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DeSantis Awards $9 Million Grant To Bring 2,000 Shipbuilding Jobs To Pensacola, Escambia County
August 13, 2026
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis visited the Port of Pensacola on Wednesday to award $9 million from the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund to the City of Pensacola, supporting the establishment of Birdon America Inc.’s Southeastern headquarters and creating 2,000 new jobs.
The grant funding will aid in public infrastructure enhancements and capacity building to support the construction of two shipbuilding facilities totaling approximately 400,000 square feet of manufacturing space at the Port of Pensacola. The new facilities will expand Florida’s maritime manufacturing capacity, allowing the port to produce complex Navy ship modules for submarines and surface vessels up to 400 feet long.
The project will support economic development not just in the City of Pensacola, but throughout Escambia County and the entire Northwest Florida Region, creating approximately 2,000 manufacturing and related jobs connected to advanced shipbuilding and maritime manufacturing operation, according to Escambia County officials.
“We have a strong economy because we have our priorities straight,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “We have delivered record tax relief while making strategic investments in workforce education, infrastructure, and economic development projects that bring industry and jobs to our state. Today, we’re building on that track record with a $9 million investment to support the construction of two boatbuilding facilities at the Port of Pensacola. These facilities will produce complex Navy ship modules for submarines and surface ships, and they are projected to create 2,000 jobs for Floridians in shipbuilding and maritime manufacturing.”
DeSantis and Florida Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly made the announcement alongside Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves at the American Magic High Performance Center, located at the port.
“There are moments in a city’s history that define trajectory for not just years but for generations, and I certainly think this is one of those days,” Reeves said, noting Pensacola’s deepwater port history dating back to 1721. “The maritime industry is more than part of our history; it is part of our DNA. I thank Gov. Ron DeSantis for believing in Pensacola’s maritime future, for his commitment to infrastructure, high-wage job creation and Florida’s working waterfront. This grant is a massive vote of confidence in Pensacola.”
“I’m excited, I think everyone here should be excited,” DeSantis said. “This is going to continue the momentum. It’ll be really good.”
The $275 million overall project marks the largest job creation project in Pensacola’s history. The expected 2,000 new positions include 1,437 jobs with an average annual salary of $68,000 and 563 jobs averaging $112,000 annually.
DeSantis noted that these positions could draw former military personnel exiting nearby regional installations into Birdon and related positions, strengthening the local economy while supplying critical modules for warships and submarines.
“If you do the right things on job training and workforce development leading into that pipeline, it’s going to be a natural fit,” DeSantis said.
“Under Governor DeSantis’ leadership, Florida has ensured our state remains economically competitive through strategic investments that increase Florida’s maritime manufacturing capacity—bringing high-skill, high-wage jobs to Florida communities,” Kelly said. “By investing in this project, supporting our local and regional partners, and adding capacity to Florida’s overall industrial base, we are strengthening Florida’s growing maritime economy and doing our part to enhance our nation’s security.”
The City of Pensacola will maintain public ownership of the new infrastructure and enter into a long-term ground lease with Birdon America Inc. The $105 million facility construction phase includes a Phase 1 panel line and module fabrication warehouse along with a Phase 2 assembly bay.
Funding for the total $275 million initiative will combine state, federal, and private sources, including an expected $76 million grant from Triumph Gulf Coast, $33 million from the U.S. Department of Commerce, and $152 million from Birdon. Reeves stated the city hopes to bring the final agreement to the Triumph Board later this summer.
“Creating these high-wage, high-quality manufacturing jobs for our residents provides lasting opportunity to build a life, build a family, and build a future in Pensacola,” Reeves said.
To support the pipeline for this project and the surrounding industrial base, local partnerships are planned with the University of West Florida’s WAVE Center, Pensacola State College, and the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition. The city is also continuing its aerospace workforce integration at Pensacola International Airport, where Pensacola State College recently broke ground on a $16 million Aviation Airframe and Powerplant Mechanics facility near ST Engineering. Hangar 3 for ST Engineering achieved substantial completion this summer, with construction on Hangar 4 slated to begin later this year for completion by late summer 2027.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
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