Gulf Copper and Manufacturing
Gulf Copper and Manufacturing is a U.S. ship repair, fabrication, and shipbuilding company based in Galveston and Port Arthur, Texas, serving the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, and Gulf Coast commercial vessel operators under Davie Defense ownership.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1951
- HeadquartersHouston, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Gulf Copper and Manufacturing does
Gulf Copper and Manufacturing Corporation is a U.S. ship repair, fabrication, and marine services company headquartered at 2920 Todd Road, Galveston, Texas, with a secondary facility in Port Arthur. Founded in 1948–1951 and historically focused on Gulf Coast vessel repair and refurbishment for commercial and government operators, the company is being repositioned as the U.S. manufacturing base for Chantier Davie Canada Inc. (operating as Davie Defense) following a December 2025 acquisition of its shipbuilding assets.
The company's core capabilities are organized around three service lines: new construction, metal fabrication, and repair and refurbishment. Under Davie Defense ownership, Gulf Copper is executing an approximately $1 billion modernization of its Galveston and Port Arthur shipyards to produce Arctic Security Cutters for the U.S. Coast Guard under a $3.5 billion, five-vessel contract (three cutters at Gulf Copper, two at affiliate Helsinki Shipyard in Finland), with first delivery targeted for 2028. Additional shipbuilding work flows in through HII's distributed shipbuilding network across 11 states and 25 locations.
Commercially, Gulf Copper earns revenue from long-cycle federal shipbuilding contracts (Coast Guard, Navy), time-and-materials or fixed-price ship repair work for commercial and government vessels in the Gulf Coast region, and offshore wind supply-chain contributions. Customers are concentrated in U.S. federal defense and maritime agencies, supplemented by regional commercial marine operators. The company has positioned itself as the "American Icebreaker Factory," with workforce development (apprenticeship program with Lamar State College Port Arthur, backed by U.S. Department of Labor funding) and a Texas Enterprise Fund grant of $21.7 million supporting the modernization program.
Gulf Copper and Manufacturing firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Gulf Copper and Manufacturing
- Legal name
- Gulf Copper & Manufacturing Corporation
- Website
- https://gulfcopper.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1951
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Gulf Copper and Manufacturing is a U.S. ship repair, fabrication, and shipbuilding company based in Galveston and Port Arthur, Texas, serving the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, and Gulf Coast commercial vessel operators under Davie Defense ownership.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Gulf Copper and Manufacturing industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Shipbuilding and Marine Services
- NAICS
- Ship Building and Repairing (336611), Ship and Boat Building (33661), Ship and Boat Building (3366)
- SIC
- Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Commercial Ship Repair & Drydocking (TLAKAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Hull & Structural Repair (Steel/Aluminum, Plate Renewal, Coatings Prep) (TLAHAMAB), Steel Fabrication & Marine Engineering (Custom Fabrication, Modifications, Conversions) (TLAHAMAH), Hull, Structure & Steelwork Repair (TLAKAKAE), Surface Combatants (Destroyers, Frigates, Corvettes) (IMAJABAA)
Keywords
Where Gulf Copper and Manufacturing is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Houston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Gulf Copper and Manufacturing business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Operations
Revenue model
- Defense Shipbuilding Contracts: Government contracts for construction of U.S. Coast Guard Arctic Security Cutters. Part of $3.5 billion contract for five vessels, with $1 billion in U.S. shipbuilding infrastructure investment.
- Ship Repair and Marine Services: Traditional ship repair, refurbishment, and marine services for commercial and government vessels operating in Gulf Coast region. Core business for over 75 years.
- Offshore Wind Supply Chain: Supply chain contributions to offshore wind sector including vessel construction and services for wind farm development projects
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Government defense contracts - pricing through federal procurement |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Gulf Copper and Manufacturing product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Gulf Copper and Manufacturing provides ship repair, marine fabrication, and new vessel construction services from facilities in Galveston and Port Arthur, Texas. The company is repositioning its traditional ship repair business into large-scale icebreaker construction, building three of five U.S. Coast Guard Arctic Security Cutters under a $3.5 billion federal contract via its parent Davie Defense.
Product overview
Gulf Copper is a ship repair and marine services company with over 75 years of industry experience, now expanding into new ship construction. The company operates facilities in Galveston and Port Arthur, Texas, and is transitioning from its traditional ship repair and fabrication services to become a builder of U.S. Coast Guard Arctic Security Cutters. The product portfolio centers on New Construction (Arctic Security Cutters), Fabrication, and Repair & Refurbishment services, all integrated under the Davie Defense partnership to enable complex shipbuilding on the Texas Gulf Coast for the first time in decades.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- New Construction
Quantifiable outcome
- First Arctic Security Cutter delivery expected in 2028
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Gulf Copper and Manufacturing
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Gulf Copper and Manufacturing technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Gulf Copper and Manufacturing partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Helsinki ShipyardcoreDavie Defense affiliate Helsinki Shipyard in Finland will construct two Arctic Security Cutters while Gulf Copper's Texas facilities will build three, enabling technology transfer and expertise sharing for arctic shipbuilding capabilities. First vessels built in Finland before construction shifts to Texas facilities.
- HII (Huntington Ingalls Industries)coreGulf Copper is part of HII's distributed shipbuilding strategy, receiving outsourced shipbuilding work through partner network across 11 states and 25 locations. HII plans to outsource more than 2.5 million hours of shipbuilding work in 2026 through partners including Gulf Copper.
- Lamar State College Port ArthurcorePartnership to launch shipbuilding apprenticeship program training students in pipe fitting, plate fitting, and welding. Program combines classroom instruction and on-the-job experience, funded by U.S. Department of Labor at no cost to students. Aims to address nationwide shortage of 25,000 skilled craft workers.
- Davie DefensecoreDavie Defense acquired Gulf Copper's shipbuilding assets in Galveston and Port Arthur, Texas, completing the transaction on December 2, 2025 after CFIUS clearance. The acquisition positions Gulf Copper as the U.S. manufacturing base for Davie Defense's icebreaker production, with Gulf Copper facilities building three Arctic Security Cutters under the $3.5 billion Coast Guard contract.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Gulf Copper and Manufacturing competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Customer concentration
Gulf Copper and Manufacturing social profiles
Digital presenceGulf Copper and Manufacturing financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Gulf Copper and Manufacturing leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Gulf Copper and Manufacturing funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Gulf Copper and Manufacturing 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 Gulf Copper and Manufacturing
What does Gulf Copper and Manufacturing do?
Gulf Copper and Manufacturing provides ship repair, marine fabrication, and new vessel construction services from facilities in Galveston and Port Arthur, Texas. The company is repositioning its traditional ship repair business into large-scale icebreaker construction, building three of five U.S. Coast Guard Arctic Security Cutters under a $3.5 billion federal contract via its parent Davie Defense.
Is Gulf Copper and Manufacturing a public or private company?
Gulf Copper and Manufacturing is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Gulf Copper and Manufacturing founded?
Gulf Copper and Manufacturing was founded in 1951. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Gulf Copper and Manufacturing based?
Gulf Copper and Manufacturing is headquartered in Houston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Gulf Copper and Manufacturing make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Defense Shipbuilding Contracts are the primary driver. The others are ship Repair and Marine Services and offshore Wind Supply Chain.
Does Gulf Copper and Manufacturing have an API?
No public API is recorded for Gulf Copper and Manufacturing.
What industry is Gulf Copper and Manufacturing in?
Gulf Copper and Manufacturing's product category is Shipbuilding and Marine Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAKAKAA, Commercial Ship Repair & Drydocking, with a secondary code of TLAHAMAB, Hull & Structural Repair (Steel/Aluminum, Plate Renewal, Coatings Prep). Its NAICS code is 336611 and its SIC code is 3730.