Inside The Largest Shipbuilding Company In The US Where The Navy's Massive $14 Billion Dollar Aircraft Carrier Is Being Built [PHOTOS]

Robert Johnson for Business InsiderThe USS Gerald R. Ford's propellers. When Newport News shipyard built its first boat, the Dorothy, on Virginia's James River in 1890, it was the beginning of an American legacy. Though they didn't know it at the time, Newport News Shipbuilding quickly proved itself.

Not long after the Dorothy's launch, the shipyard became renowned for the quality of its ships and the size of its yard - the largest in the world during the early 20th century.

It's a different world in the shipyard; everything is on a scale that's tough to wrap your head around, even the length of its employees' tenure. It's not uncommon for Newport News workers to retire from the company with more than 50 years of service. This is the shipyard where the world's most expensive ship is being built afterall.

The company's human resource officer and corporate VP, Bill Ermatinger, told Business Insider that he has fifth-generation employees today following in the footsteps of their great-great-great-grandfathers.

The following photos offer a glimpse inside this unique shipbuilding facility with a grand history, and the long relationship with those who defend this country on the seas.