HII Completes Purchase of W International's Charleston Plant

Photo courtesy: Huntington Ingalls

As part of our Career Connect Washington Maritime Sector ongoing work, we actively track, document, and inform about emerging technologies and trends. Huntington Ingalls Industries has completed the purchase of W International's fabrication facility in South Carolina, opening up new workforce options for the U.S. Navy's biggest shipbuilder. 

The W International plant in Goose Creek, South Carolina is an example of the Navy's challenge in scaling up the submarine industrial base for a once-in-a-generation demand surge. As part of a program to boost capacity, the Navy helped a previously unknown company, W International, to set up a fabrication facility in South Carolina to build modules for HII Newport News - starting with components for the Ford-class aircraft carrier program. In 2022, quality issues were found with these modules and W International began shedding contract volume. It eventually came under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice for possible misappropriation of funds, focused in part on its complex ownership structure.  Go to this link to read the full article published by The Maritime Executive https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/hii-completes-purchase-of-w-international-s-charleston-plant