Saronic plans to begin construction later this year on a new shipyard in Brownsville, Texas, that could eventually employ 10,000 workers and build some of the largest vessels in the world.
The maritime defense technology company announced Thursday that the new facility, called Port Alpha, will initially cover approximately 800 acres, with the potential to expand across as many as 4,000 acres.
Unlike many existing American shipyards, Port Alpha will be designed and constructed from the ground up around advanced manufacturing, automation and high-volume production.
Saronic co-founder and CEO Dino Mavrookas said the greenfield site will allow the company to create more efficient production lines, increase shipbuilding capacity and reduce costs.
The facility will build both defense and commercial vessels, including manned and autonomous ships. Initial plans call for the yard to accommodate vessels as long as 850 feet, with the ability to eventually construct ships measuring up to 1,200 feet.
Saronic has not disclosed which vessels it will build first at the new facility. Mavrookas said future manned ships will incorporate the same autonomous technologies the company is developing for its unmanned fleet, allowing crews to be reduced or potentially removed as the technology matures.
Port Alpha is expected to support a broad range of shipbuilding jobs, including welding, machining, naval architecture, robotics and software engineering. Saronic said it will work with state and local governments, school systems and workforce organizations to create training programs for the shipyard.
The company expects construction to begin before the end of 2026, with operations scheduled to start in 2028. Saronic aims to employ approximately 10,000 workers at the site over the next decade.
Saronic already produces autonomous surface vessels at its shipyard in Franklin, Louisiana. Its product lineup includes the Corsair, an unmanned vessel recently used by U.S. forces during military operations in the Middle East.
According to U.S. Central Command, several Corsair vessels participated in a strike against submarine and ship maintenance infrastructure in Iran, marking the first reported combat use of American unmanned surface vessels.
Mavrookas said the timing of the Port Alpha announcement was not connected to the Corsair’s recent deployment. He said the company announced the project shortly after completing the agreement for the Texas site.
The project is significant well beyond Texas. For established shipbuilding regions such as Hampton Roads, it shows how quickly private capital is beginning to reshape the maritime industrial base around automation, autonomy and modern production methods.
Hampton Roads remains home to one of the largest concentrations of naval assets, shipbuilding capacity and maritime workers in the country. But Port Alpha illustrates that the next generation of shipbuilding investment will not automatically flow to traditional maritime centers. Regions will increasingly compete on available industrial land, workforce pipelines, permitting speed, infrastructure and their ability to accommodate new production models.
Saronic’s investment represents one of the most ambitious private shipyard developments announced in the United States in decades. It also reflects a broader effort across the defense industry to expand domestic shipbuilding capacity and build fleets that combine traditional crewed ships with autonomous vessels.
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The Ledger Star is an independent digital publication covering the people, decisions, investments, and ideas shaping the future of Hampton Roads. It focuses on what matters most to the region's business, civic, and community leaders, providing context and analysis rather than chasing every headline.