Todd Shipyards

The Todd Shipyards Corporation, commonly known as Todd Shipyards, was an American shipbuilding and ship repair company. Founded in 1916 as the William H. Todd Corporation, the company produced many ships during World War I and was a major part of the Emergency Shipbuilding Program during World War II.<ref name="auto">Template:Cite web</ref> At its peak, the company owned and operated shipyards on the West Coast of the United States, East Coast of the United States, and the Gulf.

In the post-war years, Todd Shipyards performed building and maintenance work for, among others, the United States Navy and Royal Australian Navy, the United States Coast Guard, and the Washington State Ferries. The company filed for bankruptcy in 1987 after years of financial struggles. It resumed operations in 1991 as the Todd Pacific Shipyards Corporation after closing all locations except for its Seattle shipyard.Template:Efn

The company continued more limited operations in the Puget Sound region until it was acquired by Vigor Industrial in 2011. Todd Shipyards became a wholly owned subsidiary of Vigor and operated under the name Vigor Shipyards for a number of years.

History

From bottom left: Template:MV, Template:USS, Template:USS, and Template:USS at Todd Shipyards in Seattle, 1983

Template:MV under construction at Vigor Shipyards in 2016

Early history

Template:See also Todd Shipyards was founded in 1916 as the William H. Todd Corporation when properties of the Tietjen & Lang Dry Dock Company of Hoboken, New Jersey, were bought in 1916 by a syndicate headed by Bertron Griscom & Company of New York and placed under management of William H. Todd, president of the Robins Dry Dock & Repair Company in Brooklyn, New York.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> That acquisition was followed by acquisition of the Tebo Yacht Basin, Brooklyn, and the Seattle Construction and Dry Dock Company.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

World War II

From 1940 to 1945, during World War II, Todd Shipyards built or repaired 23,000 ships in many shipyards with 57,000 workers. Todd ranked 26th among United States corporations in the value of World War II production contracts.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Sfn

Post-war development

In October 1977, the company created the Todd Pacific Shipyards Corporation as a wholly owned subsidiary by combining its Seattle Division and Los Angeles Division.<ref name="Long-Range Facilities Plan">Template:Cite report</ref><ref name="MOHAI">Template:Cite web</ref>

The Todd Shipyards Corporation was impacted by the 1983 Pacific Coast Metal Trades Union strike.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Todd Shipyards filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1987. The company came out of Chapter 11 protection in 1991 as the Todd Pacific Shipyards Corporation after having shuttered all of its locations except for its shipyard in Seattle.<ref name="FundingUniverse">Template:Cite book</ref>

In 1995 Todd branched out and started a radio subsidiary company called Elettra Broadcasting Corporation. Elettra Broadcasting operated three FM radio stations in Carmel.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Acquisition by Vigor Industrial

In February 2011, Vigor Industrial purchased Todd Shipyards for US$130 million.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> This included Todd's shipyards in Seattle, Everett, and Bremerton.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The company became a wholly owned subsidiary of Vigor and began operating as Vigor Shipyards after the acquisition.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Todd Shipyards locations

• #Brooklyn
• #Hoboken
• #Alameda
• #Galveston
• #Houston Irish Bend
• #Houston Green Bayou
• #Robins Dry Dock and Repair Company

New York

The Erie Basin in 1945

• Todd Brooklyn. Todd Shipyard's first facility was acquired in 1916, in Erie Basin in Brooklyn, New York, along the waterfront of the Red Hook neighborhood. As background, Erie Basin dry dock was the first graving dock in the United States, built at the site in 1866. J. N. Robins Company acquired it in 1869, then merged with Erie Basin Dry Dock Company, started by Delamater Iron Works, and was renamed the Robins Dry Dock and Repair Company. William H. Todd had worked for both Erie Basin Dry Dock and Robins Dry Dock. In 1916, Todd and some of his associates purchased Robins Dry Dock and Repair Company, the Tietjen & Lang Dry Dock Company of Hoboken in Weehawken Cove, the Seattle Construction and Drydock Company on the West Coast, the Tebo Yacht Basin Company, and the Gowanus shipyard in Brooklyn. The Erie Basin yard was sold in 1986 to Rodermond Industries, which closed in the 1990s.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="FundingUniverse" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

• For the United States Navy:
  • 9 of 49 Template:Sclasss (1918 - 1919, in the Tebo Yacht Basin,<ref name="me_1918_10_608">Template:Cite magazine</ref> no more than three built concurrently)
    • Template:USS ... Template:USS, Template:USS ... Template:USS
  • conversion Robins DD<ref name="google.com">Template:Cite book</ref>
    • Template:USS (1941)
    • Template:USS (1940)
    • Template:USS (ca. 1941)
      • See also: Two-Ocean Navy Act#AUX ANV
  • conversion Tietjen and Lang<ref name="google.com"/>
    • Template:USS (1940)
    • Template:USS (1940)
    • Template:USS (1940)
    • Template:USS
    • Template:USS
  • conversion (unspecified) of<ref>grep (Todd + Brooklyn) through NavSource</ref>
    • Template:USS (1943)
    • Template:USS (1943)
    • Template:USS (1944)
    • Template:USS (1944)
    • Template:USS (1944)
    • Template:USS (1945)
    • Template:USS (1945)
    • Template:USS (1945)
    • USAHS Frances Y. Slanger (1945)
    • Template:USS converted back to merchant (1947)
    • Template:USS (1953)

Los Angeles and San Francisco

Vice President of Todd Pacific Shipyards Corporation, Hans K. Schaefer, speaks during christening and launching ceremonies for the guided missile frigate Template:USS at the Todd Pacific Shipyards Corp., Los Angeles Division, in 1981

• Todd Pacific Shipyards, Los Angeles Division, San Pedro, California, (Template:Coord) was formerly Los Angeles Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Corporation, opened in 1917 and closed in 1989. From 1918 to 1924 Los Angeles Shipbuilding built cargo ships for the United States Shipping Board. In the 1920 and 1930 Los Angeles Shipbuilding built tankers and ferries. For World War II they yard built the USS Ajax (AR-6), USS Hector (AR-7), USS Jason (AR-8), Seaplane tender and Klondike-class destroyer tenders. Post war the yard was sold to Todd. Todd built Allende-class frigate at the site and in Seattle, also built were Shenandoah-class destroyer tender and Leahy-class cruiser. The yard closed was following completion of its Template:Sclass contract and after failing to win an Template:Sclass contract.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Property is now part of the Port of Los Angeles, and has been completely converted into Berth 100 / West Basin Container Terminal.<ref>Template:Cite web—Shows an aerial view of Berth 100, the former location of Todd - San Pedro.</ref>

• Todd Alameda (San Francisco Division), Alameda, California. to the west of Webster Street (Template:Coord).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Opened in 1940 by the United Engineering Company. Mostly used as a repair or conversion facility, it was closed in 1956.Template:Sfn The Bethlehem Alameda Works Shipyard to the east of Webster Street was leased by Todd according to,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> but the Corps of Engineers survey 1953 claims it was owned and operated by Bethlehem.
• Richmond shipyard No. 1 was a new shipyard built to support the demand for ships for World War 2. Kaiser purchased the contact and the Richmond yard to build type Ocean ship from the Todd Shipyards in 1940. Todd then Kaiser built yard No. 1 to build the Ocean ships. Yard No. 1 was built on unoccupied land with construction starting in December 1940. In April 1941 the keel for the first British bound Ocean ship was laid. The next series of ships built were Liberty ships, with the first keel laid on May 15, 1942. Needing faster cargo ships the next series of ships built were Victory ships, with the first keel laid on January 17, 1944. After the war, in 1946, the yard closed. Kaiser Richmond No. 1 Yard was at 700 Wright Ave, Richmond on the Parr Canal. The site now has general docks for construction supplies. Located at GPS Template:Coord.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Built at Kaiser Richmond No. 1 Yard:* Ocean ship, 30 cargo ships, 7,174 GRT. (sometimes credited to Todd Shipyards Corporation), * Liberty ship, 138 model EC2-S-C1 ships, 7,176 GRT., * Victory ship, 82 Model VC2-S-AP3 ships, 7,612 GRT.,Notable ships: Template:SS, Template:SS, Template:SS, Template:SS and Template:SS.

Puget Sound, Washington

• Todd Tacoma Division, Commencement Bay, Tacoma, Washington opened in 1917 to build Design 1014 ship ships for the United States Shipping Board. It operated as part of Todd Dry Dock & Construction until shut down after World War I in 1924. The yard reopened in partnership with Kaiser Shipbuilding in 1939 as Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation. The yard built 56 Template:Sclass and Template:Sclasss and various auxiliaries. In 1942 Todd bought out Kaiser's share and the yard eventually became part of Todd Pacific Shipyards. Sold to the Navy after World War II, further sold to the Port of Tacoma in 1959. The site today is the Commencement Bay Industrial Development District.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Todd Dry Dock & Construction Co. of Seattle, Washington (Template:Coord) was started in 1916 when Todd bought Seattle Construction & Dry Dock Co. Ltd. Seattle Construction & Dry Dock Co. Ltd. was in the past Seattle Dry Dock & Shipbuilding Company started by Robert Moran and his brothers as ship repair shop in Seattle in 1882. The yard was destroyed by fire in 1889 and then rebuilt as Moran Brothers Company. For World War II the yard built 45 Template:Sclass, Template:Sclass, Template:Sclass and Template:Sclasss under the name Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation. After the war the yard was renamed Todd Shipyards Corp., Seattle Division. For the US Navy built Charles F. Adams-class destroyer, Knox-class frigates, Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates, Hamilton-class cutters. The yard is now owned and operated by Vigor.<ref name="auto"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

• Todd Bremerton Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington (Template:Coord) is a satellite ship repair yard. Close to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Todd Bremerton Shipyard works on US Navy ships.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

• Todd Everett Shipyard in 2008 Tood purchased Everett Shipyard, Inc. in Everett, Washington (Template:Coord). The site, Everett Ship Repair & Drydock, Inc., will continue ship repair work. Since 1960, the yard has served the Washington State Ferries and the United States Navy.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Houston / Galveston

Houston shipyard (right) and Brown Shipbuilding, later Todd Houston (left), in 1944

• Todd Galveston, Texas (Template:Coord) opened in 1934. Todd took over the Galveston Dry Dock & Construction on Pelican Island. In 1943 Todd took over the yard next door, Gray's Iron Works and renamed the yards Todd Galveston Drydocks, Inc.. For World War II the yard built T1 Tankers T1-M-A1. Post-war they built three ferries for Texas. In 1949 Todd moved the main operation to the Brown Shipbuilding yard in Houston that they had leased. The Pelican Island Galveston yard was used only for ship repair and in 1965 also started tanker conversions, as Todd Shipyards Corporation, Galveston Division. Todd Galveston built Type C6 ships. Todd Galveston yard went into Chapter 11 and closed in 1990. The yard was sold. The yard had two Panamax floating dry-docks that were moved to the Alabama Shipyard and Bender Shipbuilding. In 1993, the remainder of Todd Galveston on Pelican Island was sold to the Port of Galveston. It is now part of Newpark Marine, Gulf Copper runs an offshore repair yard there. Southwest Shipyard now operates a shipyard at the side.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="auto1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

• Todd Houston Shipbuilding, in Houston, Texas, was an emergency shipyard operated by Todd Shipbuilding Corp. and Kaiser Corp. to build ships for World War II. The company was formally established on 6 January 1941.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The yard was built at Irish Bend (a former island in the Houston Ship Channel) Template:Coord.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During the war Todd Houston employed 23,000 workers, built 208 Liberty ships and 14 T1-M-BT2 tankers. In 1946, after the war the yard closed. In 1949 the Brown Shipbuilding yard in Houston, now Todd's, became known as Todd Houston.<ref name="todd">Template:Cite web</ref>

• Todd Houston on the Buffalo Bayou (Template:Coord) was opened in 1949, when Todd took over the Brown Shipbuilding's yard at Green's Bayou.<ref name="auto1"/> Todd ran the yard as a barge construction and repair shop. Todd closed the operation in 1987 selling to Platzer Shipyard. The yard returned to Brown, which renamed it Brown & Root, a construction facility for the offshore drilling industry, which closed in 2004. The site is now the Brown Shipbuilding Industrial.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Other

• Todd New Orleans, in 1934 Todd joined with Johnson Iron Works in New Orleans to build and repair shipyard called Todd-Johnson Dry Docks. Todd took over the yard and in 1987 sold the yard to Port of New Orleans.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Todd-Bath Iron Shipbuilding Corporation at South Portland, Maine opened in 1940 as an emergency shipyards to build Ocean class cargo ships for Britain. At the two yards Template:Coord, they built Liberty ships, closing after the war. The corporation was renamed New England Shipbuilding in 1943 after Kaiser sold its shares in the corporation. Durning the war New England Shipbuilding employed 30,000 workers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Oregon Shipbuilding Company of Portland, Oregon (Template:Coord) opened as a World War II emergency yard by Todd and Kaiser. Built in 1941 it opened with 8 shipways, with the high demand for ships it grew to 8 shipways. Soon after the shipyard opened Kaiser bought out Todd share in the shipyard. The yard built Liberty ships and Victory Ships. The yard closed after the war.
• Todd Charleston, from 1946 to 1949 Todd operated for the US Navy the Charleston Dry Dock & Machine Company as repair yard. The yard was located in Charleston, South Carolina, on the Cooper River Template:Coord.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• New Jersey Shipbuilding Company, at the US Navy's request for World War II Todd took over New Jersey Shipbuilding to build LCI. Landing Craft LCI(L) in 1942, the yard closed after the war. The yard was in Perth Amboy, New Jersey Template:Coord, the site is now Chevron asphalt plant.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Todd Mobile Drydock, Alabama. In 1936 this repair yard was leased to the nearby Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company and stripped.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

References

Bibliography

• Template:Cite book

Further reading

• Template:Cite book

External links

• Template:Webarchive
• Vigor Industrial Collection on Todd Shipyards, circa 1905–1985 at Archives West
• Todd Shipyards at GlobalSecurity.org
• Todd Shipyards Corporation Form 10-K from the United States Securities and Exchange Commission