Shipbuilding & Marine Manufacturing Companies in Illinois

Illinois has approximately 13,000 manufacturing establishments and 570,000 manufacturing employees. Illinois is a top-five manufacturing state, with Chicago as a metal fabrication and food processing center, Peoria as Caterpillar's headquarters, and a vast network of industrial suppliers.

Illinois contributes to the national shipbuilding & marine manufacturing landscape. Shipbuilding and marine manufacturing includes naval and commercial shipyards, boat builders, and marine equipment producers. The US shipbuilding industry is anchored by the Jones Act, which requires vessels operating between US ports to be domestically built. Major shipyards like Huntington Ingalls and General Dynamics NASSCO build naval vessels and commercial ships, while hundreds of smaller yards produce workboats, tugs, barges, and recreational vessels.

Naval Shipyards: Major facilities like Huntington Ingalls and General Dynamics Bath Iron Works building aircraft carriers, submarines, and destroyers.

Commercial Shipbuilders: Shipyards producing container ships, tankers, offshore supply vessels, and ferries for domestic service.

Workboat & Barge Builders: Smaller shipyards constructing tugboats, towboats, barges, and inland waterway vessels.

Recreational Boat Builders: Companies like Brunswick and Malibu Boats producing powerboats, sailboats, and pontoons.

Marine Equipment Suppliers: Manufacturers of marine engines, propulsion systems, deck equipment, and navigation systems.

Major industrial centers in Illinois include Chicago, Rockford, Peoria, Aurora, Joliet, and Elgin. These cities have concentrations of manufacturers across sectors including metal fabrication, food processing manufacturing, and chemical manufacturing.