Posted on January 12, 2026
PASCAGOULA, Miss. — (January 9, 2026) – Bollinger Shipyards yesterday hosted The Honorable John C. Phelan, Secretary of The Navy (SECNAV) at its Bollinger Mississippi Shipbuilding facility in Pascagoula for his first official visit in the role. Joining Secretary Phelan was Adm. Daryl Caudle, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), John J. Perryman, Master Chief Petty Officer of The Navy (MCPON) and Jason L. Potter, Assistant Secretary of The Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition (ASN RDA). Their collective presence underscored the Trump Administration’s efforts to restore America’s maritime dominance and the Navy’s commitment to advancing workforce development, platform innovation, and procurement reform across the shipbuilding sector.
The visiting leaders toured the yard, engaging with Bollinger’s workforce and leadership to discuss current transformation initiatives. Bollinger highlighted the success of its innovative workforce development initiatives, such as its Shipbuilder Bootcamp, its significant 61% increase in the Mississippi workforce, as well as ongoing projects at Bollinger Mississippi Shipbuilding and beyond. The delegation’s interactions with employees and management reinforced the importance of industry-government collaboration in meeting the evolving needs of the US Navy and its partners. Bollinger’s unique experience as a leader in both commercial and government shipbuilding has made the company a leading advocate for procurement reforms that bring government acquisition closer to the streamlined commercial model, accelerating delivery and putting vessels in the water faster to meet the Administration’s priorities.
“We’re honored to welcome Secretary Phelan and his leadership team to Pascagoula,” said Ben Bordelon, President and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards. “Secretary Phelan’s visit emphasizes what we all recognize. The Navy under President Trump has set ambitious goals that demand speed, scale, and sustained execution in order to restore America’s maritime dominance. The fastest path to results is to empower the industrial base to do what it does best. That means setting clear requirements, providing stable demand, and streamlining the processes that slow awards and production, so shipbuilders and our supplier partners can lead on delivery. When industry is trusted and empowered to execute, the Navy gets more capability, more predictably, and our warfighters and sailors get these critical assets sooner. We greatly appreciate the continued trust and partnership of the Trump Administration and Secretary Phelan as we work to grow and modernize the fleet in support the brave men and women of the US Navy.”
Through these high-level discussions, Bollinger and its Navy partners reaffirmed their shared vision for modernizing and streamlining acquisition processes. These efforts aim to accelerate production timelines, improve cost-effectiveness, and deliver enhanced naval capabilities more efficiently, strengthening America’s shipbuilding leadership.
ABOUT BOLLINGER SHIPYARDS
Bollinger Shipyards (www.bollingershipyards.com) has a 80-year as a leading designer and builder of high-performance military patrol boats and salvage vessels, research vessels, ocean-going double hull barges, offshore oil field support vessels, tugboats, rigs, lift boats, inland waterways push boats, barges, and other steel and aluminum products from its new construction shipyards as part of the U. S. industrial base. Bollinger has 13 facilities, all strategically located throughout Louisiana and Mississippi with direct access to the Gulf of America, the Mississippi River and the Intracoastal Waterway. Bollinger is the largest vessel repair company in the Gulf of America region.
