Up Close & Personal

Northrop Grumman’s Irwin F. Edenzon Building Ships & Careers

When the USS New York (LPD 21) sailed from Northrop Grumman’s Avondale Shipyard, thousands of people lined the banks of the Mississippi River to celebrate its completion. Made with 71⁄2 tons of steel from the World Trade Center, the LPD 17 Class ship garnered both local and national media attention. Coverage focused on the kinship between the people of New York and New Orleans and the men and women who played a part in building a ship that symbolizes America’s rebirth.

For Sector Vice President and General Manager of Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding – Gulf Coast, Irwin F. Edenzon, the event was doubly special. “The USS New York is undoubtedly a special ship. But what was most fulfilling to me was the fact that Americans were given insight into our shipbuilding team and the work we do here at Avondale,” he said. “This facility has played an instrumental part in the defense of our nation since World War II.”

Avondale was originally founded in 1938 near the foot of the Huey P. Long Bridge in Jefferson Parish. The site remains a part of the facility, which has now grown into a 268-acre shipyard of Northrop Grumman Corporation. With approximately 5,500 employees, Avondale is the largest private manufacturing employer in the state, generating nearly $1 billion in economic impact.

According to Edenzon, the number that means the most is not the $1 billion figure but the 5,500 staff under his direction at the Avondale site. The Gulf Coast shipbuilding operations under Edenzon’s control include five other facilities in other states and a total of 19,000 employees. “The most challenging part of the business is managing our workforce. Not only do we have skilled craftspeople, welders, engineers and fitters that handle the shipbuilding component, we also have accountants, lawyers, medics and firemen. Basically we have all of the employment opportunities that you would find in a small city.”

“My job is not only about building ships, it’s also about building careers,” said Edenzon. “With more than 2,200 different job categories at the shipyard alone, we provide our employees with opportunities to train and grow in their chosen fields whether it be through our tuition reimbursement programs or in-house training.”

This level of commitment has led to an astounding longevity rate. Of the 1,300 employees from Northrop Grumman Corporation who have been with the company for 40 years or more, more than half of them are shipbuilders.

Avondale has done much more than invest in its current employees. It also takes part in training potential employees, as well. The company is involved with a School to Career welding program at Bonnabel High School, a successful apprenticeship program and the UNO-Northrop Grumman Maritime Technology Center for Excellence dedicated to advancing maritime engineering and ship design. It is also working to develop a Shipbuilding Center of Excellence in association with Louisiana Community and Technical College System and Delgado.

“Not everyone is cut out to go to college; the technical schools in the area teach skills that can result in long-term employment. When we invest in mechanics, welders, electricians and the like, we’d like them to ultimately stay with the company throughout their careers,” Edenzon said. “However, if they choose to leave, they do so with a marketable skill. And that is good for all of us.”

Edenzon admits he took a circuitous route to his chosen profession. He received a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, magna cum laude, from Rutgers University and his master’s degree in business administration from Florida Atlantic University. While he was unsure whether his career would be as a law enforcement officer or an attorney, Edenzon was certain that he wanted to feel that what he did mattered. Running a shipbuilding operation may be a far cry from his original career path, but his intention behind the work is exactly the same. “I wanted to think that what I did was important,” he said. “What we do here, building ships for our Navy, is important.”

“I have had the good fortune to work with true heroes,” he said. “One of the most awe-inspiring parts of my job is to work with the people who serve our country. Here at Avondale, we are building the tools of their trade.”