In 1871, Roach bought the failed shipyard of Reaney, Son & Archbold in Chester, Pennsylvania, thoroughly modernized it, renamed it the Delaware River Iron Ship Building and Engine Works, and turned it into America's largest and most prolific shipyard, a position it maintained until the mid-1880s. In spite of the fact that the Chester shipyard had its own engine building plant, Roach retained ownership of the Morgan Iron Works, using it to build engines both for his own ships and for third party contracts, and also for ship repairs and outfitting of new vessels. Roach in fact expanded the Works for its new role, adding upholsterers for the production of ship's furniture and expanding the plumbing department. Additionally, he was able to use the Morgan Works to keep his business running during industrial action, when he would simply transfer his operations from one yard to the other. He retained the name of the Morgan Iron Works, but made it a subsidiary of a new management company, John Roach & Son (later John Roach & Sons).