National Steel and Shipbuilding Company - History

History

1905: NASSCO starts out as a small machine shop and foundry known as California Iron Works.

1922: California Iron Works taken over by U.S. National Bank and renamed National Iron Works.

1933: C. Arnholt Smith acquires the company.

1940: Ironworkers organize first union at company.

1944: National Iron Works moves to 28th Street and Harbor Drive, San Diego.

1949: The company is renamed National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. to reflect expansion into ship construction.

1959: NASSCO acquired by Henry J. Kaiser Company, Morrison Knudsen and two others. Company receives first order to build a commercial cargo ship.

1976: Richard Vortmann joins NASSCO as the Vice President of Finance and Information Systems.

1979: Kaiser Industries sells its 50 percent share in NASSCO to Morrison Knudsen. NASSCO employs more than 7,900 workers.

1984: Vortmann named President. He succeeds C. Larry French as Chairman and Chief Executive when French retires in 1986.

1988: Six unions go on strike but eventually approve a 49-month contract.

1989: An Employee Stock Ownership Plan is used in April to acquire NASSCO from Morrison Knudsen in a management-led buyout. The Exxon Valdez tanker, constructed at NASSCO, returns for repairs.

1992: Workers strike for 25 days, but return to work without a contract.

1993: Navy awards contract to build AOE-10 support ships. Navy awards NASSCO $635 million contract to convert three L-class containerships to strategic sealift ships. Navy awards NASSCO $1.3 billion contract to design and construct six strategic sealift ships.

1996: Workers strike for more than four weeks, but fail to win any concessions. Many return to work.

1998: General Dynamics buys NASSCO in $415 million deal.

1999: NASSCO wins $300 million contract for two TOTE Orca-class trailerships.

2000: General Dynamics begins $135 million upgrade of NASSCO facilities. NASSCO wins multi-year contract for phased maintenance of Navy's San Diego-based USS Ticonderoga (CG-47) and USS Spruance (DD-963) warships. BP later awards NASSCO contracts valued at more than $800 million to build four crude oil tankers for Alaska.

2001: Navy announces NASSCO as the winner of the T-AKE dry cargo/ammunition ship contract, a potential 12-ship program with a contract value of $3.7 billion, the largest order in NASSCO history.

2005: Vortmann announces his retirement as president of NASSCO. Fred Harris, senior VP at General Dynamics Electric Boat Company, is named NASSCO president.

2011: General Dynamics buys out Metro Machine in Norfolk, VA. Renames the company NASSCO - Norfolk.

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