HII to Acquire South Carolina Manufacturing Facility to Expand Shipbuilding Capa…

HII, a major shipbuilding company, has announced plans to acquire the assets and workforce of W International SC and Vivid Empire SC, both located in South Carolina. This move is set to increase HII’s ability to serve military customers, especially the U.S. Navy. The acquisition is expected to be completed by the end of the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2024. This is a big step for HII as it works to improve its manufacturing capabilities and meet the rising demand for military shipbuilding.

HII to Take Over South Carolina Manufacturing Facility

As part of the acquisition, HII will convert W International’s manufacturing facility in Goose Creek, South Carolina, into a new facility called Newport News Shipbuilding—Charlotte Operations. This will be part of HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division. Matt Needy, the current vice president and chief transformation officer of Newport News Shipbuilding, will be the general manager of the new operations.

The Goose Creek facility is large, covering over 480,000 square feet. It has modern machinery and infrastructure designed for building ship structures and modules. This facility will play an important role in HII’s work, helping increase productivity and efficiency in shipbuilding.

One important part of this acquisition is that HII has promised to offer jobs to all employees working at the Goose Creek facility. This will provide job security for the workers and allow HII to keep skilled workers and their experience when adding the new operations to the company.

U.S Navy and Indian Naval Force Conduct Joint Exercise in the Indian Ocean

HII Expands to Meet Military Shipbuilding Demand

Chris Kastner, president and CEO of HII, spoke about the importance of this acquisition. He explained that it will improve the company’s ability to meet the needs of the U.S. Navy and strengthen its partnerships with countries like Australia and the United Kingdom as part of the AUKUS agreement. Kastner said, “This allows us to efficiently add skilled workers and advanced manufacturing capabilities, helping us build ships faster and better for the Navy and AUKUS.”

Jennifer Boykin, the outgoing president of Newport News Shipbuilding, also shared details about the future of the Goose Creek facility. She explained that the company already has plans to build specific parts for Virginia-class and Columbia-class submarines at the new site. Boykin is confident that this facility will become a key center for building these important ship modules.

A Growing Need for Military Shipbuilding

This acquisition shows that HII is committed to growing its capabilities and responding to the increasing need for military shipbuilding in the world today. As HII prepares to bring the new facility into its operations, it aims to become a leader in the industry, ready to tackle future challenges and support the U.S. Navy and its international allies.