U.S. Navy contract renews history with Orange shipbuilding. Margaret Toal, For the Record | Last updated Sep 22, 2026 8:19pm Margaret Toal Conrad Shipbuilding along the Sabine River has navy contract to build a prototype of a new landing craft. The contract is for two of the landing craft, with the possibility of two more. Orange is returning to its shipbuilding past of supplying the U.S. Navy with vessels as Conrad Shipbuilding along the Sabine River has navy contract to build a prototype of a new landing craft. Conrad is at 710 Market Street south of the Orange County Courthouse and east of Border Street. The contract is for two of the landing craft, with the possibility of two more. The navy reports three different shipyards, Conrad, along with one in Alabama, and the other in Brownsville, Texas, will build prototypes under a total budget of $280 million. The contract could bring $50 million or more to the Conrad Orange yard. The Orange yard is 25 acres along the river, which is part of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. It has six construction bays and 115,000 square feet of enclosed work space that allows a project to continue without a weather delay. The U.S. Navy gave the contracts through the "Prototype Other Transaction" description. The other two companies are Boat Builders, Inc, of Coden, Alabama, and Saronic Technologies of Brownsville. In a news release, the U.S. Navy wrote: "By selecting three distinct shipyards, the Navy is expanding its shipbuilding industrial base capacity and building a resilient 'second source' of supply for landing craft," said William F. Mahan, who is performing the duties of Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition. "Other Transaction prototype authority allows the Navy to move at the speed of relevance." The prototype LCU 1700 will replace the currently-used LCU 1610, which have been in use for more than 50 years. Boat repairs and building have been a part of Orange County's history since the first European immigrants made their homesteads here in the 1820s. At that time, boats, from those with sails to rafts and dugouts were used for travel through the county because of its waterways. The most prominent of those yards was Levingston Shipbuilding, which George Levingston and his brothers started in 1859 to make sailboats and paddle-wheel steamers. Orange County was with Texas and seceded from the United States to join the Confederate States. Levingston Shipbuilding converted boats to serve the confederacy. Orange County came back to the United States and in World War I yards here built wooden ships for the U.S. Navy. Then, the U.S. Navy brought the biggest boom the county has ever seen as World War II was beginning. A U.S. Navy-U.S. Steel joint project led to the construction of a giant shipyard and dredging of the Sabine River to fit the new war vessels into the river to send them downstream to the Gulf and out into the world. Locally-owned shipyards like Levingston, then owned by E.W. Brown, Jr., of Orange, plus Burton, and Weaver shipbuilding companies also had contracts for Navy ships. After the war, shipbuilding continued with Consolidated Steel becoming American Bridge. Levingston pioneered designs including building the scientific exploration ship Glomar Challenger, and four Staten Island ferries. The oil bust of the early 1980s basically brought the end to Levingston, and even American Bridge closed. Through the years, other companies have bought and operated the old Consolidated Steel-American Bridge yard at the end of Division Avenue and east of the LSCO campus. Under one of those companies, part of the top of the U.S.S. New York was constructed at the yard. The ship, commissioned in 2009, was in honor of the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks with melted steel from the Twin Towers being used in parts of the ship. In 1974, the Clary family started Orange Shipbuilding along Market Street about 1990, U.S. Representative Charles Wilson helped the company get contracts for U.S. Navy vessels.

U.S. Steel commences $475 Million Q&T project at Alabama tubular plant. The latest investment builds on U.S. Steel's $75 million premium thread line project, announced in November 2025, further expanding the company's Alabama manufacturing footprint and tubular-product capabilities. * $475 Million Investment Expands Fairfield Operations U.S. Steel has started construction of a new quench and temper facility at its Fairfield Tubular Operations in Alabama. The project is designed to expand domestic manufacturing capacity for high-performance steel pipe used in oil and gas applications. * Q&T Technology to Support OCTG Production The new heat-treatment line will improve the strength, toughness and durability of steel pipe, supporting production of Oil Country Tubular Goods (OCTG). The enhanced capability is intended to help U.S. Steel serve growing demand from U.S. energy producers. * Project to Create Jobs and Upgrade Fairfield Site The expansion is expected to create approximately 250 permanent jobs, including nearly 220 union positions, while supporting around 600 construction jobs at peak activity. The broader modernization program also includes a premium threading line, training center, warehouse and upgraded employee facilities. Discover more Metals Prices Scrap materials laws Order Recycling Bins U.S. Steel breaks ground on $475M Fairfield Q&T facility. U.S. Steel has begun the next phase of a $475 million expansion at its Fairfield Tubular Operations in Alabama, adding in-house heat-treatment capability for higher-performance Oil Country Tubular Goods used across major U.S. oil and gas basins. Key points. * U.S. Steel held a ceremonial groundbreaking for the $475 million quench and tempering facility on September 21. * The Q&T line will bring additional heat-treatment capability in-house for high-performance tubular products. * The project is expected to create about 250 permanent jobs and support roughly 600 construction jobs at peak. * Construction began in July, with completion expected in 2029. * Together with a separate $75 million Premium Thread Line, disclosed Fairfield tubular investment totals about $550 million. SCRAPMONSTER EDGE The two Fairfield projects are expected to create 294 permanent jobs combined. That is equivalent to about 30% of U.S. Steel's existing workforce of more than 980 employees across Fairfield Tubular Operations and Fairfield Works. About 88% of those new positions are expected to be union-represented. MONTREAL (Scrap Monster): U.S. Steel has broken ground on a $475 million quench and tempering (Q&T) facility at its Fairfield Tubular Operations in Alabama, advancing a major expansion of the company's domestic oilfield tubular manufacturing capabilities. Order Recycling Bins The company held a ceremonial groundbreaking for the project on September 21. Initial construction began in July, and the new facility is expected to be completed in 2029. The Q&T line will give U.S. Steel additional in-house capacity to produce heat-treated tubular products used in oil and natural gas exploration and production. Quenching and tempering is a two-stage heat-treatment process designed to improve the strength, toughness and durability of steel pipe. The investment is aimed primarily at expanding U.S. Steel's position in the Oil Country Tubular Goods (OCTG) market. The additional capability is intended to serve customers operating in major U.S. oil and gas regions, including the Permian, Eagle Ford, Haynesville and Appalachian basins. Q&T line brings more tubular processing in-house. Beyond adding capacity, the project addresses an important part of U.S. Steel's tubular production chain. The company has said bringing additional heat-treatment capability in-house will remove a production bottleneck, strengthen its supply chain and improve product traceability from casting through final finishing. The Fairfield modernization program extends beyond the new Q&T line. Planned and ongoing investments include a Premium Thread Line, a new employee training facility, warehouse capacity and upgraded changing and employee areas. The training center is also expected to incorporate virtual-reality technology for operational instruction, according to the company. Project expected to add 250 permanent jobs. Once the expansion is operational, U.S. Steel expects it to create approximately 250 permanent jobs, including about 220 union-represented positions and 30 non-represented roles. The construction phase is expected to support approximately 600 jobs at peak activity. U.S. Steel President and CEO David Burritt said the investment would allow the Fairfield operation to manufacture more high-performance tubular products while positioning the facility for long-term growth. Fairfield Tubular investment reaches $550 million. The $475 million project follows a separate $75 million Premium Thread Line investment announced for Fairfield Tubular Operations in November 2025. Together, the two projects represent approximately $550 million in disclosed investment aimed at expanding U.S. Steel's ability to manufacture, heat-treat and finish higher-value tubular products for the domestic energy sector. The company has positioned the Q&T expansion as part of its broader tubular growth strategy, with the new capability intended to support additional business from oil and gas producers across major U.S. drilling regions. Discover more Mining industry updates Catalytic converter prices Junk car marketplace Poll. What is the most significant impact expected from U.S. Steel's $475 million Fairfield investment? Frequently asked questions. * How much is U.S. Steel investing in the new Fairfield Q&T facility? * What is the purpose of the new Q&T line? * When is the new Q&T facility expected to be completed?