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St. Johns Ship Building President Joe Rella Testifies Before U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

Palatka, FL – February 5, 2025 — On February 5, 2025, Joe Rella, President of St. Johns Ship Building, Inc., testified in Washington, D.C. before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure’s Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.

His testimony focused on the critical role U.S. shipyards play in America’s Marine Transportation System (MTS), the economic impact of the industry, the importance of investment in maritime infrastructure, and the state of the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base.

You can watch a video of the full hearing, titled, “America Builds: Maritime Infrastructure,”  here.

Read his full testimony  here and find an excerpt of his remarks below:

Chairman Ezell, Ranking Member Carbajal and distinguished members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today on behalf of the U.S. shipyard industry. My name is Joe Rella, and I am President of St. John’s Shipbuilding based in Palatka, Florida. I am here to discuss the critical role U.S. shipyards play in America’s Marine Transportation System (MTS), the economic impact of our industry, the importance of investment in maritime infrastructure, and the state of the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base.

Before diving into the above testimony, I would like to share a bit about myself and St. Johns Ship Building.

I am a former enlisted US Navy Nuclear Power School graduate. I was selected to attend the US Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY, and graduated with a degree in Marine Engineering Systems. I am also a graduate of Spring Hill College with an MBA. I have sailed in the US Merchant Marine as a licensed engineer and participated in the strategic sealift supporting Operation Desert Shield. I have literally sailed around the world on US-flagged merchant Ships. My experience in shipbuilding and repair includes US Navy and commercial vessels and both blue and brown water service. I am a former President and Chief Operating Officer of Austal USA and now President of St. Johns Ship Building.

St. Johns Ship Building is a full-service shipbuilding and marine repair company specializing in the new construction and repair of a wide variety of aluminum and steel vessels. We are located on the Southeast Coast with excellent access to the Mid-Atlantic and New England as well as the Caribbean and Gulf Coast. Our facility sits on a beautiful, partially wooded site along the St. Johns River in Putnam County, Florida, approximately 68 miles south of Jacksonville, Fla. The St. Johns River is easily accessible to the Intracoastal Waterway and opens to the Atlantic Ocean at Jacksonville, Florida. While the shipyard's history has been primarily commercial, we recently were awarded a contract with the US Army Corps of Engineers for two Stop Log Barges, which signifies our entry into supporting the US Government with new construction and repair services.

The U.S. shipyard industry is diverse and operates in several sectors, including government new construction, government repair and modernization, commercial repair and modernization, and commercial new construction. According to the Maritime Administration (MARAD), there are 120 active shipyards in the United States spread across 27 states, with shipyard-related and induced jobs touching all 50 states. Shipyard companies have diversified their waterfronts to contribute to multiple sectors, and some are also utilizing their skilled workforce to contribute to non-maritime construction efforts.