Mobile County Boat Builder Expanding in Coden
By: Dale Hines
Blue RAM Media/Gulf Coast News
December 3, 2025
CODEN, Ala. A well-known boat builder, Master Boat Builders, Inc. (“Master Boat”) announced on Tuesday that they to build a new $60 million, 150,000 sq ft manufacturing facility dedicated exclusively to government and defense shipbuilding programs.
The boat builder once known for building shrimp boats and other utility vessels has in recent years begun contracting to build national security related vessels.
Master Boat Builders is currently located in Mobile County and the new facility will be located directly across Bayou Coden from the company’s existing yard.
According to the company, the new 20 acre site represents a major investment in the Gulf Coast’s role as a hub for U.S. defense shipbuilding and answers President Trump’s call to expand domestic capacity to meet national security needs.
“This new facility is about building more capability here at home,” said Garrett Rice, President, Master Boat Builders. “By dedicating an entire yard to defense programs, we’re creating the capacity and flexibility needed to deliver for all of our customers and supporting the nation’s call for a stronger, more resilient maritime industrial base.”
Master Boat is partnering with Thompson Engineering and RJ Baggett on the design, engineering and construction of the facility. The new facility will feature a state-of-the-art assembly building with approximately 150,000 square feet of covered manufacturing space optimized for serial production, enabling the erection of steel and aluminum ships, as well as efficient fabrication and assembly of complex modules for Navy and Coast Guard programs, including the U.S. Navy’s Landing Craft Utility (LCU) program through Master Boat Builders’ recently announced strategic outsourcing agreement with Austal USA. Master Boat also plans to pursue additional government programs, including the Domestic Icebreaker program for the U.S. Coast Guard.
The site will also include expanded workforce training areas to develop the next generation of Gulf Coast shipbuilders and modern infrastructure to support modular construction techniques.
Work to clear the 20-acre site began last month, with construction of the facility to take approximately 18 to 24 months. While the facility is under construction, LCU modules will be fabricated at Master Boat’s existing facility.
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