Detyens Shipyards

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.

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

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

• Commercial ship repair
• Vessel drydocking services
• Marine maintenance services
• Hull fabrication services
• Naval vessel overhauls

Headquarters

HQ city

North Charleston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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

Core 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

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Bay FerriescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2016Bay 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

Broad 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

• Xx.com/DetyenShipyards
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC_F3VZrfUnoKZx9si1yX5Zg
• Facebookweb.facebook.com/DetyensShipyards
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/detyensshipyards
• Instagraminstagram.com/detyens_shipyards

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Detyens Shipyards