But the shipbuilding industry crumbled rapidly in the 1970s and 1980s, and Tate & Lyle shut the final Greenock sugar refinery in 1997.
There were hopes that electronics firms such as IBM would replace the old industries but the “Silicon Glen” dream faltered, with the firm scaling down its operations, then closing its main Spango Valley site in 2016.
The establishment of an Amazon “fulfilment centre” at Gourock provided a glimmer of hope in the early 2000s but that too shut down three years ago.
McCabe, who leads a minority Labour administration, wants ministers to treat the area as a special case, providing more incentives to attract new employers.
He said: “It’s time for the Scottish government to recognise that Inverclyde is a priority.
“We’ve seen how they responded to other jobs crises in the likes of Grangemouth and Alexander Dennis at Falkirk.
“They need to recognise the jobs that we’ve lost is so significant that there needs to be special support.”
A socio-economic taskforce set up four years ago put forward regeneration proposals totalling £70m – and some money has been forthcoming.
A £24m redevelopment of central Greenock, mainly funded by UK Levelling Up money, is currently under way to improve the appearance and layout of the town.
About £11m of public funds has been spent upgrading facilities at the Inchgreen Marine Park, a joint venture owned by the council and Peel Ports – although campaigners complain they have yet to see it generate any jobs.
Another £20m was recently pledged from the UK’s Growth Mission Fund to repair the Inchgreen dry dock – a huge ship repair facility barely used in two decades – and to set up a maritime training centre.