Shipbuilding & Repairing

Brief Excerpt from Industry Overview Chapter:

Companies in this industry build and repair barges, cargo ships, naval vessels, and passenger ships, as well as platforms used for oil and gas drilling and production. Major companies include the shipbuilding division of General Dynamics and Huntington Ingalls (both based in the US), along with China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation and China State Shipbuilding Corporation (China); Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, Hyundai Heavy Industries, and Samsung Heavy Industries (all of South Korea); and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (Japan).

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand for military shipbuilding is largely determined by military budgets. Commercial shipbuilding demand is determined by international and domestic trade, the health of the global economy, and rate of fleet replacement due to age or obsolescence. Small companies usually specialize in building and repair of small commercial vessels. Large companies tend to offer a wide range of building and repair services for both commercial and military vessels, and enjoy economies of scale in purchasing, design, and manufacturing. The US industry is highly concentrated: the largest 50 companies account for about 90% of revenue.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Revenue is generated by designing and constructing new ships including military vessels (about 50% of industry revenue), ship modification (more than 30%), and manufacturing of self-propelled vessels (about 10%). Other products include yachts, support vessels, tugboats, towboats, and ferry boats.