Port Authority applauds new business for local shipbuilding company

TAMPA, Fla.—The Tampa Port Authority (TPA) is pleased that Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO), parent company of Tampa Ship LLC—the port’s largest partners specializing in shipbuilding and repair—has announced major plans to expand its fleet and enlarge some of its facilities.

Tampa Ship LLC is one of four U.S. affiliate shipyard sites that will construct a portion of 40 new, state-of-the art offshore service and support vessels. Construction will also take place at North American Shipbuilding (Larose, La.), LaShip (Houma, La.), Gulf Ship (Gulfport, Miss.), and at its Brazilian shipyard, Navship.

Tampa Ship is the oldest and largest shipbuilding and repair operation at the Port of Tampa. Combined, the port’s four shipbuilding and repair companies comprise the largest such hub between Pascagoula, Miss., and Norfolk, Va. Moreover, this vital industry adds to Tampa’s diversity of business lines, which has continued to strengthen the port and has given momentum to the port’s exciting and dynamic capital project plans.

“We at the Port of Tampa are extremely pleased to see this tremendous new business opportunity come to our friends at Tampa Ship, the largest shipbuilding and repair company at the port. Ship building and repair have played a vital role in the economic impact here in the Tampa Bay region. For more than sixty years, Tampa Ship has provided a strong and unique array of services at the port, and I know they will continue to be a leader in the industry for decades to come,” Paul Anderson, port CEO, said.

One of the nation’s largest and most cargo-diverse seaports, the Port of Tampa is the largest economic engine in west-central Florida, supporting about 80,000 jobs and generating $15.1 billion in annual economic impact. According to the port’s recently completed economic impact study, shipbuilding and repair at the Port of Tampa equates to 3,119 jobs; $151.9 million in wages and salaries; and $174.7 million in overall economic impact annually. For more information about the Port of Tampa, visit www.tampaport.com.