Group today announced the expansion of its industry-leading facilities and extensive offerings on the historic Bridgeport waterfront, building on the firm's continued maritime success and commitment to the region while growing from 1 acre to 17 acres with equipment and crew offering services across vessel classes and specializations, now including yachts and recreational craft.
Bridgeport Facility Significantly Expands Hornblower Footprint to 17 Acres Offering Vessel Construction, Propulsion, Management, Consulting, and Yachting Services
The expanded location at 731 Seaview Avenue in Bridgeport, CT will now be titled Steelpointe Shipyard by Hornblower, reflecting the new scale and capabilities of the full-service shipyard and Hornblower's long-term commitment to building on Bridgeport's central location, experienced workforce, and maritime legacy to serve the growing maritime industry across the East Coast.
"Hornblower is excited to extensively expand our Bridgeport, CT footprint and community impact by pairing our 100-year history in the maritime industry with the unique features and benefits of such an historic port," said Shull Autin, Chief Maritime Officer, Hornblower Group. "With this tremendous expansion in available facility space and equipment capabilities, Steelpointe Shipyard by Hornblower will serve as the East Coast's new hub for maritime expertise and service across commercial, government, and private vessel operators."
With its expansion, Steelpointe Shipyard by Hornblower now includes 45,000 square feet of indoor space, three large-scale Marine Travel Lifts capable of hauling vessels up to 700 tons, a 220' Service Dock, and an array of skilled tradespeople across welding and metal fabrication, joinery and outfitting, piping, mechanics, electrical, and painting.
This unique array of equipment, expert staff across specializations, and deep-water access to Long Island Sound makes Steelpointe Shipyard by Hornblower the industry's premier facility capable of leveraging integrated, onsite vessel design and engineering teams to execute complex projects on time and on budget. Across the site, Hornblower Marine will continue to provide simultaneous vessel servicing, pre-scheduled overhauls and maintenance, emergency repairs, and complex projects for Hornblower's clientele of high-profile public and private third-party clients, as well as yacht owners, captains, and operators.
"As our crew has grown since the local launch of Hornblower Marine in 2021, Bridgeport and the surrounding communities have been a pivotal component in our shared successes developing the industry's premier facilities and capabilities for innovative maritime projects from across the country," said Junior Volpe, Senior Vice President of Vessel Construction & Repair, Hornblower Marine. "Today's announcement builds on this strong foundation to establish the next phase of maritime innovation and careers in Bridgeport while offering premier, industry-leading services to vessel owners of all backgrounds and sizes."
"This expansion represents a big step forward in Hornblower's ability to deliver a truly integrated maritime service offering at one of the east coast's premier deep-water ports, centrally located in some of the country's largest maritime markets," said Timothy O'Brien, SVP of Ferries & Concessions Operations, Hornblower Group. "We are proud to work with property owners RCI and the Christoph family to maximize the use of this premier facility."
Within Steelpointe Shipyard, Hornblower Marine offers these extensive services across six specialized divisions to provide each client with project- and vessel-specific solutions. These divisions include Hornblower Marine Construction, Propulsion, Management, Consulting, Services, and Yachts.
Hornblower Marine Construction builds on the organization's robust history of designing, building, retrofitting, and maintaining vessels across sizes, types, and use cases to support the needs of each partner.
Hornblower Marine Propulsion offers trained in-house diagnostics and propulsion specialists providing repair and repower solutions, system integration, and engine sales, commissioning, and services support. Hornblower Marine Propulsion is the official Northeast Distributor for Baudouin Marine Engines.
Hornblower Marine Management offers third-party support and owners' representation for newbuild programs and services for fleet expansions, technical specification development, shipyard selection, and construction oversight.
Hornblower Marine Consulting offers strategic advisory services to vessel owners and operators to support vessel operational and route planning, technical feasibility analysis, financial navigation, and approaches to fleet expansion.
Hornblower Marine Services provides operational and technical support across the full lifecycle of vessel ownership, including inspections, maintenance program development, and regulatory compliance to support long-term vessel performance.
Hornblower Marine Yachts is a newly announced division that will build on Steelpointe Shipyards' expanded space and scope of services to provide yachting and recreational partners and clients top-tier yacht maintenance programs, refit services, seasonal haul-outs, and indoor/outdoor storage previously only available to larger commercial operators. The integration of service and maintenance specializing in these vessels makes Hornblower Marine Yachts especially suited to serve the yachting and recreational craft communities.
"The leadership, expertise, and capabilities of the nation's largest shipyards shouldn't be inaccessible to yacht and recreational vessel owners," said Volpe. "Thanks to this expansion, Hornblower Marine will be able to offer its top-level service to this new class of partners and clientele while providing the customer service that would be expected of smaller, boutique service facilities. We look forward to bringing these services to the yachting market."
The products and services herein described in this press release are not endorsed by The Maritime Executive.
Avondale Global Gateway Named Recipient of Louisiana FastSites Investment
Avondale Global Gateway (AGG), in partnership with JEDCO, announced it has been selected as an inaugural recipient of an investment through Louisiana Economic Development’s FastSites program, a statewide initiative that accelerates site readiness and positions Louisiana to compete for transformative industrial projects. AGG participated in the program’s official launch in Baton Rouge, where CEO Adam Anderson was invited to speak alongside state leaders, highlighting the site’s strategic importance to Louisiana’s economy.
“Public investments that improve the readiness of maritime and logistics sites are critical to growing Louisiana’s trade economy,” said Port of New Orleans Board Chairman Mike Thomas. “Avondale Global Gateway is an important multimodal logistics hub within Port NOLA’s jurisdiction, and infrastructure investments like this in Jefferson Parish strengthen our region’s ability to drive economic opportunity.”
Since acquiring the former Avondale Shipyard, Avondale Global Gateway’s parent company, T. Parker Host (Host), has transformed the 275-acre property into a premier multimodal logistics hub. What was once a distressed industrial complex with just six people on site now supports more than 600 workers across operations, tenants, and active construction. Four deepwater docks along the Mississippi River have been restored, critical infrastructure rebuilt, and environmental remediation completed to support new investment.
AGG’s rapid growth is driving demand for expanded infrastructure. With rail capacity nearing operational limits, the FastSites investment will fund a major rail expansion, including an expanded Union Pacific connection and more than 30,000 feet of new on-site track. Upon completion, annual rail capacity will increase from just over 7,000 cars to more than 16,500, allowing the site to handle more than 75 rail cars per day. The expansion more than doubles current throughput and supports over 1,300 jobs across tenants and operations.
“Jefferson Parish is proud to support the state’s FastSites investment in rail capacity expansion at Avondale Global Gateway, a project that will strengthen our transportation and freight network, attract new business, and create quality jobs for our residents while reinforcing the parish’s role as a key gateway for global trade,” said Jefferson Parish Councilman Deano Bonano.
“Avondale Global Gateway is one of the most valuable physical assets in the region, serving as a significant link to the rest of the world. We are committed to the company’s continued growth and success. JEDCO is proud to support the advancement of critical rail infrastructure improvements at Avondale Global Gateway through the FastSites program. This work will enhance the site’s competitiveness and support new private investment and job creation in Jefferson Parish,” said Jerry Bologna, President & CEO of JEDCO.
AGG is now the fastest growing industrial hub in the Gulf and a cornerstone of Louisiana’s industrial economy. Its robust roster of tenants and customers reflects a deliberate strategy to build a diversified and resilient economic engine for the region, highlighted by record-breaking breakbulk volumes, rapid job creation, and expanded multimodal connectivity.
“Avondale’s transformation proves that when infrastructure is ready, investment follows. The real story here is the caliber and diversity of businesses choosing to call Avondale home,” said Adam Anderson, CEO of Host. “This FastSites investment is the infrastructure catching up to that demand. We are proud to partner with Governor Jeff Landry, Senate President Cameron Henry, House Speaker Phillip DeVillier, Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois, Senator Patrick Connick, Representative Kyle Green, Jefferson Parish Councilman Deano Bonano, Councilwoman Jennifer Van Vrancken, Chairman Mike Thomas, and Jefferson Parish leaders to turn vision into reality.”
The products and services herein described in this press release are not endorsed by The Maritime Executive.
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