What Eastern Shipbuilding Group does

Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. (ESG) is a privately held, family-founded American shipbuilder that designs and constructs commercial and government vessels at three integrated shipyards on the Florida Gulf Coast — the Nelson Street, Allanton, and Port St. Joe facilities — totaling 370+ acres with 6,000+ tons of combined lifting capacity and direct Gulf of Mexico access. Founded in 1976 by Brian R. D'Isernia to build commercial fishing vessels, ESG has since delivered 350+ vessels spanning U.S. Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Cutters (the Heritage Class / OPC program), hybrid-electric auto-passenger ferries, trailing suction hopper dredges, escort tugs, offshore supply vessels, and specialty craft. Core products are the OPC for the U.S. Coast Guard (25-cutter program, ~$17B estimated program value), the $714.5M Washington State Ferries hybrid-electric ferry contract, the USACE Medium Class Hopper Dredge 'DONNELLY' for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Dutra Group 'Adele' trailing suction hopper dredge (Royal IHC Beagle Mk2 design), and a series of Saltchuk escort tugs. ESG holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001, DCMA, and DCAA certifications and operates a 1,600+ strong skilled workforce across Northwest Florida.

ESG earns revenue primarily through firm-fixed-price and cost-plus prime contracts with U.S. federal and state government customers (Coast Guard, USACE, Washington State Ferries) and through direct commercial contracts with vessel owners and operators such as The Dutra Group, Saltchuk, Hornbeck Offshore Services, and the Fisher Island Community Association. Revenue is recognized per vessel on delivery under project-based, custom-build contracts; pricing is negotiated bilaterally and not publicly disclosed. In November 2025 ESG stopped work on the first two OPC hulls and the Coast Guard partially terminated the contract by removing hulls 3 and 4, a material program event that is driving the company's current pivot toward WSF, USACE, Dutra, and Saltchuk work as the new commercial backbone. The firm remains family-controlled, with Joey D'Isernia serving as Chairman and CEO and Brian R. D'Isernia as Founder.

Name

Eastern Shipbuilding Group

Legal name

Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc.

Website

https://easternshipbuilding.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Eastern Shipbuilding Group is a privately held, family-founded U.S. shipbuilder operating three Florida Gulf Coast shipyards, constructing government and commercial vessels — including U.S. Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Cutters, hybrid-electric ferries for Washington State Ferries, and hopper dredges — for federal, state, and private maritime customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Shipbuilding

NAICS

Ship and Boat Building (3366), Ship Building and Repairing (336611), Boat Building (336612)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Surface Combatants (Destroyers, Frigates, Corvettes) (IMAJABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Patrol, Interceptor & Law-Enforcement Craft (Coast Guard, Customs) (IMAJADAD), Project Management & Owner’s Engineering / Technical Consultancy (Spec Writing, Bid Support, Site Support) (IMAJAGAO)

Keywords

• Commercial shipbuilding
• Offshore patrol cutter
• Hybrid-electric ferries
• Government vessel construction
• Hopper dredge construction

Headquarters

HQ city

Panama City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Vessel Construction: ESG serves as prime contractor for U.S. government vessel programs, including the Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Cutter (25-cutter program, ~$17B estimated) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredge programs. Revenue is earned through firm-fixed-price and cost-plus contracts for design, construction, and delivery of vessels.
2. Commercial Vessel Construction: ESG constructs commercial vessels (ferries, tugs, dredges, fishing vessels, offshore supply vessels, etc.) for private operators on a custom-build, project-by-project basis. Revenue is earned per vessel upon delivery.
3. Vessel Conversion and Repair Services: ESG provides vessel conversion and repair services, including the conversion and delivery of a first-of-its-kind service operation vessel to Hornbeck Offshore Services.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) designs and builds custom vessels for U.S. federal and state government agencies and commercial maritime operators at three shipyards on the Florida Gulf Coast. Its portfolio spans the Coast Guard Heritage Class Offshore Patrol Cutter (360 ft, 25-vessel program), Washington State Ferries hybrid-electric ferries, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hopper dredges, commercial dredges, escort tugs, offshore supply vessels, ferries, fishing vessels, and specialty vessels. ESG also performs vessel conversion and repair services.

Product overview

Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) is an American-owned and operated shipbuilder with three shipyards on the Florida Gulf Coast — Nelson Street Shipyard, Allanton Shipyard, and Port St. Joe Shipyard. The company operates as a single integrated shipbuilding platform delivering both government/defense vessels and commercial vessels. The core defense product is the Heritage Class Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) program for the U.S. Coast Guard (25 cutters planned), which is the Coast Guard's highest investment priority. On the commercial side, the portfolio spans hybrid-electric ferries (Washington State Ferries contract), trailing suction hopper dredges (Adele for Dutra Group, DONNELLY for USACE), auto-passenger ferries (FALCON, Staten Island Ferries, LONG ISLAND), escort tugs (Saltchuk series), offshore supply vessels, fishing vessels, specialty vessels, fireboats, and research vessels. The company employs over 1,600 skilled workers across 370+ acres on the Gulf Coast, holds ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications, and maintains DCMA and DCAA certified systems for government contract work.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Heritage Class Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) The 360-foot, 54-foot beam cutter designed to provide the majority of the Coast Guard's offshore presence, bridging the capabilities of the 418-foot national security cutters and the 154-foot fast response cutters; conducts law enforcement, drug/migrant interdiction, search and rescue, and homeland security operations with Arctic support; 25 cutters planned under the program. Named cutters include USCGC ARGUS (WMSM-915), USCGC CHASE (WMSM-916), USCGC INGHAM (WMSM-917), and USCGC RUSH (WMSM-918).
• Hybrid-Electric Ferries (Washington State Ferries) State-of-the-art 409'-6" LOA, 83'-2" beam hybrid-electric auto-passenger ferries featuring shoreside charging and battery storage to cut diesel-generated emissions. Certified to transport 160 standard-sized passenger vehicles and 1,500 passengers at 17 knots full load, designed to interface with all existing WSF dock facilities.
• DONNELLY Medium Class Hopper Dredge A 320' x 72' x 28' Medium Class Hopper Dredge under construction for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with a 6,000 cubic yard maximum hopper capacity and maximum dredge depth of 65'. Replaces the Dredge McFARLAND and supports USACE's navigation mission. Named after Ray Donnelly, retired Chief of Resource Management for USACE Philadelphia District.
• Adele Trailing Suction Hopper Dredge (TSHD) A 347-foot (10,464-cubic-yard) trailing suction hopper dredger being built for The Dutra Group based on Royal IHC's Beagle Mk2 design, featuring bottom doors for fast offloading, a bulbous bow, 8,000 m³ hopper capacity, advanced automation, and modular design for future upgrades. American-owned, American-built, American-flagged, and American-crewed.
• FALCON Vehicle-Passenger Ferry A vehicle-passenger ferry delivered to the Fisher Island Community Association (FICA) in June 2026. Constructed at ESG's Allanton facility with modern systems, enhanced passenger accommodations, and efficient vehicle transportation capabilities; successfully completed trials and entered service between Fisher Island and mainland Miami.
• Saltchuk Escort Tugs A series of four escort tugs constructed for Saltchuk maritime company at ESG's shipyards, beginning with the first vessel launched in December 2025.
• Commercial Shipbuilding (Vessel Portfolio) ESG's commercial vessel construction operations at the Allanton Shipyard (300+ acres, 1,800 linear ft. basin seawall, over 6,000 feet of water frontage) producing ferries, specialty vessels, tugs and towboats, fishing vessels, offshore supply vessels, and fireboats for commercial clients; over 350 vessels delivered since 1976.
• Vessel Conversion and Repair Services ESG provides vessel conversion and repair services, including the conversion and delivery of a first-of-its-kind Service Operation Vessel to Hornbeck Offshore Services (completed December 2025).

Quantifiable outcome

• 350+ vessels delivered since 1976 with 99% on-schedule delivery rate over 20 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Gulf CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 April 2026ESG and Gulf County formed a workforce development partnership through the Gulf County/Eastern Shipbuilding Maritime Academy, designed to train the next generation of skilled maritime professionals. Florida's Secretary of Commerce and economic development leaders visited ESG's Port St. Joe facility to present on the Academy. ESG CEO Joey D'Isernia emphasized the program serves as a pipeline to meaningful careers benefiting the community, state, and nation's maritime industrial base. Four academy-trained team members testified to the program's success.
• Royal IHCcoreTechnology or Integration · 4 March 2026Royal IHC is the designer of record for both the Dutra Group's Adele trailing suction hopper dredge (Beagle 10.2 Mk2 design) and USACE's DONNELLY Medium Class Hopper Dredge. Royal IHC's design was selected by ESG's customers and ESG collaborates with Royal IHC as designer throughout construction.
• SaltchukmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025ESG is constructing four Saltchuk escort tugs at its facilities. The first of four was launched in December 2025. This represents an ongoing vessel construction program for the Saltchuk family of companies.
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025ESG is building the Medium Class Hopper Dredge 'DONNELLY' for USACE (construction began April 2025, keel laid January 2026, delivery FY2028). The 320' x 72' vessel with 6,000 cubic yard hopper capacity will support USACE's navigation mission. Work carried out in close coordination with USACE Marine Design Center. Named after Ray Donnelly, former USACE Chief of Resource Management.
• The Dutra GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 March 2025The Dutra Group contracted ESG to build a 10,464-cubic-yard trailing suction hopper dredge 'Adele' (later confirmed as 347 ft with 8,000 m³ hopper capacity, Royal IHC Beagle Mk2 design). Construction at ESG's Allanton and Port St. Joe facilities, scheduled for late 2028 delivery. Represents Dutra's largest ever capital investment and a commitment to supporting America's Jones Act fleet, U.S. shipyards, and national maritime security.
• Washington State FerriescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025WSF awarded ESG a $714.5M contract to build two 160-vehicle hybrid-electric ferries with an option for a third (first competitive bid for ferry construction in over 25 years). Vessels are 409'-6" LOA with 1,500-passenger capacity and 17-knot speed, to support WSF's $3.98B Ferry System Electrification plan. First vessel enters service in 2030, second in 2031.
• Haney Technical CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022ESG and Haney Technical College launched a Marine Electrician Apprenticeship Program to train skilled maritime workers, supporting the workforce 'BUILD' initiative for recruitment and retention.
• OneBloodminorOthers · 1 January 2008ESG has partnered with OneBlood for nearly 20 years (since 2008), hosting blood drives across its multiple facilities. As of 2026, ESG drives have resulted in 6,175 total blood donations impacting an estimated 18,525 lives in the community. Partnership reflects ESG's community engagement ethos.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Huntington Ingalls Industries: Largest U.S. military shipbuilder (Ingalls Shipbuilding, Newport News Shipbuilding). Builds National Security Cutters and destroyers; competes with ESG on large federal shipbuilding programs including Coast Guard recapitalization.
• General Dynamics NASSCO: Builds auxiliary ships (T-AO, T-EPF), tankers, and commercial cargo ships for the U.S. Navy and Jones Act commercial markets. Competes with ESG on large federal shipbuilding and Jones Act commercial programs.
• Fincantieri Marine Group: U.S. operations of Italian shipbuilding group Fincantieri, operating Marinette Marine (Freedom-class LCS) and Bay Shipbuilding. Direct competitor to ESG on Coast Guard and Navy surface combatant programs.

Direct peers

• Austal USA: Builds Independence-class Littoral Combat Ships and Expeditionary Fast Transport vessels for the U.S. Navy. Direct competitor to ESG on government military vessel construction at scale, with similar federal-contract-heavy business model.
• Bollinger Shipyards: Builds Fast Response Cutters (FRCs) for the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy patrol craft. Closest direct competitor on Coast Guard vessel programs and Jones Act-compliant patrol craft construction.
• Conrad Shipyard: Louisiana-based shipbuilder constructing harbor tugs, patrol boats, and offshore supply vessels. Competes with ESG on Coast Guard patrol craft and Jones Act-compliant tug/OSV construction.
• VT Halter Marine: Mississippi-based shipbuilder (ST Engineering subsidiary) building oceanographic vessels, offshore patrol vessels, and U.S. Navy support ships. Competes with ESG on government patrol and support vessel programs.
• Blount Boats: Rhode Island-based shipbuilder of ferries, small commercial vessels, and offshore support craft. Direct competitor to ESG on East Coast ferry construction and smaller commercial vessel builds.
• Metal Shark Boats: Louisiana-based aluminum shipbuilder producing patrol boats, ferries, and commercial vessels for government and commercial customers. Competes with ESG on Coast Guard patrol craft, ferries, and Jones Act workboats.

Regional players

• Vigor Industrial: Pacific Northwest shipbuilder focused on commercial fishing vessels, ferries (including Washington State Ferries), and barge construction. Competes with ESG on WSF ferry and Pacific commercial markets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/EasternShip
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/EasternShipbuilding
• Facebookfacebook.com/EasternShipbuilding
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eastern-shipbuilding-group

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Eastern Shipbuilding Group