Northrop Grumman Celebrates 125 Years of Shipbuilding Excellence in Newport News

NEWPORT NEWS, Va., Jan. 28, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Northrop Grumman Corporation’s (NYSE:NOC) Shipbuilding sector in Newport News, Va., will kick off a year-long celebration of its 125th anniversary beginning today.

Collis P. Huntington founded the Newport News shipyard on Jan. 28, 1886. His vision was to provide first-class quality in all aspects of the business and to earn a reputation for building the best ships in the world. Since signing the contract in 1890 for the shipyard’s first hull, the tugboat Dorothy, Newport News has built more than 800 ships for the Navy and non-defense customers.

In a message to employees, Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding-Newport News vice president and general manager Matt Mulherin asked current employees to take a moment to remember the shipbuilders of the past.

“Think about their pioneering spirit that helped grow our shipyard into the highly-respected business it is today – the business Collis P. Huntington envisioned,” Mulherin said. “And think about how we can build upon their legacy by continuing to provide first-class quality in all that we do, so that 125 years from now, we will still have the reputation for simply building the best ships in the world.”

Northrop Grumman is the nation’s sole industrial designer, builder and refueler of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, is one of only two companies capable of designing and building nuclear-powered submarines and also provides after-market services for a wide array of naval and commercial vessels. It employs about 20,000 people at its Newport News operations.

[Photo: Dry Dock 1 under construction in 1887 at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding in Newport News, Va. This image is one of the first photographs taken of the shipyard. Courtesy Northrop Grumman]