(BRIDGEPORT, Conn.) — Hornblower Group has announced the expansion of its facilities and extensive offerings on the Bridgeport waterfront, building on the firm’s commitment to the region while growing from 1 acre to 17 acres with equipment and crew offering services across vessel classes and specializations, now including yachts and recreational craft.
The expanded location at 731 Seaview Ave. will now be called Steelpointe Shipyard by Hornblower, reflecting the new scale and capabilities of the full-service shipyard and Hornblower’s long-term commitment to building on Bridgeport’s central location, experienced workforce, and maritime legacy to serve the growing maritime industry across the East Coast.
“Hornblower is excited to extensively expand our Bridgeport, Conn., footprint and community impact by pairing our 100-year history in the maritime industry with the unique features and benefits of such an historic port,” said Shull Autin, chief maritime officer, Hornblower Group. “With this tremendous expansion in available facility space and equipment capabilities, Steelpointe Shipyard by Hornblower will serve as the East Coast’s new hub for maritime expertise and service across commercial, government, and private vessel operators.”
With its expansion, Steelpointe Shipyard by Hornblower now includes 45,000 square feet of indoor space, three large-scale Marine Travelifts capable of hauling vessels up to 700 tons, a 220-foot service dock, and an array of skilled tradespeople across welding and metal fabrication, joinery and outfitting, piping, mechanics, electrical and painting.
This unique array of equipment, expert staff across specializations, and deepwater access to Long Island Sound makes Steelpointe Shipyard by Hornblower the industry’s premier facility capable of leveraging integrated, onsite vessel design and engineering teams to execute complex projects on time and on budget. Across the site, Hornblower Marine will continue to provide simultaneous vessel servicing, pre-scheduled overhauls and maintenance, emergency repairs, and complex projects for Hornblower’s clientele of high-profile public and private third-party clients, as well as yacht owners, captains and operators.
“As our crew has grown since the local launch of Hornblower Marine in 2021, Bridgeport and the surrounding communities have been a pivotal component in our shared successes developing the industry’s premier facilities and capabilities for innovative maritime projects from across the country,” said Junior Volpe, senior vice president of vessel construction and repair, Hornblower Marine. “Today’s announcement builds on this strong foundation to establish the next phase of maritime innovation and careers in Bridgeport while offering premier, industry-leading services to vessel owners of all backgrounds and sizes.”
“This expansion represents a big step forward in Hornblower’s ability to deliver a truly integrated maritime service offering at one of the East Coast’s premier deepwater ports, centrally located in some of the country’s largest maritime markets,” said Timothy O’Brien, senior vice president of ferries and concessions operations, Hornblower Group. “We are proud to work with property owners RCI and the Christoph family to maximize the use of this premier facility.”
Within Steelpointe Shipyard, Hornblower Marine offers these extensive services across six specialized divisions to provide each client with project- and vessel-specific solutions. These divisions include Hornblower Marine Construction, Propulsion, Management, Consulting, Services, and Yachts.
– Hornblower Group
