Davie shipyard to expand to the U.S. for mfg. icebreakers

Quebec-based Davie shipbuilding plans to set up operations south of the border to help the United States build icebreakers.

A White House announcement from Jul. 29 says the shipbuilder is in talks to partner with an existing American shipyard.

The news follows a pact announced earlier this month under which Canada, the U.S. and Finland will collaborate to build polar icebreakers.

Davie landed a Canadian government contract worth $8.5 billion earlier this year to build seven icebreakers and two hybrid-powered ferries.

The company also recently purchased Finland’s Helsinki shipyard, which has built half the world’s icebreaker fleet.

The Quebec government contributed $110 million to that acquisition, on top of a $520-million injection to help Davie modernize its shipyard in Lévis, Que.