Gibbs & Cox, Inc. Celebrates 80 Years of Maritime Innovation

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Mon May 11, 2009 8:01am EDT

- More than 6,000 Ships Have Been Built to Gibbs & Cox Designs -
WASHINGTON--(Business Wire)--
Gibbs & Cox, Inc. celebrates 80 years of operations this year as one of the
largest independent U.S. naval architecture and marine engineering firms. Since
its founding in 1929, the company has continuously provided the U.S. Navy,
international navies, government agencies, shipyards, and commercial clients
access to the full spectrum of capabilities required to take a ship from a
"clean sheet of paper" to detail design, production, and lifetime support. 

"Gibbs & Cox has been there for the long haul for the U.S. Navy," said Vice
Admiral Paul Sullivan, USN (Ret.), 41st Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command
(COMNAVSEA). "The partnership has been particularly fruitful for surface
combatants. We have worked together on World War II destroyers right up to
today's LCS design. Gibbs & Cox is highly valued for its innovation,
intellectual capital, and work ethic." 

Over this 80-year period, more than 6,000 naval and commercial ships have been
built to Gibbs & Cox, Inc. designs. With the commissioning of the U.S. Navy`s
first Littoral Combat Ship (LCS-1) USS Freedom, nearly 80 percent of the current
U.S. Navy Ship Battle Forces surface combatant fleet, and over 45 percent of the
entire U.S. Navy's active in commission surface ship fleet, have been built to
Gibbs & Cox, Inc. designs. 

"As we celebrate 80 years of business, we salute the U.S. Navy and other
government customers, our employees past and present, and industry partners who
have supported us," said Kevin Moak, Chairman of Gibbs & Cox, Inc. "The future
is an exciting time for Gibbs & Cox as we continue to extend our legacy of
maritime innovation and design and engineering expertise to help the U.S. Navy
meet our nation`s maritime defense priorities with solutions that balance
capability and cost." 

Gibbs & Cox Today

Speaking of the impact Gibbs & Cox has had in shaping the modern maritime
industry, Vice Admiral Phil Balisle, USN (Ret.), 40th COMNAVSEA said, "Gibbs &
Cox has brought to our Navy, and to our Nation, generations of ships which have
taken our flag and our national sovereignty to far corners of a troubled world.
No one appreciates these ships more than the sailors that take them into harm`s
way." 

The LCS Program is the U.S. Navy's newest surface combatant program. USS
Freedom, LCS 1, designed by Gibbs & Cox, was delivered to the U.S. Navy in
September 2008 and commissioned in November 2008. Gibbs & Cox is teamed with
Lockheed Martin, Marinette Marine, and Bollinger Shipyards on the ongoing design
competition for the LCS design and construction. Gibbs & Cox will continue as
the Design Agent for the next Lockheed Martin LCS. The LCS is a high speed,
modular, focused mission combatant ship designed to fight against asymmetrical
forces in the littorals. 

"Gibbs & Cox`s long history of delivering quality ships to the U.S. Navy and its
allies makes them a natural choice as partners on the Littoral Combat Ship
program," said Fred P. Moosally, president of Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems &
Sensors. "We are all proud of USS Freedom and are looking forward to providing
the Navy more ships to meet its critical mission needs." 

Gibbs & Cox provides direct technical support to the U.S. Navy, including
support to the Next-Generation Cruiser [CG(X)] Program, the DDG 1000 Guided
Missile Destroyer Program, the DDG 51 Class AEGIS Guided Missile Destroyer
Program, the CG 47 Class AEGIS Guided Missile Cruiser modernization program, the
LHD 8/LHA6 Amphibious Assault Ship programs, as well as a variety of ship system
development and future force design programs. This ongoing work includes support
to NAVSEA program offices, Technical Warrant Holders, Warfare Centers and
laboratories. 

Central to the company`s future is the Government Services Group, which focuses
on services support programs to the U.S. Government. The Government Services
Group has experienced an impressive 30 percent growth over the past two years.
This growth is driven in large part by the U.S. Navy`s recent initiative to
bring more ship design work in-house. As this need for Government-led ship
design grows, Government Services will continue to be a strategic growth area
for the company. 

A Place in Maritime History

The company was founded on June 29, 1929 by lawyer and engineer William Francis
Gibbs, his brother Frederick H. Gibbs and Daniel Cox, a noted yacht designer. As
the inspirational leader of the company, William Francis, designed the famous,
standardized cargo-carrying Liberty ships of World War II and was instrumental
in the implementation of modular construction, centralized material and
equipment procurement, and design-for-production features that are the
foundation of cost-effective shipbuilding today. The firm developed and
implemented many improvements in ship design and construction based on fleet
feedback during World War II, constantly improving the designs of surface
combatants and other ships throughout the war. 

During World War II, Gibbs & Cox was a leader in the shaping of the U.S.
maritime forces. Approximately 80 percent of the ships built during the war were
built to Gibbs & Cox, Inc. designs. These included destroyers, destroyer
escorts, light cruisers, landing ships and amphibious assault vessels, liberty
ships, minesweepers, icebreakers, tankers and tenders. Since 1933, the firm has
designed every class of destroyers for the U.S. Navy, except the DD 963 and DDG
1000 Class ships. 

Following the war, Gibbs & Cox incorporated the advances in fire protection and
ship survivability developed during the war into the design of the passenger
liner SS United States (1952), a ship that many consider to be the greatest
American ocean liner ever built. This ship, which could be rapidly converted
from a luxury liner to a high-speed troop transport or hospital ship in wartime,
was the largest and fastest passenger vessel ever constructed in the U.S. On her
maiden voyage in 1952, she set the record for fastest eastbound and westbound
transatlantic crossings. Though she lost the eastbound record in 1990, the
westbound record still stands at 3 days, 12 hours and 12 minutes at an average
speed of over 34 knots (nearly 40 miles per hour). 

About Gibbs & Cox, Inc.

Gibbs & Cox, Inc. is an independent engineering and design firm specializing in
naval architecture, marine engineering, management support, and engineering
consulting. The firm is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia with offices in New
York City, Washington D.C., Hampton, Virginia, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
For additional information, visit http://www.gibbscox.com. 



Sage Communications
Duyen "Jen" Truong
703-584-5645
duyent@aboutsage.com



Copyright Business Wire 2009

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