REGENT completes world's first Seaglider Manufacturing Facility, anchoring America's lead in maritime innovation

Landmark 255,000-square-foot Seaglider Manufacturing Facility at 1 Seaglider Way is now complete, creating hundreds of American jobs and anchoring Rhode Island as the global capital of the Blue Economy.

North Kingstown, RI, June 16, 2026 — REGENT Craft, the developer and manufacturer of Seaglider vessels, today announced the completion of the world's first Seaglider Manufacturing Facility, located at 1 Seaglider Way in Quonset Business Park, North Kingstown, Rhode Island. The milestone was unveiled at the Reindustrialize conference in Detroit, where REGENT debuted a new 3D model and a fully immersive 3D experience that lets visitors virtually step onto the production floor and watch Seaglider vessels take shape.

Seaglider vessels are high-speed hydrofoiling wing-in-ground effect (WIG) craft that operate in three modes: float, foil, and fly. They start on their hulls at slow speed, transition on hydrofoils once safely away from the dock, and take off in flight over the water within a wingspan of the surface, combining the speed of an aircraft with the convenience of a boat.  

The facility completion signals a defining moment for American manufacturing: a new category of vessel, designed and built in the United States, ready to serve customers around the world. The Seaglider Manufacturing Facility will serve as the global production hub for REGENT's commercial order book, which exceeds $10 billion across six continents, encompassing orders from leading airline and ferry operators worldwide. It will also support REGENT's growing defense business, including $15 million in contracts with the U.S. Marine Corps.

"The Seaglider Manufacturing Facility is our part in helping America lead the next generation of manufacturing and transportation technology,” said Billy Thalheimer, co-founder and CEO, REGENT.” From our facility at 1 Seaglider Way, we will deliver Seaglider vessels to customers on six continents, create hundreds of high-quality American jobs, and show the world what it looks like when innovation and manufacturing meet at scale. We built this facility the way we build our vessels: with precision, purpose, and an uncompromising commitment to quality and safety."

World-class facility built for the future of American shipbuilding

Spanning 255,000 square feet, the facility features dedicated areas for structural assembly, wing and hydrofoil integration, battery and systems installation, and water-based test and acceptance operations, with tooling, metrology, and quality checkpoints embedded throughout. The facility's location within Quonset Business Park provides direct waterfront access for sea trials, established logistics infrastructure, and proximity to Rhode Island's skilled maritime and manufacturing workforce.  

The layout is engineered to support phased capacity increases as production scales, without compromising safety or certification objectives. From this site, REGENT will manage end-to-end production of its 12-passenger Viceroy Seaglider vessel and its Squire Seaglider drone, while anchoring a domestic supply chain built for high-rate manufacturing and cementing Rhode Island's position as the global hub for maritime innovation.

"We have built a factory that combines the best of modern manufacturing technology with the deep skills of Rhode Island's maritime workforce,” said Mark Duchesne, VP of Manufacturing & Supply Chain, REGENT. “Every system, every tool, every layout decision was made with one goal: to produce the highest-quality Seaglider vessels in the world, consistently, at scale, and with the traceability that certification demands. This will be American manufacturing at its best."

Made in America: jobs and economic growth

The Seaglider Manufacturing Facility is a cornerstone of REGENT's commitment to American-made production and domestic economic growth. The company has pledged to create 300 jobs, with the potential to expand to 750 positions, at the North Kingstown facility over the next decade through Rhode Island's Qualified Jobs Program.

These are high-quality, skilled positions in manufacturing, engineering, quality assurance, logistics, and operations, contributing to a broader ecosystem of suppliers, subcontractors, and service providers in the Ocean State. REGENT has already reinvested $71.5 million into Rhode Island's economy and created more than 100 jobs ahead of the facility's completion.

Rhode Island's Quonset Business Park, with its storied legacy in defense manufacturing and maritime industry, provides the ideal home for this next chapter. The site has been formally renamed 1 Seaglider Way, a recognition by local officials of the facility's significance to the region's future.

Furthermore, REGENT is aligned with the broader focus on rebuilding the American maritime industrial base and the future of American Shipbuilding. Through partnership with the Department of War and aligned with the Trump Administration’s initiatives on manufacturing, restoring American maritime dominance, and the Maritime Action Plan, REGENT is helping strengthen economic, military, industrial, and national security for future generations.

Revealed in Detroit: Immersive 3D experience

Thalheimer announced the facility's completion on the headline stage at the REindustrialize conference, a gathering dedicated to the renewal of American industry. At the event, the company unveiled a new 3D model of the completed facility alongside a fully immersive 3D experience that transports viewers onto the production floor, offering an unprecedented look at Seaglider manufacturing in action. REGENT also debuted a Seaglider simulator where participants could take the controls and float, foil, and fly, alongside a full-scale interior mock-up of the Viceroy Seaglider vessel.

The immersive reveal reflects REGENT's belief that rebuilding American manufacturing requires not just investment and technology, but a bold vision that the public, investors, and partners can see and believe in. Detroit, a city synonymous with American industrial heritage and reinvention, provided the ideal backdrop for that message.

About REGENT

REGENT is pioneering the future of maritime mobility through the development and manufacturing of Seaglider™ vessels — high-speed hydrofoiling wing-in-ground effect (WIG) craft that operate over the water within a wingspan of the surface, combining the speed of an aircraft with the convenience of a boat. A dual-use company headquartered in Rhode Island, REGENT has secured global commercial orders valued at more than $10 billion from leading airline and ferry operators around the world, as well as contracts with the U.S. Marine Corps. REGENT has raised more than $100 million from investors including 8090 Industries, Founders Fund, Japan Airlines, and Lockheed Martin. Learn more at www.regentcraft.com.

Contact: REGENT Craft Press Team | regent@boldspace.com