Shipyards Directory

Eastern Shipbuilding Panama City Florida

shipyard Panama City, FL, United States

Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. (ESG) is an American-owned and operated shipbuilder operating three shipyards on the Florida Gulf Coast, headquartered in Panama City, Florida. Founded in 1976 to build commercial fishing vessels, the company has since delivered a portfolio of more than 350 vessels for both national defense and commercial customers, including the U.S. Coast Guard's Heritage Class Offshore Patrol Cutters, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Medium Class Hopper Dredge DONNELLY, and hybrid-electric ferries for Washington State Ferries. ESG is the largest private sector employer in Northwest Florida and holds ISO 9001 certification, ISO 14001 compliance, and DCMA/DCAA certified systems.

Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc.

Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) is an American-owned and operated shipbuilder based in Panama City, Florida, with three shipyards on the Florida Gulf Coast. The yard was established in 1976 by founder Brian R. D'Isernia to build commercial fishing boats for his own fleet, expanded into offshore supply vessels in 1981, and in 2016 was selected by the U.S. Coast Guard to design and build the Offshore Patrol Cutter. Today the company reports a portfolio of over 350 delivered vessels and a 99% on-schedule delivery rate over the past 20 years. It is the largest private sector employer in Northwest Florida and received the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Small Business of the Year award in 2017.

Services

  • New construction of custom commercial and government vessels
  • Ship conversion and repair
  • In-house vessel design and specification development
  • Modular construction, fabrication and assembly

Vessel Types

  • USCG Heritage Class Offshore Patrol Cutters
  • Medium Class Hopper Dredges (Dredge DONNELLY for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: 320' LOA, 72' beam, 28' hull depth, 6,000 cu yd hopper capacity)
  • Hybrid-electric auto/passenger ferries (Washington State Ferries: 409'-6" LOA, 83'-2" beam, 160 vehicles, 1,500 passengers, 17 knots)
  • Ro-Ro/passenger ferries and high-speed passenger vessels, including the Staten Island Ferries and the ferry LONG ISLAND (2024)
  • Offshore supply vessels and offshore construction vessels
  • Tugs, ATBs and inland towboats
  • Barges and inland transport vessels
  • Fireboats, research vessels, a SWATH vessel and commercial fishing vessels

Facilities

  • Three shipyards on the Florida Gulf Coast, including the Allanton Facility
  • State-of-the-art production line and fabrication processes

Certifications and Recognition

  • ISO 9001 certified quality management
  • ISO 14001 compliant facilities
  • DCMA and DCAA certified systems
  • Shipbuilders Council of America 2026 "Improvement in Safety" Award for calendar year 2025, reflecting the best DART rating in company history

Location

  • Panama City, Florida, United States (Florida Gulf Coast)