Southwest Shipyard

Southwest Shipyard began in 1954 when our founder, Mr. Henry Hilliard, recognized the need for a Channelview barge fleeting facility to serve Houston’s busy ship channel. As traffic in the ship channel grew, so did our reputation for quality, service and safety. A reputation that now spans more than six decades and three generations of family ownership.

Over the years, the company Mr. Hilliard started has changed quite a bit. Today Mr. Hilliard’s grandson, Henry “Hank” Hilliard is Chairman of the board and Southwest Shipyard’s services now include gas freeing and cleaning services, steaming and flaring services, barge and boat repair, surface preparation and painting, water treatment and new construction services.

We have maintained a reputation for quality, safety and environmental excellence that spans more than six decades and three generations of proud family ownership. From our early days as a barge fleeting facility, we have grown to provide a wide range of services to the inland marine industry: gas freeing and cleaning services, steaming and flaring services, barge and boat repair, surface preparation and painting, water treatment and new construction services.

We currently operate four shipyard facilities along the Texas Gulf Coast—at Channelview, Brady Island, Brady Island West and Galveston—all with convenient deep-water access to the Gulf of Mexico.

As one of the largest shipyards and barge cleaning facilities on the Gulf Coast, Southwest Shipyard is equipped to build and repair a wide range of barges, boats, OSVs, ferries and tugs. Our twelve dry docks and two rail lines capable of supporting up to 14 barges at a time, gives us the most out of water repair capability.