Page 49: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (November 2026)

EASTERN SHIPBUILDING GROUP "You can't just take the model of South Korea and dump continue to exercise ? nancial discipline following the in- it over here and expect it to work," he said. dustry's downturn beginning in 2014, despite the advanc-

Greater shipbuilder control over design and supply ing age of their ? eets.

chains, he believes, would improve productivity while cre- Ultimately, he believes rebuilding American shipbuild- ating more opportunities to apply advanced manufactur- ing will require sustained investment, workforce develop- ing technology. ment and procurement reform across multiple administra- tions. "Strengthening the shipbuilding industrial base is a

Turning Policy Into Orders national security and economic security priority," he said.

Looking ahead, D'Isernia believes the renewed federal "It's not a partisan thing." commitment to shipbuilding must translate into economic For Eastern, the immediate priorities remain executing incentives that encourage commercial operators to replace its existing orderbook, improving productivity and main- aging vessels and expand their ? eets. taining the ? exibility to respond as markets develop.

Government shipbuilding can grow through increased The company's facilities may change considerably over appropriations and procurement. Commercial construc- the next ? ve years, depending on demand and the types of tion depends on vessel owners having suf? cient ? nancial vessels customers require. Its underlying business philoso- justi? cation to invest. phy, D'Isernia maintains, will remain consistent.

He believes meaningful subsidies, tax incentives and de- "We've been around for 50 years and we want to be here preciation bene? ts could help make ? eet recapitalization for at least 50 more years." economically viable, particularly for Jones Act operators. As Eastern enters its second half century, the opportu- "Washington is going to have to take a bigger risk on ship- nity is substantial. Whether the broader American ship- building," he said. building revival succeeds will depend less on the volume

Eastern sees potential across several commercial vessel of political announcements than on sustained investment, sectors, although offshore oil and gas remains relatively a stronger workforce and the ability of shipyards to deliver quiet. D'Isernia noted that many offshore vessel operators vessels ef? ciently and consistently.

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