ON THE WATERFRONT

East Coast Repair and Fabrication (ECR) provides ship repair, marine construction and industrial fabrication services.

- David Soyka

East Coast Repair and Fabrication (ECR) has a long history of providing high-quality ship repair, marine construction, and industrial fabrication services for the United States Government, Commercial Ship Owners, and some of the most respected marine and industrial companies across the nation. But in the same way as IBM shifted beyond what its initials originally stood for, ECR has expanded operations to the West coast as well. In addition, while ECR’s business model has it working both as a prime contractor as well as a subcontractor, expanded capabilities and resources enable it to secure more contracts as the prime vendor. A $64.4 million investment at its operations in Newport News, Va. will enable ECR to accommodate an even broader and more diverse group of vessels as the only small business ship repair company with deep-water access in the state.

“Before joining ECR in early 2018 I had spent the previous eighteen years helping a ship repair company grow on the west coast,” explains ECR President, Rene Doiron. “I saw a similar growth opportunity here. Owner Jorge Rivera established a great foundation for this company that we are building on to grow our quality services for both our government and commercial customers.”

ECR started its roots in working as a subcontractor working primarily on U.S. Navy ships. “While we value and appreciate our partnerships when working for a prime contractor, the problem with being a subcontractor is that you are tied to the fate of another company,” Doiron notes. “A significant percentage of the work that we do is as a prime contractor, but we want to be in the position where we are the masters of our own fate, in charge of our own destiny, so we are positioning ourselves to do more prime work.”