Colonna's Shipyard

CNC Machining Careers in Norfolk, VA — Heavy Machining | Ship Repair & Fabrication | Marine Industry

🔎 At a glance

Company Name: Colonna's Shipyard (Steel America)
Location: Norfolk, VA
Founded: 1875 (Steel America division founded 2000)
Shop Type: Heavy machining & fabrication division of a full-service shipyard
Industries Served: Marine infrastructure, power generating stations, industrial plants, oil & gas, civil structures
Production Style: Custom, large-scale machining and fabrication — modular structures up to 1,000 metric tons, delivered by barge
Machining Capabilities: Precision machining and repair of shipboard components — shafts, bearings, valves, pumps, propellers, deck machinery — on manual lathes, mills, grinders, and boring mills
Certifications: Certified for work across multiple sectors (specific certifications not published)

🏭 About Colonna's Shipyard

Colonna's Shipyard was founded in 1875 in Norfolk, Virginia, when 26-year-old ship's carpenter Charles J. Colonna started the yard on a $2,000 loan from his brother, built on a simple policy: hard work, good value, and fair dealing. Over 150 years later, the company is still family-connected and still in Norfolk, now one of the largest full-service ship repair companies on the East Coast, maintaining commercial and government vessels. The yard has grown steadily — three floating drydocks, a 1,000-metric-ton Travelift, and a $20 million yard expansion in 2009 — and has expanded with Colonna's Shipyard West in San Diego and Accurity Industrial Contractors in Owensboro, KY.

Steel America, founded in 2000 as a division of Colonna's Shipyard, is the company's heavy machining and fabrication arm — described as one of the premier fabrication shops on the East Coast. It handles custom steel fabrication and large-scale precision machining, including modular structures up to 1,000 metric tons shipped directly to waterborne project sites by barge, with in-house estimating, engineering, and project management. Steel America's work supports marine infrastructure, power generating stations, industrial plants, oil & gas components, and civil structures, in addition to the ship repair and overhaul work that is Colonna's core business.

👍 Why you'll like working here

This is real, hands-on work on real ship systems — not production-line repetition. Machinists here work on actual shipboard components (engines, pumps, valves, propellers, rudders and steering systems, deck machinery) where tight tolerances genuinely matter, using manual lathes, mills, grinders, and boring mills. The variety is real: one job might be blue-checking a propeller fit, the next might be packing a valve or straightening a shaft. Senior machinists are expected to mentor newer crew members, and with a shipyard that's operated continuously in Norfolk since 1875, there's real long-term stability behind the work.

⚙️ What you'll be working on

Day to day work covers shipboard mechanical systems: rudders and steering systems (blue checking and fitting, piano wire alignment, shaft straightness), seals (gaskets, packing, O-rings), valves (leak testing, seat types, lapping), propellers (keyed, tapered, flanged, solid and built, CPP systems), pumps (internal/external valving, bearing and sealing arrangements, alignment), and deck machinery (gear boxes, bearings, alignments, drivers, cables). Machinists read blueprints and technical drawings, use precision measuring instruments (micrometers, height gauges, Vernier calipers, dividing heads), and operate manual lathes, mills, grinders, and boring mills to machine, modify, and repair components to exact tolerances — sometimes down to half-thousandths. Steel America's fabrication side also produces large modular steel structures up to 1,000 metric tons.

⭐ Shop highlights

150+ years in continuous operation in Norfolk (founded 1875). Three floating drydocks and a 1,000-metric-ton Travelift on site. Steel America division (est. 2000) is recognized as one of the premier fabrication shops on the East Coast. Part of a broader group that includes Colonna's Shipyard West (San Diego, CA) and Accurity Industrial Contractors (Owensboro, KY). Work spans both Navy/government and commercial vessel repair, plus marine infrastructure, power, oil & gas, and civil fabrication projects.

🛠️ Machines & technology

Manual lathes, mills, grinders, and boring mills for shipboard component machining and repair. Precision measuring and alignment equipment including micrometers, height gauges, Vernier calipers, and dividing heads. Hoisting and rigging equipment (forklifts, chain falls) for heavy components. Steel America's fabrication shop also runs large-format equipment supporting modular structures up to 1,000 metric tons.

📏 Quality & inspection

Work is held to tight shipboard tolerances — in some cases down to half-thousandths — verified with precision measuring instruments and blueprint-spec checks throughout the job. Steel America states it holds certifications across multiple sectors supporting its marine, power, oil & gas, and civil fabrication work, though specific certification bodies aren't published.

💼 Current CNC career opportunities

1st Class Inside Machinist (2nd Shift)
2nd Class Inside Machinist (2nd Shift)
1st Class Field (Manual) Machinist

View current opportunities and apply through hireCNC.