Davie Defense announced on Wednesday the closing of the acquisition of the shipbuilding assets of Gulf Copper & Manufacturing Corporation, located in Texas. The transaction has received all required approvals from the U.S. government.
As part of the Inocea Group, this acquisition makes Davie Defense the new specialty shipbuilder in the United States, supported by Davie, Lévis, Canada, and Helsinki Shipyard, Finland.
According to the statement issued Wednesday, Gulf Copper will continue to operate as a premier repair and manufacturing center, supported by its management team and workforce, which will remain in place.
“The acquisition of Gulf Copper comes as the United States strengthens cooperation with its Arctic and shipbuilding partners,” the company reports.
On October 9, the presidents of the United States and Finland signed a historic memorandum of understanding on the construction of icebreakers at the White House. This was followed on November 18 by a joint statement of intent between the United States, Canada and Finland to advance shipbuilding and Arctic defense collaboration as part of the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort.
Davie Defense is in negotiations to deliver five ships as part of the Arctic Security Cutter (ASC) project, two of which would be built at the Helsinki shipyard, acquired by Davie in 2023, while the others could be built in Texas. It is estimated that Davie Defense’s investments in Galveston and Port Arthur could create 7,000 highly skilled jobs and generate $9 billion in benefits in Texas.
“The conclusion of this acquisition marks a decisive moment in the journey of our group. We are now truly transatlantic, operating in the United States, Canada and Finland,” said James Davies, co-owner and CEO of Chantier Davie and co-founder of the Inocea Group.
It will be remembered that Davie joined Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy.
“The integration of Gulf Copper into Inocea represents a major step forward in our ambition to become the world leader in specialized shipbuilding. […] Our establishment in Texas confirms our long-term commitment to the United States and strengthens the Western maritime base at a time when naval collaboration between allies has never been more crucial,” said Alex Vicefield, co-founder of the Inocea Group.
