South MS shipbuilder has added jobs and now lands contract worth billions
Bollinger Shipyards pledged it would keep the 900 jobs when it bought VT Halter Marine in November 2022, and since then, it has added more workers and just landed a huge government contract.
Earlier this year, Bollinger received a $951.6 million contract modification to advance construction of a U.S. Coast Guard’s Polar Security Cutter, the first American-built heavy icebreaker in nearly 50 years.
The company announced Tuesday the funding is in place to build all three vessels, with $4.3 billion for the advanced procurement and construction of vessels two and three included in the recently enacted “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”
“This is more than a funding milestone — it’s a vote of confidence in American industrial capability and in Bollinger’s proven ability to deliver,” said Ben Bordelon, president and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards.
Bollinger acquired the PSC program from Singapore-based ST Engineering when it bought VT Halter Marine, and the program faced schedule delays, cost overruns, and incomplete concept design.
“We took on a troubled program knowing the stakes were high,” he said. “Since day one, our team has been laser-focused on restoring momentum, rebuilding trust and delivering results.”
The cutters will operate in the most extreme polar environments, said Bollinger, the largest privately owned and operated shipbuilder in the country.
Most of the work will be done at Bollinger Mississippi Shipbuilding in Jackson County, with additional project contributions from facilities in Massachusetts, Illinois, Virginia, Georgia, Louisiana and other regions. Completion of the first Polar Security Cutter is expected by May 2030.
In less than three years since buying VT Halter, Bollinger has expanded the workforce and invested $76 million in its Mississippi facilities: Bollinger Mississippi Shipbuilding, Bollinger Mississippi Repair, Bollinger Gulfport Shipyard and CHAND Gulf Coast.
Its Mississippi workforce has grown by 61%, with production roles at BMS alone increasing by more than 178%, the company said.
More employees are expected to be hired as the program reaches full production over the coming years, the company said, and its innovative bootcamp workforce development programs continue to strengthen the skilled labor force.
“We’re not just building ships — we’re building capability, security, and opportunity for generations to come,” Bordelon said. “We are committed to providing high-quality careers that positively impact the families and communities we support along Mississippi’s Gulf Coast.”
