In a strategic move announced June 11, Davie Shipbuilding-owned by UK-based Inocea-plans to acquire Gulf Copper’s shipyard assets in Galveston and Port Arthur, Texas, with the deal expected to close in summer 2025 and trigger a $1 billion investment to modernize facilities and create approximately 4,000 U.S. jobs. James Davies, Davie’s CEO, emphasized their ambition “to make Texas a world-class hub for American icebreaker and complex ship production,” while Gulf Copper’s Steve Hale noted the revival of “complex shipbuilding…for the first time in decades” in the region.
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With the U.S. operating only three Arctic-ready icebreakers-far fewer than Russia—this expansion aligns with bipartisan support under the Shipbuilding and Harbor Infrastructure for Prosperity and Security for America Act and the trilateral ICE Pact with Canada and Finland. Davie’s acquisition builds on its expertise from Helsinki and Quebec shipyards, offering ready-to-deploy icebreaker designs that can accelerate U.S. Arctic fleet expansion and strengthen national security.