NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — A ship repair company is expanding its footprint in the city, bringing hundreds of new jobs and a state-of-the-art shiplift system to the city.
S23 Holdings says its $180 million investment will create 414 jobs, which will feature a new shiplift system designed to allow the company to take on larger and more complex ship repair work. A rendering released by the company shows what the expanded shipyard will one day look like.
East Coast Repair and Fabrication will continue to operate at the property off Terminal Avenue, supporting ship repair, maintenance, and modernization work for the U.S. Navy.
Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones said the expansion is a win for the city.
"We are so excited that this company is going to double its footprint and create a 48-thousand square foot production facility," Jones said.
Jones added that the growth extends beyond job creation.
"We are excited that this is going to strengthen our economic development as well as increase our maritime security posture," Jones said.
The expansion builds on S23 Holdings' history in the region. News 3 was there in 2020 when the company initially announced it was coming to the area, which they said would create more than 330 new jobs. This latest announcement represents further investment.
The news comes as the ship repair and building industry continues to grow in Newport News. In July, it was announced that HII had been awarded nearly $77 billion in contracts to build more submarines, including at Newport News Shipbuilding.
Shawn Avery, president and CEO of the Hampton Roads Workforce Council, previously told News 3 how the organization set up the Hampton Roads Maritime Training System to help train people for jobs at local shipyards.
"The Hampton Roads Maritime Training System is producing 5,000 to 6,000 people per year and it has the ability to ramp up even more so yes we feel fairly confident there's enough people in the industry interested in this," Avery said.
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