Bath Iron Works (BIW), a subsidiary of General Dynamics Marine Systems, is a shipyard in Maine where workers manufacture components and design and build vessels, primarily for the U.S. Navy. It traces its roots back to a brass and iron foundry opened in Bath, Maine, in 1826. After serving with the 20th Maine Regiment during the Civil War, Brigadier General Thomas Worcester Hyde took over the facility. He named it Bath Iron Foundry in 1865, before incorporating under its current name about 20 years later.
After acquiring Goss Marine Iron Works in 1888, the company expanded into steel shipbuilding. It delivered its first ship, a coastal passenger vessel named Cottage City, to the Maine Steamship Co. two years later, and its first U.S. Navy vessel, a patrol gunboat called the USS Machias, three years after that. Since then, the company has won more than 425 shipbuilding contracts, including for over half of the Navy’s primary surface combatants, the Arleigh Burke-class Aegis destroyers. As President Chuck Krugh said, “We strive to be worthy of the reputation of a Bath-Built ship, by demonstrating our commitment to Safely Executing High-Quality Work every day.”
BIW’s impact on Maine is enormous. It is the largest design and engineering company north of Boston and the largest manufacturer in Maine. The two major manufacturing sites in the Bath-Brunswick region include an outfit fabrication facility, where it produces steel sheets, pipes, and ventilation, and a structural fabrication facility, where the steel is welded into ship components. BIW assembles the ships at the shipyard on the Kennebec River. Additionally, a Surface Ship Support Center supports naval vessels with engineering and logistics solutions.
Photo Courtesy General Dynamics Bath Iron Works
“Our shipbuilders drive Maine’s economy,” the company wrote. In 2023 alone, it generated more than $2.5 billion in economic output, and it pays over $65 million in state and local taxes each year. Notably, it paid $7.6 million to Bath, accounting for one-third of its total tax base, and more than $1 million to Brunswick that year. The company highlights the importance of these tax payments in a report: “The combined tax revenues for the state and local communities from BIW operations is at least 12 times the value of the tax credit BIW has qualified for under the state’s shipbuilding facilities program.” BIW also heavily supports local suppliers: it spent $117 million with 285 Maine suppliers and vendors in 2023 alone, and $9 million with local businesses in Bath and Brunswick.
Its investments in shipyard improvements have gone a long way in stimulating the local economy. Between 2018 and 2023, BIW invested $375 million in shipyard improvements. For example, the company has been undertaking a modernization project at the shipyard, which has thus far included the construction of a modern Trades Learning Center, a new Kitting Terminal, a new main gate, and an addition to the Assembly Building.
Photo Courtesy General Dynamics Bath Iron Works
BIW is also the largest employer in Bath and one of the top three in Brunswick, with employees from every county in the state. In 2023, it supported 6,700 direct jobs, representing 12.4% of Maine’s manufacturing workforce, and an additional 7,500 indirect jobs. This employment generated $447 million in employee salaries and wages, with total direct, indirect, and induced wages reaching $800 million.
Beyond wages, it also invests locally and partners with area businesses to support employees with childcare, housing, and transportation. For example, in 2024, BIW collaborated with Bath Area Family YMCA on converting an old medical facility into a new childcare center in Brunswick for the shipyard workers’ children. “The benefits of this childcare center will extend far into the future. We’re not just building ships, we are sustaining families and building future shipbuilders,” Krugh reflected.
Last year, with funding from the U.S. Navy, it broke ground on a workforce housing development in Bath, consisting of 84 apartments that will be ready by next year. Arleigh Burke class destroyer (DDG 51) Program Manager Captain Jay Young reflected, “Our investments in the ‘City of Ships’ reflect our commitment to this community and recognize its dedication to our nation’s security. Access to affordable housing will empower the next generation of shipbuilders to make Bath their home.” This contribution is especially significant given a 300% increase in statewide housing costs since 2016. The company also partnered with the Greater Portland Transit District to expand commuter bus service between Portland and Bath, making it easier for workers to reach the shipyard. It even paid for 2 months of free transit.
Photo Courtesy General Dynamics Bath Iron Works
BIW is equally committed to workforce development, contributing to skilled training, on which it spent $118 million between 2016 and 2023. The company supports career discovery programs for high school students and offers paid summer internships to college students. One intern, Evan Allen, reflected, “When working at BIW, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride knowing that the work I was doing helps the U.S. Navy defend and protect America and our allies.” The company also launched the BIW Apprenticeship School, which combines both academic coursework and on-the-job training with a frontline supervisor, culminating in an Associate of Science degree. Additionally, it collaborates with other educational institutions on pre-hire pipeline training programs. For example, in 2023, 142 students participated in the free program at Southern Maine Community College, receiving training in skills such as ship fitting and pipefitting, resulting in a 93% post-hire retention rate.
In 2024, with support from the U.S. Department of Defense, BIW, Pratt & Whitney, and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard all joined the Maine Defense Industry Alliance (MDIA), which will foster a “comprehensive, coordinated, and sustainable” workforce development system across the state. Institutions such as the Maine Community College System, the University of Maine System, the Maine Maritime Academy, and the Roux Institute at Northeastern University are participating. Last year, BIW also partnered with the University of Maine System to launch the Deckplates to Degrees partnership, which offers employees a 10% discount on undergraduate and graduate courses. Chancellor Dannel Malloy reacted, “Maine’s public universities look forward to supporting the professional development and economic mobility of more BIW workers while enabling this essential Maine employer to recruit and retain the skilled workforce necessary to their company’s success and our nation’s security.”
Photo Courtesy General Dynamics Bath Iron Works
It makes sense that the saying “Bath Built is Best Built” is associated with BIW, first appearing on T-shirts sold in the company store in 1980. As Krugh reflected, “Bath Built is Best Built is the reputation our ships have earned, but it is truly how we approach our work. We have the best shipbuilders in the world safely executing high-quality work every day.”
Photo Courtesy General Dynamics Bath Iron Works
