Avondale Shipyard

Avondale Shipyard
FormerlyAvondale Marine Ways
Avondale Shipyards, Inc.
Avondale Industries, Inc.
IndustryShipbuilding
Founded1938 (as Avondale Marine Ways)
Founders
  • James Grinstead Viavant
  • Harry Koch
  • Perry N. Ellis
DefunctOctober 2014
FateAcquired by Litton Industries; later part of Northrop Grumman; became part of Huntington Ingalls Industries (2011); closed (October 2014)
Headquarters29°55′26″N 90°11′06″W / 29.92389°N 90.18500°W / 29.92389; -90.18500, ,
United States
ProductsNaval and commercial vessels
ServicesShipbuilding and ship repair
Number of employees
26,000 (peak)
ParentHuntington Ingalls Industries (2011–2014)

Avondale Shipyard was an independent shipbuilding company, acquired by Litton Industries, in turn acquired by Northrop Grumman Corporation. In 2011, along with the former Ingalls Shipbuilding, the yard was part of Huntington Ingalls Industries. It closed in October 2014. The yard was located on the west bank of the Mississippi River in an area called Bridge City, about 20 miles (32 km) upriver from New Orleans near Westwego, Louisiana. It was the site of the modernization of the battleship USS Iowa in the early 1980s and also constructed some of the lighter aboard ships (LASH). At one time, it was the largest employer in Louisiana, with about 26,000 employees.