C & C Marine and Repair, Bell Chasse, La., announced it is expanding its shipyard by 24 acres and has begun construction on what it says will be the most advanced spool fabrication facility in the United States.
The new automated spool shop is designed to increase production throughput for traditional commercial shipbuilding and repair work and also position the Gulf Coast yard for broader participation in government-related marine new construction programs, the company said in a press release.
Pipe spools are prefabricated piping sections assembled in a controlled shop environment, a method widely credited with improving precision, quality control, and schedule performance compared to field fabrication. The C&C facility will incorporate an automation-first workflow built around a suite of advanced equipment, including a pipe blasting machine, indoor paint booth, pipe bending machines, saw and custom beveling CNC machines, computer-automated feeding racks, a plasma cutting machine, and advanced fit-up stations.
By shifting more fabrication into a digitally controlled setting, the company expects to reduce manual bottlenecks in measuring, alignment, and fit-up — translating into faster production cycles, tighter tolerances, and stronger documentation and traceability across projects, according to C&C.
"Expanding our footprint by 24 acres is a strategic investment in capacity, technology, and the long-term needs of our customers," said Tony Cibilich, owner of C&C Marine and Repair. "This spool shop is designed around automation and precision—so we can deliver more spools faster, with tighter tolerances and stronger documentation and traceability."
The facility is being engineered to support parallel production workflows, reducing rework and enabling more aggressive project schedules by moving work from material handling through final weld-out in a streamlined, controlled environment.
The acreage expansion also serves a longer-term purpose beyond the spool shop. The additional land gives C&C room to add new construction bays, staging areas, and production infrastructure without disrupting active work. The company said the expanded footprint is specifically intended to support future government contract requirements, where schedule certainty, quality systems, and the ability to execute multiple programs simultaneously are competitive factors.
Construction on the spool shop is expected to wrap up by the third quarter of 2026, with full operational capacity targeted by year's end.
