COMPANY·HISTORIES
NAIC 336611

Shipyard

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

38companies1853–1999founding years36still active2no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedKvaerner ASA
1853
FoundedChina Merchants International Holdings Co., Ltd.
1872
FoundedBath Iron WorksFoundedBénéteau SA
1884
FoundedNewport News Shipbuilding Inc.
1886
FoundedBabcock International Group PLC
1891
FoundedKawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd.
1896
FoundedThe Manitowoc Company, Inc.
1902
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedCrowley Maritime Corporation
1906
FoundedNKK Corporation
1912
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
FoundedAvondale Industries
1938
FoundedNorthrop Grumman Corporation
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
FoundedBollinger Shipyards, Inc.
1946
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedTidewater Inc.
1956
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedIHC Caland N.V.
1965
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedCascade General, Inc.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
FoundedInternational Shipbreaking Ltd. L.L.C.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
FoundedConrad Industries, Inc.
1998
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Kvaerner ASA →
Active · founded 1853 · England
Long known as the largest shipbuilder in Europe, Anglo-Norwegian Kvaerner ASA is redefining itself around three core…
Kvaerner ASA →
Active · founded 1853 · England
Long known as the largest shipbuilder in Europe, Anglo-Norwegian Kvaerner ASA is redefining itself around three core…
China Merchants International Holdings Co., Ltd. →
Active · founded 1872 · Hong Kong
China Merchants International Holdings Co., Ltd.
China Merchants International Holdings Co., Ltd. →
Active · founded 1872 · Hong Kong
China Merchants International Holdings Co., Ltd.
Bath Iron Works →
Active · founded 1884
For more than a century, Bath Iron Works (BIW) has been building ships, chiefly for the U.S.
Bath Iron Works →
Active · founded 1884
For more than a century, Bath Iron Works (BIW) has been building ships, chiefly for the U.S.
Bénéteau SA →
Active · founded 1884 · France
Bénéteau SA is the world's largest manufacturer of sailing yachts and pleasure craft, under the Bénéteau and Jeanneau…
Bénéteau SA →
Active · founded 1884 · France
Bénéteau SA is the world's largest manufacturer of sailing yachts and pleasure craft, under the Bénéteau and Jeanneau…
Newport News Shipbuilding Inc. →
Active · founded 1886
Newport News Shipbuilding Inc.
Newport News Shipbuilding Inc. →
Active · founded 1886
Newport News Shipbuilding Inc.
Babcock International Group PLC →
Active · founded 1891 · United Kingdom
Babcock International Group PLC is one of the world's leading support services groups.
Babcock International Group PLC →
Active · founded 1891 · United Kingdom
Babcock International Group PLC is one of the world's leading support services groups.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. →
Active · founded 1896 · Japan
Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. →
Active · founded 1896 · Japan
Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd.
The Manitowoc Company, Inc. →
Active · founded 1902
The Manitowoc Company, Inc.
The Manitowoc Company, Inc. →
Active · founded 1902
The Manitowoc Company, Inc.
Crowley Maritime Corporation →
Active · founded 1906
Crowley Maritime Corporation is the largest operator of tugboats and barges in the world.
Crowley Maritime Corporation →
Active · founded 1906
Crowley Maritime Corporation is the largest operator of tugboats and barges in the world.
NKK Corporation →
Defunct · founded 1912 · Japan
NKK Corporation is one of the world's largest steelmakers and Japan's second largest.
NKK Corporation →
Defunct · founded 1912 · Japan
NKK Corporation is one of the world's largest steelmakers and Japan's second largest.
Avondale Industries →
Active · founded 1938
The primary business of Avondale Industries is the construction, repair, conversion, and 'jumboization' of ships,…
Avondale Industries →
Active · founded 1938
The primary business of Avondale Industries is the construction, repair, conversion, and 'jumboization' of ships,…
Northrop Grumman Corporation →
Active · founded 1939
Northrop Grumman Corporation is the number three defense firm in the United States, behind The Boeing Company and…
Northrop Grumman Corporation →
Active · founded 1939
Northrop Grumman Corporation is the number three defense firm in the United States, behind The Boeing Company and…
Bollinger Shipyards, Inc. →
Active · founded 1946
Based in the small town of Lockport, Louisiana, Bollinger Shipyards, Inc.
Bollinger Shipyards, Inc. →
Active · founded 1946
Based in the small town of Lockport, Louisiana, Bollinger Shipyards, Inc.
Tidewater Inc. →
Active · founded 1956
Tidewater Inc.
Tidewater Inc. →
Active · founded 1956
Tidewater Inc.
IHC Caland N.V. →
Active · founded 1965 · Netherlands
1950s:The company begins developing the Single Point Mooring offshore platform system.
IHC Caland N.V. →
Active · founded 1965 · Netherlands
1950s:The company begins developing the Single Point Mooring offshore platform system.
Cascade General, Inc. →
Active · founded 1987
Cascade General, Inc.
Cascade General, Inc. →
Active · founded 1987
Cascade General, Inc.
International Shipbreaking Ltd. L.L.C. →
Active · founded 1995
International Shipbreaking Ltd.
International Shipbreaking Ltd. L.L.C. →
Active · founded 1995
International Shipbreaking Ltd.
Conrad Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1998
Conrad Industries, Inc.
Conrad Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1998
Conrad Industries, Inc.
Thyssen Krupp AG →
Active · founded 1999 · Germany
Thyssen Krupp AG was created in March 1999 from the merger of two of Germany's oldest industrial giants, Thyssen AG and…
Thyssen Krupp AG →
Active · founded 1999 · Germany
Thyssen Krupp AG was created in March 1999 from the merger of two of Germany's oldest industrial giants, Thyssen AG and…
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