Detyens Shipyards
Detyens Shipyards is a family-owned commercial shipyard in North Charleston, SC, providing drydocking, repair, and conversion services for commercial vessels, U.S. Navy Military Sealift Command ships, and international clients through four drydocks and 8,000+ feet of deep-water pier space.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1962
- HeadquartersNorth Charleston, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Detyens Shipyards does
Detyens Shipyards, Inc. is a privately held, family-owned commercial ship repair and drydocking facility headquartered in North Charleston, South Carolina. The company operates from a former U.S. Naval shipyard on the Cooper River acquired in 1996, providing four drydocks (three graving docks plus a floating drydock), more than 8,000 feet of deep-water pier space, 12 cranes with up to 60-ton capacity, and integrated machine, welding, pipe, electrical rewind, and enclosed paint shops. It serves U.S. Navy Military Sealift Command auxiliary vessels, commercial ship owners and operators (ferry, cargo, research, and maritime service), international clients via a global ship repair agent network, and Foreign Military Sales programs, employing 101-250 staff across skilled trades supported by an in-house apprenticeship program and an on-site medical center.
The company generates revenue on a project-based, quote-by-quote model through three primary streams: commercial ship repair and drydocking services, U.S. Navy Military Sealift Command firm-fixed-price contracts (with documented single-contract values of $12.5M-$15.8M), and international vessel repair work coordinated through regional ship repair agents. Distribution is exclusively direct: a Director of Sales and Marketing drives outbound enterprise sales to ship owners and government entities, while international agent partnerships extend reach to vessel operators in Europe and Asia. The company maintains active social media, email, and website presence but does not run paid digital acquisition; new business is generated primarily through reputation, repeat customers, and direct outreach. Proprietary operational differentiators include ultra high-pressure water blasting as a safer alternative to grit blasting, drone-based vessel inspection, and continuous 480V shore power up to 16,000 amps, complemented by 60+ years of operating history and a third-generation family leadership structure under President Loy Stewart Jr.
Detyens Shipyards firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Detyens Shipyards
- Legal name
- Detyens Shipyards, Inc.
- Website
- https://detyens.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1962
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Detyens Shipyards is a family-owned commercial shipyard in North Charleston, SC, providing drydocking, repair, and conversion services for commercial vessels, U.S. Navy Military Sealift Command ships, and international clients through four drydocks and 8,000+ feet of deep-water pier space.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Detyens Shipyards industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Ship Repair and Drydocking Services
- NAICS
- Ship Building and Repairing (336611)
- SIC
- Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Commercial Ship Repair & Drydocking (TLAKAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Dry Docks & Floating Docks (Graving, Floating, Syncrolift) (IMAJALAA), Heavy Lifting & Material Handling Infrastructure (Goliath Cranes, Jib Cranes, Hoists) (IMAJALAD), Yard Layout & Production Facilities (Assembly Bays, Block Fabrication Shops, Warehouses) (IMAJALAG), Mechanical Systems Repair (Engines, Propulsion, Pumps) (TLAKAKAF)
Keywords
Where Detyens Shipyards is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- North Charleston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Detyens Shipyards business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Ship Repair and Drydocking Services: Core revenue comes from drydocking, repairs, modifications, and conversions of commercial and government vessels. Services include routine maintenance, special surveys, emergency repairs, and full conversions. Revenue is project-based with contracts ranging from routine drydockings to major overhauls. The company operates on a per-project basis with pricing typically negotiated for each availability.
- U.S. Navy Military Sealift Command Contracts: Government contracting revenue through Military Sealift Command for regular overhauls and drydocking of Navy auxiliary vessels. Examples include USNS Lewis and Clark ($15.8M contract), USNS Patuxent ($12.5M contract), and USNS Choctaw overhaul. These are typically firm-fixed-price contracts with defined scopes and timelines.
- International Ship Repair: Revenue from servicing international vessels through their global agency network. The yard has successfully dry docked vessels from Germany, UK, Norway, Greece, Italy, Denmark, France, Cyprus, India, Japan, and Singapore.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Detyens Shipyards product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Detyens Shipyards is a family-owned commercial shipyard providing ship repair, drydocking, and marine maintenance services for commercial and government vessels. Operating from a North Charleston, South Carolina facility on the Cooper River, the yard utilizes four drydocks and over 8,000 feet of pier space to deliver vessel maintenance, hull work, mechanical services, and shipyard support. The company serves ship owners, operators, and the U.S. government with a vertically integrated portfolio of repair capabilities.
Product overview
Detyens Shipyards is a ship repair and service company offering a comprehensive suite of drydocking and maintenance services for commercial and government vessels. The core offering centers on four drydock facilities (three graving docks and one floating drydock), supported by extensive machine shops for welding, pipe fabrication, electrical rewinds, and precision machining. Additional services include marine painting and coating, hull and pipe shop work, crane and rigging operations, warehouse storage, and shore power capabilities. The company operates multiple piers with over 8,000 feet of deep-water capacity and maintains an on-site medical center for employee healthcare needs. Services are delivered through a combination of skilled tradespeople (welders, machinists, electricians, painters, riggers, carpenters) and specialized equipment including tower and gantry cranes with up to 60-ton capacity.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Ship Repair and Drydocking Services
- Machine Shop Services
- Crane and Rigging Services
- Marine Painting and Coating Services
- Hull and Pipe Shop Services
Quantifiable outcome
- 18-day drydocking turnaround demonstrated for Marine Atlantic Atlantic Vision ferry
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Detyens Shipyards
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Detyens Shipyards technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Detyens Shipyards partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Bay FerriescoreBay Ferries, a longstanding passenger vessel operator in Canada's Maritime provinces, operates the fast ferry Alakai (formerly USNS Puerto Rico) now marketed as 'The CAT' on the Portland-Yarmouth route. Detyens completed the refit of this vessel, which has become a flagship project showcasing the shipyard's ferry conversion capabilities.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Detyens Shipyards competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Norfolk Naval Shipyard: Government-operated naval shipyard in Portsmouth, VA handling submarine and surface ship overhaul. Sets the competitive benchmark for East Coast Navy repair work that Detyens' MSC contracts compete against.
- Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII): Largest U.S. military shipbuilder (Ingalls, Newport News) with growing repair footprint. Overlaps with Detyens on Navy auxiliary and surface ship repair, but operates at dramatically greater scale and capability.
- BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair: Larger incumbent operating Norfolk Naval Shipyard and commercial repair facilities. Competes head-to-head with Detyens for Navy MSC availabilities and East Coast commercial ship repair contracts, but at meaningfully greater scale.
Direct peers
- Metal Trades Inc. Charleston-area heavy industrial and marine services contractor with overlapping ship repair, fabrication, and machining capabilities serving the same Cooper River maritime industrial ecosystem.
- Colonna's Shipyard: East Coast commercial and government ship repair yard operating multiple drydocks in Norfolk, VA. Direct competitor for U.S. Navy MSC and commercial vessel repair work in the same Atlantic corridor as Detyens.
- Vigor Industrial: Major U.S. ship repair and conversion operator with multiple drydocks on the West Coast and Alaska. Closest U.S. private-sector peer in scale, service mix (commercial + government), and capital-intensive yard model.
- Atlantic Marine (Holdings): Group of East Coast commercial ship repair and marine services facilities. Directly comparable service offering and customer base in commercial vessel drydocking and repair.
- East Coast Repair & Fabrication: Mid-Atlantic commercial and government ship repair yard providing drydocking, machining, and fabrication services. Comparable in size and customer mix, competing for similar MSC and commercial availabilities.
- Conrad Shipyard: Louisiana-based shipbuilder and repair operator with barge and ocean-going vessel capabilities. Comparable private-sector yard competing for similar U.S. government auxiliary vessel and commercial repair workloads.
- Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding: Wisconsin-based shipbuilder and large-vessel repair yard owned by Italian shipbuilding group Fincantieri. Comparable in commercial ship repair, barge, and government auxiliary vessel work, though geographically distant.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Detyens Shipyards social profiles
Digital presenceDetyens Shipyards financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Detyens Shipyards leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Detyens Shipyards funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Detyens Shipyards M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Detyens Shipyards
What does Detyens Shipyards do?
Detyens Shipyards is a family-owned commercial shipyard providing ship repair, drydocking, and marine maintenance services for commercial and government vessels. Operating from a North Charleston, South Carolina facility on the Cooper River, the yard utilizes four drydocks and over 8,000 feet of pier space to deliver vessel maintenance, hull work, mechanical services, and shipyard support. The company serves ship owners, operators, and the U.S. government with a vertically integrated portfolio of repair capabilities.
Is Detyens Shipyards a public or private company?
Detyens Shipyards is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Detyens Shipyards founded?
Detyens Shipyards was founded in 1962. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Detyens Shipyards based?
Detyens Shipyards is headquartered in North Charleston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Detyens Shipyards make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Ship Repair and Drydocking Services are the primary driver. The others are U.S. Navy Military Sealift Command Contracts and international Ship Repair.
Who are Detyens Shipyards's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) and BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair. Direct peers are Metal Trades Inc., Colonna's Shipyard, Vigor Industrial, Atlantic Marine (Holdings), East Coast Repair & Fabrication, Conrad Shipyard and Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding.
Does Detyens Shipyards have an API?
No public API is recorded for Detyens Shipyards.
What industry is Detyens Shipyards in?
Detyens Shipyards's product category is Ship Repair and Drydocking Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAKAKAA, Commercial Ship Repair & Drydocking, with a secondary code of IMAJALAA, Dry Docks & Floating Docks (Graving, Floating, Syncrolift). Its NAICS code is 336611 and its SIC code is 3730.