Antin Completes Acquisition of Vigor Marine Group
Partnership aligns strong infrastructure investor with leading marine maintenance, fabrication and services provider
Antin Infrastructure Partners, a leading private equity firm focused on infrastructure investments, has completed the acquisition of Vigor Marine Group from an affiliate of Lone Star Funds. Vigor Marine Group is a leading provider of maintenance, repair and overhaul services, as well as marine fabrication and services to the naval, defense and commercial maritime sectors in the United States. The transaction partners two organizations with deep history in the maritime and infrastructure spaces, and positions VMG to expand capacity across the company’s five locations, accelerate work to innovate in the maritime sector and grow the skilled workforce to meet increasing demand.
The acquisition marks Antin's continued investment in U.S. infrastructure, following significant investments in the transportation, energy and digital sectors. It represents the seventh investment by the firm's $11.6 billion Flagship Fund V, which focuses on investments in established infrastructure companies in North America and Europe.
“This new partnership with Antin is a tremendous opportunity for Vigor Marine Group to realize our vision of being the most innovative, technologically advanced, forward-looking provider for the U.S. Navy and our many government and commercial customers,” said CEO Francesco Valente. “It represents a key moment for VMG and our maritime industrial base, when a strong investor recognized the value and opportunity in U.S. shipyards. We couldn’t be more excited to evolve and strengthen our ability to serve our customers through innovative solutions that get them back to work faster and with better quality than before.”
Based in Portland, Oregon, Vigor Marine Group operates shipyard and fabrication facilities across Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, WA, San Diego and Norfolk, VA, with six drydocks and 29 berths serving government and commercial clients. The company eclipsed$1 billion in revenue in 2025 and employs approximately 2,700 workers. Antin's investment commitment will focus on ensuring capacity is aligned with the growing importance of the U.S.’s Pacific seaports, upgrading advanced manufacturing equipment and technology across all facilities, and developing workforce training programs to address skilled labor shortages in the maritime sector.
“Vigor Marine Group represents the kind of long-term investment Antin pursues,” said Ryan Shockley, Senior Partner at Antin Infrastructure Partners. “We are very excited about the platform and are focused on expanding capacity. We look forward to getting to work with Francesco and his great management team to write another chapter in VMG’s growth journey.”
Vigor Marine Group CEO Francesco Valente and the entire U.S.-based management team will continue to lead the company, ensuring continuity of leadership and execution of Vigor’s long-term strategy. That continuity will help VMG build on its growth over the past two decades, which has featured organic expansion and strategic acquisitions. Over the past three years, the company brought five separate entities under the same brand, invested over $170 million in facility improvements and technology upgrades and introduced partnerships such as with Samsung Heavy Industries, which support expansion of MRO availabilities overseas and advances in U.S.-based technology and workforce development.
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC served as financial adviser to Antin and Latham & Watkins LLP and Milbank LLP served as legal counsel. Evercore and Macquarie Capital served as financial advisers to Vigor Marine Group and Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal counsel.
Vigor Marine Group is a values-driven, established, differentiated, solutions provider with a national footprint in marine maintenance and modernization, marine fabrication, and marine services. With operations in five locations, the family of companies employs approximately 2,700 people in the Pacific Northwest, Virginia and California. Vigor Marine Group’s spirit of innovation and legacy of performance make it a preferred, full-service prime contractor in the defense and maritime sectors, offering advanced services and complete solutions for the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, Military Sealift Command, U.S. Coast Guard, state ferry systems, the cruise industry, the commercial fishing industry, and more. Vigor Marine Group strives to be a positive, regenerative force for good in the lives of its employees and in the community. For more information, visit vigormarine.com
About Antin Infrastructure Partners
Antin Infrastructure Partners is a leading private equity firm focused on infrastructure. With over €33 billion in assets under management across its Flagship, Mid Cap and NextGen investment strategies, Antin targets investments in the energy and environment, digital, transport and social infrastructure sectors. With offices in Paris, London, New York, Seoul, Melbourne and Luxembourg, Antin employs over 250 professionals dedicated to growing, improving and transforming infrastructure businesses while delivering long-term value to portfolio companies and investors. Majority owned by its partners, Antin is listed on Euronext Paris (Ticker: ANTIN – ISIN: FR0014005AL0). For more information visit: www.antin-ip.com.
Benton Strong,
Director, Public Affairs