The Gulf Shipbuilding Corporation is a subsidiary of Waterman Steamship Corporation. The corporation bought the shipyard in July 1940 and began to receive its first contracts for cargo ships from the Maritime Commission. During World War II, the shipyard produced a variety of cargo ships, destroyers, and minesweepers. At the end of World War II, the demand for ships diminished, and the shipyard was closed. Sadly, for workers in shipyards, asbestos exposure has been common. All workers in the construction and maintenance of these ships were exposed to inhalation or ingestion of asbestos: pipefitters, boiler workers, engine room mechanics, electricians, insulators, maintenance workers, sheet metal workers welders.