Detyens Shipyards, Inc.

In 1962, William Detyens opened a new ship repair facility in Charleston, S.C.  As the company continued to grow, it began servicing both commercial and military vessels.  Throughout the next few decades, the need for naval repair stations grew and Detyens added yet another site, known as Shipyard River, to handle the increasing business.

Eventually, in the 1990s, Detyens also decided to lease the former Charleston Naval Shipyard when the Navy chose to downsize and move operations away from that location.  That gave them three large graving docks, machine shops, portal cranes and all the support structure necessary for a shipyard of that size.

At this point, Detyens’ attention shifted away from the naval market, allowing them to concentrate on the burgeoning commercial market.  They sold the Shipyard River location and opened a site on the Wando River in Mt Pleasant, South Carolina.

Today, Detyens has its headquarters at the old Charleston Navy Yard.  The company’s primary source of income remains the repair of commercial vessels though Detyens does limited naval work and is also involved in foreign military sales.  They have repaired and/or up-graded military vessels for several countries including Bahrain, Egypt, Portugal, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia.

Detyens employs nearly 800 people and boasts one of the largest ship repair oriented machine shops on the eastern seaboard. 

Since 1962, Detyens has repaired hundreds of ships, employing a number of specialists to perform important tasks.  Workers such as pipe fitters, boilermen, steam fitters, insulators, electricians, and plumbers participated in the overhaul of these vessels, sometimes coming in contact with dangerous asbestos, widely used in ships prior to the warnings of the mid-1970s.  Asbestos, when damaged, will release hazardous airborne fibers which can, in turn, be inhaled by those working with or near the material.

Many shipyard workers have been sickened due to asbestos exposure.  Have you developed mesothelioma due to your work at Detyens Shipyards, Inc.?  If you’re a meso victim, take time to learn about your legal rights and gather useful information about the disease and its treatment.  Order our free Mesothelioma Resource Kit today.