Driving the future of American shipbuilding from the Gulf Coast

Everybody, it's Jeremy Osterberger. I'm

here with Paul Barrett of Anoucha, Chief Communications Officer. Of course,

Communications Officer. Of course, Anoucha just acquired Gulf Copper here in Galveston.

Wow, Paul, lots going on here. I'm going

to set this up and then we'll get into the interview. Um

the interview. Um So, uh Davie Defense is here for a groundbreaking ceremony. Davie Defense

groundbreaking ceremony. Davie Defense is part of Anoucha.

Uh talk about this ceremony and why we're here today.

Well, this ceremony, it's a groundbreaking ceremony for the start of the redevelopment of the Gulf Copper and Port Arthur site. And this is about us bringing shipbuilding back to Texas and

back to the Gulf Coast in a really big way. We're going to be building

way. We're going to be building icebreakers for the for the US Coast Guard here from 2028. And the reason we chose this place is because there's a

great demographic workforce here.

There's also the Texas business community, the Gulf Coast community, which is extremely friendly towards us.

And we feel that there's huge upside.

Talk about, Paul, if you would, about what this groundbreaking means for really Davie Defense and really the future of American shipbuilding. I want

to make sure our audience understands the size and scope of this.

Well, this this this the contract that was announced earlier on, the contract is is for $3.5 billion to build five icebreakers. And this is

icebreakers. And this is transformational for this this area. And

what I would say is that this project is going to be a cornerstone of the redevelopment and rejuvenation of American shipbuilding. And it's it's

American shipbuilding. And it's it's icebreakers, it's warships, it's a range of other things that are going to create huge amount of jobs both here and across

Texas. We think 2,400 at this and our

Texas. We think 2,400 at this and our other site in Port Arthur, and another 7,000 across Texas.

It's unbelievable. So, why is it so important to bring this level of activity to the Gulf Coast, Paul?

Well, the Gulf Coast, we believe is is a really underplayed part of the shipbuilding ecosystem. What you have is

shipbuilding ecosystem. What you have is other parts of the Gulf Coast in Louisiana and and what have you, they have um a much more of a captive market and they're doing a lot more of defense and other shipbuilding work. Whereas

this area has a great demographic, very young, motivated population who we're going to try and now bring in to work for us. And we believe that there's a

for us. And we believe that there's a huge upside in terms of the work that we can bring in to really help to shore up the American maritime shipbuilding base.

Paul, describe everyone a little bit about the structure of the company too because I think some people are asking what's Gulf Copper Gulf Copper what's Davie Defense. Describe how they're

Davie Defense. Describe how they're structured or their association.

So Gulf Copper is you think of that as our kind of champion operating brand.

They actually build the ships. Davie

Defense is is the company which is actually got more of a face towards Washington D.C. and more of a a kind of

Washington D.C. and more of a a kind of corporate entity where we have a certain people working up in D.C. as well as here. So that's really where it is and

here. So that's really where it is and that ladders up to a company called a group called Inocea. Inocea means invest in oceans. And and really by that it's

in oceans. And and really by that it's it's a case that James Davies and Alex Baisfield you saw earlier, they they invested and created that company about

20 years ago. And we have bases in Canada, in Finland, and now obviously in in Texas. And the common denominator as

in Texas. And the common denominator as we're building icebreakers in all of those locations.

this. Thanks, Paul. Look, why is investing in the Arctic security cutters in US? Why is it so important at this

in US? Why is it so important at this moment given our geopolitical environment?

Well, let's be clear.

Um Russia and China have between them nearly 60 polarized breakers, right?

They are killing us up in the Arctic.

The the US has three polar icebreakers and one is actually not really working in the way that it should be right now.

So what this effort is doing is to recognize that the Arctic is a highly strategic location, be it for defense, be it for trade, be it for climate, be it for the communities that are actually living there. And we believe that

living there. And we believe that promoting and protecting your interests means you have to be present in the Arctic. The only way you can be present

Arctic. The only way you can be present in the Arctic is if you have icebreakers. Nothing else allows you to

icebreakers. Nothing else allows you to do that. And icebreakers aren't just

do that. And icebreakers aren't just breaking ice. They they are multi-role

breaking ice. They they are multi-role floating infrastructure, right?

Well, we're going to wrap up with this looking ahead. You know, what do you

looking ahead. You know, what do you hope this investment represents for the future of the US maritime strength and really national security?

Well, national security is absolutely tied to maritime security and maritime power. That that's absolutely the case.

power. That that's absolutely the case.

What we believe is this is now going to be the litmus test for how the whole of the industrial base is going to be re-rebuilt. What we're doing, we're

re-rebuilt. What we're doing, we're working with Finnish colleagues, Canadian colleagues, and now Texan colleagues. And what that means is that

colleagues. And what that means is that is going to be a benchmark for how others are going to look at how we do this stuff, right? So we're hearing that the defense industry is also now looking at how the icebreaker project is going

and they believe that that's going to be a way forward.

Well, we thank you so much for your time with Thank you for having us for this groundbreaking ceremony.

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