Posted on February 1, 2026
On Wednesday, we announced plans to develop and operate a 400,000-square-foot advanced ship manufacturing facility at the Port of Pensacola, Florida. This will be our sixth US location.
In partnership with the City of Pensacola and other regional and national stakeholders, we plan to establish a facility that will incorporate the latest technology and modern shipbuilding practices, creating more than three million production man-hours per year of additional capacity for fabrication of ships and modules to support the US Maritime Industrial Base.
The facility will employ approximately 2,000 personnel, including engineering, skilled trades, and other support roles.
This announcement follows disclosure by Triumph Gulf Coast, Inc. that it is considering a $76 million grant to the City of Pensacola to help build the facilities that we will operate at the Port. Triumph is a nonprofit corporation that oversees the expenditure of funds for economic damages resulting from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Funds must be used for recovery, diversification, and enhancement in Northwest Florida.
Tony Ardito, President of Birdon America, said, “Birdon has an excellent track record as a reliable partner to U.S. Government customers. Our expansion to a sixth location at the Port of Pensacola demonstrates our commitment to helping to revitalize and rebuild America’s Maritime Industrial Base.”
The expansion complements our existing facilities and ongoing US Government programs, including Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) construction for the U.S. Coast Guard in Bayou La Batre, AL; and the 47’ Motor Lifeboat (MLB) Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) for the Coast Guard in Bellingham, WA, and Portland, CT.
Birdon expects to open the new facility at the Port of Pensacola as soon as the third quarter of 2027.
Image credit: City of Pensacola Government
