REGENT Craft has completed a Seaglider Manufacturing Facility at Quonset Business Park in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, anchoring a global production hub for its electric hydrofoiling vessels.
The 255,000-square-foot facility, reportedly a world first, is designed to support the end-to-end production of the 12-passenger Viceroy Seaglider vessel and the Squire Seaglider drone. Seaglider vessels operate as high-speed hydrofoiling wing-in-ground effect craft. They function in three distinct modes, starting on their hulls at slow speeds, transitioning onto hydrofoils once away from the dock, and taking off in flight within a wingspan of the water’s surface to combine aircraft speeds with the convenience of a traditional boat.
The new facility features dedicated zones for structural assembly, wing and hydrofoil integration, battery and systems installation, and water-based test and acceptance operations. Integrated throughout the layout are automated tooling, metrology, and quality checkpoints designed to handle phased capacity increases as production scales. Located with direct waterfront access for sea trials, the site leverages established logistics infrastructure and Rhode Island’s skilled maritime workforce.
The manufacturing hub will service REGENT’s commercial order book, which exceeds $10 billion across six continents from global airline and ferry operators. It will also support the company’s defense portfolio, which includes $15 million in contracts with the U.S. Marine Corps.
Billy Thalheimer, Co-Founder and CEO, REGENT, said, “The Seaglider Manufacturing Facility is our part in helping America lead the next generation of manufacturing and transportation technology. 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.”
REGENT has committed to creating 300 jobs, with the potential to expand to 750 positions over the next decade through Rhode Island’s Qualified Jobs Program. These roles span manufacturing, engineering, quality assurance, logistics, and operations. Ahead of the facility’s completion, the company has reinvested $71.5 million into the Rhode Island economy and created more than 100 jobs. Local officials have formally renamed the site’s address to 1 Seaglider Way to recognize its regional significance.
Mark Duchesne, VP of Manufacturing & Supply Chain, REGENT, added, “We have built a factory that combines the best of modern manufacturing technology with the deep skills of Rhode Island’s maritime workforce. 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.”
The company’s operations align with broader efforts to rebuild the American maritime industrial base and strengthen domestic shipbuilding. Through a partnership with the Department of War and alignment with the Trump Administration’s initiatives on manufacturing, the Maritime Action Plan, and restoring American maritime dominance, the project aims to support economic, military, industrial, and national security interests.
The facility’s completion was announced at the Reindustrialize conference in Detroit, where the company debuted a new 3D model, a Seaglider flight simulator, and a full-scale interior mock-up of the Viceroy vessel. The event also featured an immersive 3D experience that allows visitors to virtually view the production floor layout and the assembly process.
