Northrop back on schedule

Gulf Coast shipyards recovering from Katrina’s fury but not yet at full strength, executive says. One year after Hurricane Katrina, Northrop Grumman Corp.’s Gulf Coast shipyards are recovering ahead of schedule but still aren’t at full strength, the company’s top shipbuilding official said on the anniversary of the storm.

“We’re still living in a disaster zone, but we’re considerably ahead of where we thought we might be,” said Phil Teel, who oversees the shipyards as president of Northrop’s Ship Systems division.