Amanda Knapp
Electric Boat and Bath Iron Works are both owned by General Dynamics Corporation. Bath Iron Works was founded in 1884 and has been building ships, mainly for the US Navy, for over a century. It is the fourth-largest shipyard in the United States and the largest private employer in Maine. Electric Boat was acquired by General Dynamics in 1998.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Owner | General Dynamics Corporation |
| Year Established | 1884 |
| Number of Employees | 7,700 (1998) |
| Sales | $936 million (1998) |
| Industry | Ship Building and Repairing; Engineering Services |
| Headquarters | Kennebec River, Maine |
| President | Charles F. Krugh (as of May 2022) |
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What You'll Learn
General Dynamics Corporation owns Bath Iron Works
General Dynamics Corporation bought Bath Iron Works in 1995, and it became the company's third shipyard, after BIW and Electric Boat. Bath Iron Works has a mile-long stretch of waterfront along the Kennebec River, from which more oceangoing vessels have been launched than from any other area of similar size in the world.
In 1999, Bath Iron Works teamed up with Energy Research Corporation to develop new fuel cells to bring electric power to military ships. The Direct FuelCell Ship Service Power Plant promised to be efficient, quiet, and clean to run. The company has also sought to supplement its business by investigating the prospect of building large carriers to transport automobiles and trucks.
In 2001, Bath Iron Works completed a four-year effort to build the Land Level Transfer Facility, an enormous concrete platform for the final assembly of its ships. This new method of construction greatly reduced the work involved in building and launching ships.
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Bath Iron Works is the fourth largest shipyard in the US
The yard has endured many setbacks over the years, including two leveraged buyouts that left it burdened with debt, and a decline when the Cold War ended. In recent years, it has faced workforce challenges, a global pandemic, and a nine-week strike by its largest labour union.
Despite these challenges, Bath Iron Works continues to be a significant shipbuilder for the US Navy, delivering various versions of the Burke-class destroyer for 30 years. The shipyard has also made investments in facilities and tooling to boost efficiency and reverse years of delays in the production line.
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Bath Iron Works has been building ships for over a century
In 1995, Bath Iron Works was bought by General Dynamics. In 1998, General Dynamics announced that it was buying its third shipyard, Nassco Holdings Inc., the parent company of National Steel & Shipbuilding Co. in San Diego.
In 1999, Bath Iron Works teamed up with Energy Research Corporation to develop new fuel cells to bring electric power to military ships. The Direct FuelCell Ship Service Power Plant promised to be efficient, quiet, and clean to run.
In 2001, the company completed a four-year effort to build the Land Level Transfer Facility, an enormous concrete platform for the final assembly of its ships. This replaced the previous method of building ships on a sloping way so that they could slide into the Kennebec at launch.
In 2016, Dirk Lesko became president of Bath Iron Works. In 2020, 4,300 workers went on strike after the company and the union failed to agree on new labour contracts. Lesko resigned unexpectedly in 2022, and Charles F. Krugh was appointed president.
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The company has a history of building ships for the US Navy
Electric Boat and Bath Iron Works are both owned by General Dynamics Corporation. Bath Iron Works has been building ships, chiefly for the US Navy, for more than a century. In its busiest period, it built a quarter of the Navy's destroyers launched during World War II.
In 1995, Bath Iron Works was bought by General Dynamics. Three years later, General Dynamics announced that it was buying its third shipyard, Nassco Holdings Inc., the parent company of National Steel & Shipbuilding Co. in San Diego. Nassco repaired combat ships and built smaller Navy vessels and commercial ships.
In 1999, Bath Iron Works teamed with Energy Research Corporation to develop new fuel cells to bring electric power to military ships. The Direct FuelCell Ship Service Power Plant promised to be efficient, quiet, and clean to run.
In 2001, the company wrapped up a four-year effort to build the Land Level Transfer Facility, an enormous concrete platform for the final assembly of its ships. This replaced the previous method of building ships on a sloping way so that they could slide into the Kennebec at launch.
In 2016, Dirk Lesko became president of Bath Iron Works. In 2020, 4,300 workers went on strike after the company and the union failed to agree to new labour contracts. Lesko resigned unexpectedly on April 7, 2022, and was replaced by Charles F. Krugh.
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In 2020, 4,300 workers went on strike over labour contracts
Electric Boat and Bath Iron Works are both owned by General Dynamics Corporation. In 2020, 4,300 workers at Bath Iron Works went on strike over labour contracts. The workers were all members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. The strike lasted 63 days, after which the shipbuilders agreed to a 3-year pact and returned to work.
The strike was a result of failed negotiations between the company and the union over new labour contracts. The union local announced that it had come to an agreement with the shipyard on the same day that the president of Bath Iron Works, Dirk Lesko, resigned unexpectedly. Lesko's resignation came after four years in the role, during which he oversaw the construction of the Land Level Transfer Facility, an enormous concrete platform for the final assembly of ships.
The Land Level Transfer Facility was built to improve the efficiency of ship construction by allowing hulls to be moved by rail from the platform horizontally onto a moveable dry dock. The dry dock was built by China's Jiangdu Yuchai Shipbuilding Company and shipped to Bath from China. The facility cost $27 million and was completed in 2001, four years before Lesko became president.
General Dynamics Corporation is a large defence contractor that owns several shipyards, including Electric Boat and Bath Iron Works. The company has a long history of building ships, primarily for the US Navy. Bath Iron Works is the fourth-largest shipyard in the United States and the largest private employer in Maine.
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Frequently asked questions
General Dynamics Corporation.
In 1995.
Charles F. Krugh.
