Hephaestus Industries

Hephaestus Industries is an industrial conglomerate that focuses mainly on the production of FTL spacecraft for both civilian and military applications.

General
Official Title(s): Hephaestus Industries, Hephaestus Heavy Industries, Hephaestus Shipbuilding Incorporated

Motto: Et nos vobis magis ad astra.

Headquarters: Government District 7, New Gibson, Tau Ceti

Official Languages: Sol Common, Tau Ceti Basic

Work Force: (2450 Investor Audit Report)

340,000 - Total Number of Employees (Estimated)

312,000 - Industrial Technicians (Estimated)

14,000 - Industrial Overseers (Estimated)

8,000 - Public Relations (Estimated)

5,000 - Acquisitions (Estimated)

1,000 - Investor Assurance Specialists (Estimated)

Influence
Tau Ceti: Granted jurisdiction by the Republic of Biesel over Fabrication Districts 12, 23, 32, 55, 67 and 74 on the planet of New Gibson; HQ located in Government District 7 on New Gibson.

Sol: Several industrial megacomplexes located approximately 35 km outside of Lowell City, Mars; 2 assembly plants located on Luna.

History
Originally founded in the year 2137, seven years after the advent of Warp technology allowed for the first instances of FTL travel, Hephaestus Aeronautics was formed from the conglomeration of several failing aerospace companies, and was able to dig itself out of its economic hole by becoming a subsidiary of Einstein Engines. Hephaestus Aeronautics produced the Warp-enabled probes that scouted nearby star systems from the early to mid-2100's, and also manufactured many large components for the assembly of Einstein Engines' colony ships. While initially a very profitable subsidiary of Einstein Engines, Hephaestus Aeronautics faced severe budget cuts and downsizing after Einstein Engines found a new source of even cheaper labor in the form of newly established colony worlds in the outer systems. Hephaestus Aerospace became little more than an administrative division, with most of the industrial process of building starships taken out of their hands.

However, in 2404, a board of independent investors bought Hephaestus Aeronautics from Einstein Engines, transforming it into Hephaestus Industries. Using newly patented industrial techniques, Hephaestus Industries began once again producing spacecraft components much more efficiently and inexpensively than its competitors, driving up its market share. Following first contact with the Skrell in 2413, the company's market share exploded after the board of directors was able to convince Skrellian scientists to help them develop and patent even more efficient industrial techniques. Now rapidly growing, Hephaestus Industries had to expand. Through several adept political maneuvers, Hephaestus Industries was granted the rights of jurisdiction over several fabrication districts on New Gibson by the Republic of Biesel. With a massive source of extremely cheap labor at their disposal, Hephaestus Industries was not just able to forge the components for starships, but was also able to assemble them as well and brand them under unique patents.

Some years after Nanotrasen's rise due to the discovery and refinement of Plasma, Hephaestus Industries entered into an economic partnership with Nanotrasen, offering up its services to both manufacture the components for Bluespace drives and to fit those drives onto the ships that they produced, granting royalties to Nanotrasen for the right to do so. This "alliance of shared interests" has persevered into the present day. Today, Hephaestus Industries produces the battleships used by Nanotrasen to defend their corporate interests. Approximately 38% of all registered spacecraft are produced by Hephaestus Industries.