Shipbuilding & Marine Manufacturing Companies in North Carolina

North Carolina has approximately 8,500 manufacturing establishments and 470,000 manufacturing employees. North Carolina is a diverse manufacturing state, with the Research Triangle driving biotech and pharma, Charlotte anchoring automotive suppliers, and legacy strength in textiles and furniture.

North Carolina 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 North Carolina include Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Durham, and High Point. These cities have concentrations of manufacturers across sectors including pharmaceutical manufacturing, automotive tier 1 suppliers, and food processing manufacturing.