Steiner Shipyard

What Steiner Shipyard does

Steiner Shipyard (legal entity Steiner Shipbuilding Inc., DBA Steiner Shipyard) is a third-generation, family-owned commercial shipbuilder located in Bayou La Batre, Alabama, operating since 1954. The company designs and builds custom steel and aluminum vessels — including push boats, Z-drive and ASD tractor tugs, offshore supply vessels, passenger and vehicle ferries, and commercial fishing trawlers — and provides full-service repair and conversion capabilities supported by an on-site 440-ton Marine Travelift across a 35+ acre waterfront facility. Over 500 vessels have been delivered to customers in the United States and internationally across the past five decades.

The company serves enterprise and government buyers primarily through direct B2B sales, with a customer roster anchored by long-tenured relationships such as Sahlman Seafood (since 1972), Seacor Marine (since 1988), the State of North Carolina Ferry Division (since 1992), American Electric Power (since 1993), Southern Towing (since 2007), Crescent Towing (since 2014), and Florida Marine Transporters (since 2018). Revenue is generated through one-time custom construction contracts, professional services for repair and conversion, and periodic sales of pre-built vessels, with the majority of business derived from repeat customers. In 2019 ownership passed from Russell Steiner to his daughter Tara Steiner Marshall, who rebranded the entity as Steiner Shipbuilding Inc. and continues operations as a woman-owned business with 51-100 employees. The company has no external institutional investment, no disclosed AI/technology initiatives beyond its physical shipbuilding assets, and limited public-facing digital presence beyond its corporate website.

Name

Steiner Shipyard

Legal name

Steiner Shipbuilding Inc.

Website

https://steinershipyard.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Steiner Shipyard is a third-generation, family-owned Bayou La Batre shipbuilder that designs and constructs custom steel and aluminum commercial vessels — ferries, push boats, tugs, OSVs, and fishing trawlers — and provides repair and conversion services to government and enterprise maritime customers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Shipbuilding

NAICS

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

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Landing Craft & Amphibious Workboats (LCM/LCT-style, Beaching Craft) (IMAJADAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mechanical Systems Repair (Engines, Propulsion, Pumps) (TLAKAKAF), Hull, Structure & Steelwork Repair (TLAKAKAE), Underwater Hull Inspection, Cleaning & Propeller Services (TLAKAKAJ)

Keywords

• Commercial shipbuilding
• Vessel new construction
• Ship repair services
• Marine vessel conversions
• Steel aluminum boats

Headquarters

HQ city

Bayou La Batre

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

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. Custom Vessel New Construction: Design and build custom steel or aluminum vessels including passenger/cargo ferries, push boats, offshore supply vessels, and commercial fishing trawlers. One-time custom construction contracts with delivery worldwide.
2. Vessel Repair and Conversion Services: Full service shipyard offering repair and conversion capabilities including ABS and USCG inspections, underwater inspections, blasting and painting, steel replacement, and subcontractor services (electrical, HVAC, carpentry, machine work, propeller work).
3. Vessel Sales: Pre-built vessels offered for sale to customers. Examples include MV Revival, Mirage, and SUN IV.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Steiner Shipyard is a family-owned shipyard in Bayou La Batre, Alabama that designs and builds new steel and aluminum commercial vessels — work boats (push boats, escort tugs, offshore supply vessels), passenger and cargo ferries, and commercial fishing trawlers — for delivery worldwide. The yard also provides full-service vessel repair and conversion capabilities (ABS/USCG inspections, blasting, painting, steel replacement, and subcontracted electrical, HVAC, carpentry, machine, and propeller work) using an on-site 440-ton Marine Travelift, and occasionally offers pre-built vessels for sale.

Product overview

Steiner Shipyard is a family-owned and operated shipyard offering three core service areas: New Construction (building steel and aluminum vessels including work boats/push boats, escort tugs, offshore supply vessels, passenger/vehicle ferries, and commercial fishing trawlers), Repairs and Conversions (utilizing an on-site Marine Travelift for haul out, with services including ABS/USCG inspections, blasting, painting, and steel work), and Vessels for Sale (pre-owned vessels previously built by the shipyard). The company has built over 500 vessels delivered worldwide, including notable projects like the Black Pearl for Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• New Construction Vessels Custom new construction of steel or aluminum commercial vessels, including work boats (push boats, escort tugs), passenger/cargo and vehicle ferries, offshore supply vessels, and commercial fishing trawlers, designed and built to customer specifications for delivery worldwide. Targeted at government ferry divisions, towing operators, offshore marine service companies, and commercial fishing fleets.
• Repairs and Conversions

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 500 vessels built and delivered worldwide over 50+ years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Bollinger Shipyards: Louisiana-headquartered shipyard with multiple yards building push boats, tugboats, offshore supply vessels, and government vessels. Larger-scale direct competitor with overlapping customer base in towing and offshore marine services.
• Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding: Somerset, Massachusetts shipyard building commercial vessels including pilot boats, patrol boats, and ferries. Comparable as a small-to-mid custom commercial vessel builder serving government and commercial customers.
• Foss Maritime Company: Pacific Northwest-based operator and builder of tugboats, barges, and assist tugs. Overlaps with Steiner in the towing/escort tug segment and shares focus on harbor and inland waterway customers.
• Eastern Shipbuilding Group: Panama City, Florida shipyard building offshore patrol vessels, offshore supply vessels, and commercial fishing vessels. Comparable in vessel types and customer verticals, particularly commercial fishing and offshore.
• Master Boat Builders: Coden, Alabama-based family-owned shipyard building commercial vessels including push boats, tugboats, and offshore supply vessels. Direct competitor in the same Gulf Coast small-to-mid shipyard segment serving similar towing and offshore customers.

Others

• Allred Terminal Co. / Mobile Marine: Gulf Coast marine services and small-craft operator serving Alabama shipyards with complementary services such as vessel logistics and marine support. Tangentially related ecosystem participant.

Broad incumbents

• VT Halter Marine: Pascagoula, Mississippi shipyard (Vision Technologies Systems subsidiary) building military, government, and commercial vessels including offshore supply and patrol boats. Much larger incumbent with overlapping vessel types and government customer base.
• Gulf Island Shipyards: Texas and Louisiana-headquartered publicly-traded shipbuilder serving offshore oil & gas, government, and commercial markets. Overlaps with Steiner in OSV new construction and offshore services but at substantially larger scale.

Emerging players

• C & G Boat Works: Small family-owned shipyard in Mobile, Alabama building commercial vessels and providing repair services. Closely comparable in size, ownership structure, and Gulf Coast commercial vessel market.

Regional players

• Pacific Shipyards International: Honolulu-based shipyard serving the Hawaii and Pacific region with vessel construction, repair, and conversion. Comparable in service mix but geographically focused on the Pacific rather than Gulf Coast markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Steiner Shipyard