Ingalls Shipbuilding
Ingalls Shipbuilding Company has been in operation since 1938, and is Mississippi's largest private employer, with a work force of 10,900. In 1977, it reached its peak employment level of about 25,000 people. It is located in Pascagoula, MS and has a great reputation as one of the most credible and reliable ship building companies of its time. They specialize mostly in the design, construction, engineering and modernization of combatant ships for the US Navy, in addition to some private commercial work.
Ingalls Shipbuilding Company is responsible for building a wide variety of commercial ships and other structures throughout its history. These ships include seagoing hopper dredges, oil tankers, tow-boats, off-shore cargo vessels as well as oil supply boats. In the 1950's, the company changed some of its shipbuilding capabilities from the production of commercial vessels to focus on building ships for the US Navy's combat fleet. During this decade, they also received their first contract to build twelve nuclear-powered attack submarines for the US Navy. Before being decommissioned in 1980, they had built 11 US Navy attack submarines.
By the end of the First World War, Pascagoula began to flourish in the shipbuilding industry. Just like most shipyards at the time, production increased dramatically during World War II. People from across the country began flocking to Pascagoula to find jobs at the yard. Additionally, the Cold War brought about several government contracts, keeping business at a relatively stable level. At this point, Ingalls no longer relied on commercial contracts, and were focusing solely on providing ships for the US Navy.
In 1961, Litton Industries acquired Ingalls. Seven years later, Ingalls Shipbuilding started the construction of a new shipyard. Since 1975, Ingalls has produced 76 new major surface warships for the US Navy, including the amphibious assault ships, submarine tenders, destroyers, ammunition ships as well as nuclear submarines. In addition to shipbuilding, Ingalls has been involved in the drilling rig construction business since the 1950's. In fact, they are still producing these rigs at an incredible rate today. During the course of the 1980's, they built many commercial ships, including 12 jackup drilling rigs, 4 submersible drilling rigs as well as a self-unloading cement barge. They were also responsible for producing thousands upon thousands of railroad hopper cars. During 1996, Ingalls delivered 40 hopper barges to Parker Towing Company.
In 1998, Ingalls Shipbuilding Company signed a contract with Zentech which permitted the yard to market their design for a deepwater jackup drilling rig. Since then, this drilling rig has been used and will continue to be used for many different drilling assignments at Ingalls. In the same year, they signed a contract with Searex, Inc which was worth $30 million, and required Ingalls to build four 154 foot multipurpose offshore service jackup vessels. Since then, the yard continues to be provided with contracts from other commercial and offshore markets, making it one of the most profitable shipyards in the United States.
However, like many of the shipbuilding companies of the time, Ingalls Shipbuilding used asbestos in many of their ships. Before the 1980's, the adverse health effects of asbestos were not yet known. However, it became apparent that when asbestos particles become airborne, they can be extremely dangerous if inhaled. These particles become lodged in the lining of the lungs and other parts of the body, which can lead to both asbestosis and mesothelioma.
Today, there are countless lawsuits against shipbuilding companies that used asbestos in their products without protecting their employees from the harmful effects of the substance. While advancements in medicine occur every day, there is still no known cure for either mesothelioma or asbestosis. If you or a loved one has been exposed to asbestos it is best to visit your physician to aid in early detection of these illnesses.
