During World War II, the shipyard was managed by the American Ship Building Company for the United States Maritime Commission. It had a yard in New Orleans and built 188 ships. Delta Shipbuilding Company built 187 Liberty ships, many of which were put up in less than 2 months. The shipyard was founded specifically for the war effort. Unfortunately, as was the case with every shipyard at the time, people who were working at Delta Shipbuilding Company were heavily exposed to asbestos. This makes former employees susceptible to developing harrowing diseases today, such as lung cancer and mesothelioma. We strongly advise everyone who had a job at this shipyard to undergo regular screening, as diseases stemming from asbestos exposure can take up to 50 years to arise.