Pascagoula is now being referred to as the “icebreaker capital of the world,” following the White House’s announcement on Thursday to expand forces in the Arctic region.
Bollinger Shipyards, which has a location in Pascagoula along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, will play a key role in what’s being called the “ICE Pact” between the U.S., Canada, and Finland. The pact will contribute capacity and know-hows for building polar icebreakers and to counter the presence of U.S. adversaries in the area surrounding the North Pole. Bollinger is the only American builder of heavy polar icebreakers, which will be necessary through the agreement.
Pascagoula, MS is now the icebreaker capital of the world! Proud to support the United States and our allies by engineering and constructing American-made, state-of-the-art icebreakers to strengthen the polar capabilities of the US and our allies.https://t.co/E66WYwW2yO pic.twitter.com/86UNOEE5cq
— Bollinger Shipyards (@BollingerShip) July 11, 2024
“As the premiere builder of American-made polar icebreakers, Bollinger Shipyards is proud to support the United States and our NATO allies with our deep expertise and capacity,” Bollinger President and CEO Ben Bordelon said.
“We have made, and will continue to make, significant, long-term investments in our facilities, infrastructure, and workforce. Our goal is to create a world-class American-owned shipyard capable of producing the first fleet of American-made polar icebreakers in over a half century, and we’re honored that responsibility lies with Bollinger.”
Bollinger, which recently became the first and only shipbuilder in the U.S. to engineer and construct a heavy polar icebreaker in over 50 years, is under contract to build a ship called the Polar Security Cutter heavy polar icebreaker for the U.S. Coast Guard.
Earlier this year, Bollinger’s Pascagoula workforce exceeded 1,000 employees – a massive turnaround in comparison to declining employment under the facility’s previous owner. Since purchasing the Mississippi Gulf Coast location in 2022, Bollinger has invested more than $40 million in infrastructure, technology, and personnel.
