Gulf Coast Industry Lunch & Learn

The Gulf Coast Industry Lunch & Learn event is designed to provide businesses with an opportunity to learn about contracting and selling goods and services to prominent shipyards in the Gulf Coast region. Invited shipyard companies include Austal, Bollinger, Ingalls Shipbuilding, Textron Marine, and VT Halter Marine, among others. The event will take place at the Lyman Community Center in Gulfport, Mississippi, beginning with check-in at 9:00 am. Attendees will receive a brief presentation about the shipbuilding industry and have the chance to engage directly with shipyard representatives. The event is free to attend but requires pre-registration, and participants are encouraged to bring their own lunch. Additional exhibitors include representatives from the Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Procurement Technical Assistance Centers from Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and special guest speakers. This event is supported by the Department of Defense's Supply of Shipbuilding Convention and Repair office based in Pascagoula, MS, and focuses on NAICS code 336611, which involves shipbuilding and repairing. The primary contact for small business inquiries is Brad Johnson, the Deputy for Small Business, who can be reached via email or phone. The event provides a valuable platform for businesses seeking to enter or expand their involvement in the shipbuilding supply chain along the Gulf Coast, offering insights, networking opportunities, and direct access to key industry players.