Austal USA started operations in 1999 with under 100 employees on a 14-acre facility that consisted of a 90 x 60 assembly bay fronted by a 380-foot wharf. The original support staff of six included three vice presidents and their assistants and the team worked in a double-wide trailer.The first major expansion was completed in November 2005, shortly after Austal began designing the Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship for the U.S. Navy. This expansion included two additional assembly bays, two launch pads, and a combined wharf (bulkhead) length of 750 feet.more