Americraft Marine Appoints Peter Fetten as Chairman
Americraft Marine, one of the maritime subsidiaries of Libra Group that owns and operates a Jones Act shipbuilding facility in Palatka, Fla., has announced the appointment of Peter Fetten as Chairman of Americraft.A seasoned leader with four decades in the marine engineering and shipbuilding sectors, Fetten will help shape the strategic direction of Americraft Marine as it works to advance U.S. shipbuilding and the demand for Jones Act vessels. Americraft Marine's St. Johns Ship Building, performs both new construction and repair of a wide variety of steel and aluminum vessels, including ferries
Svitzer Building New Training Center in Australia
training capabilities to the East Coast of New South Wales (NSW).The company reports construction is underway at its Port of Newcastle tug base, where Svitzer’s innovative, new TRAnsverse tug vessels are forecast to enter service in 2025 (the second and third to be deployed in the world). The facility will feature state-of-the-art Kongsberg Digital maritime simulators in support of crew training and other marine applications.Svitzer Australia chief operating officer, David Phillips, said, ”We are excited to see construction underway for a facility that will provide the latest and most
Ramping up Warship Production, Shipbuilder to Add 1000 Jobs
Babcock International Group (Babcock) is creating more than 1,000 new jobs at its large-scale, advanced manufacturing and shipbuilding facility in Rosyth.The new job opportunities will include 400 apprenticeships, 350 production support operatives, skilled engineers, tradespeople, and graduates to support programs like the Type 31 frigate design and build."Attracting and retaining talent is essential to the future success of our business and directly benefits the local communities in which we operate," said David Lockwood, Chief Executive, Babcock International Group.
Barnard Joins Gibdock as Commercial Director
, Owner and CEO. "His exceptional track record in managing and leading diverse maritime engineering projects aligns perfectly with our vision for the future. We look forward to leveraging his expertise as we continue to strengthen Gibdock's position as a leading engineering and ship repair facility."(Photo: Gibdock
New Leadership at Mustang Survival and Wing Group
for this pivotal role at Mustang Survival. Kenny has consistently worked across the retail sector and knows how to navigate the complexities of commercial and military operations.’Ballard will lead from the Mustang Waterlife Headquarters Vancouver, BC, which includes the local manufacturing facility. He’ll be overseeing the newly moved and expanded Jacksonville Florida plant, operations in Spencer, Virginia, and the overseas office in Salisbury, UK.Lance Richardson will have his desk next to Ballard’s at the Vancouver headquarters. As an Arc’teryx and Herschel alumni, Richardson&rs
BAE Systems Begins Building Shipbuilding Academy in Glasgow
. These new facilities will also enable a substantial expansion of the early careers programs at BAE Systems, doubling the intake in Glasgow to more than 200 new apprentices each year.Paul Feely, Academy and Engineering Director, BAE Systems’ Naval Ships business, said, "This new training facility is an exciting demonstration of our commitment to shipbuilding on the Clyde, allowing us to further support thousands of highly skilled jobs in Scotland. Our investment in Glasgow will help us to deliver the national endeavor that is the Type 26 program and ensure that we can provide navies around
Interview: Juha Kytölä, Director of R&D and Engineering, Wärtsilä
for the environment. These are fantastic times for people in research and development; it’s motivating for our people, working to contribute to decarbonization in a global business.Wärtsilä has a relatively new sustainable technology hub in Vaasa, Finland. Can you tell us about the new facility; specifically, what does it add to Wartsila’s overall capability in helping to create and deliver decarbonization technologies in the maritime sector?We indeed have made great investment within Wärtsilä for developing the facilities and the infrastructure so that we can make steps
Svitzer Orders Kongsberg Digital Simulators in Australia
includes an advanced Instructor System with a CCTV system for monitoring and debriefing, comprehensive training of the instructors, and a warranty for the entire system.Designed for Svitzer's Tug Master training on the new TRAnsverse Tug, the simulator suite will be installed at their operations facility in Newcastle. Not only will it serve the training needs of harbor pilots and tug masters from Newcastle port, but it will also cater to professionals worldwide.David Phillips, Chief Operating Officer, Svitzer Australia, said, “We are committed to investing in safe, reliable, and efficient
Murdaugh Resigns as Austal USA President
Rusty Murdaugh has resigned as president of Austal USA effective August 30, 2023, the Mobile, Ala. based shipbuilder announced.Murdaugh was named president in September 2021 after serving as acting president since February 2021. During his tenure Austal USA completed the addition of steel shipbuilding capability to its Mobile shipyard, and opened a waterfront ship repair facility in San Diego.Michelle Kruger, Austal USA vice president of global services and support, has been named acting president until a successor is named.
Jamaica and Canada Sign Reciprocal Seafarer Recognition Agreement
, Marine Safety & Security at Transport Canada, and Rear Admiral (retd) Peter Brady, Director General of the Maritime Authority of Jamaica.Brady commented: “This is a milestone for both our countries’ seafarers and indeed our respective maritime and transport administrations. Utilising the facility of the STCW Convention we are able to allow our professional mariners to legally work on board the ships that are flagged by our two countries. For Jamaica this is very important so that our seafarers get the opportunity to work on Canadian ships and be paid decent wages.”Stressing the importance
Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding Expands Partnership with Local Technical College
economic development. “Strengthening our area workforce through customized training is vital to our region’s economic growth. NWTC is thrilled to continue our work with FBS and build an industry-leading workforce.”FBS, part of the Fincantieri Marine Group, is a 63-acre, custom-built facility designed for new construction, major conversions, repairs, and sustainment of commercial and government vessels. It has years of work underway and planned, such as building additional liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering barges and a service operation vessel (SOV) to support the offshore wind industry
Next Wave of North American LNG Export Projects to Face Labor Challenges
projects, the initial ones, were as much as two to three thousand dollars per tonne of production, said Chairman Paul Varello. "Our number is like $700 per tonne."Venture Global LNG stitched together 18 liquefaction units in its highly modular Calcasieu Pass LNG plant, allowing it to open the facility in what it said was record time. But problems with the equipment have prevented it from delivering contract cargoes, the company has said. First commercial cargoes will not be available until 2024, two years after processing began.(Reuters - Reporting by Curtis Williams in Houston and Nia Williams
Mack Boring Names Henkin COO
has been promoted to the role of Chief Operating Officer for Mack Boring & Parts Co. Most recently Henkin was Director of Operations since 2010, and has led the integration of lean manufacturing principles into our operations, implemented his second ERP upgrade in 2020, planned and led a facility move from Union, NJ to Somerset, NJ and has been instrumental in the many systems Mack Boring has developed internally to manage its 400+ dealers and eight major product lines.Henkin joined Mack Boring in 1999, and he Jon earned a BS in Business from Boston College in 1996 and his MBA from Rutgers
Jobs at Stake as California Port Terminal Upgrades to Green Technology
Unions hope a $30 million grant to electrify tractors in a Long Beach, California, port terminal's final push to become the world's first zero-emissions facility will serve as a bulwark against lost jobs in an era of energy transition and increasing automation. The money from U.S. President Joe Biden's administration for Long Beach Container Terminal's purchase of 60 electric yard tractors that haul shipping containers from stacks to waiting trains comes with strings attached: the new equipment must be operated by humans.The drivers of those new tractors will labor alongside more
Retailers, Manufacturers Urge White House to Mediate in West Coast Ports Labor Dispute
disruptions will force retailers and other important shipping partners to continue to shift cargo away from the West Coast ports until a new labor contract is established," French said.The Port of Long Beach's Total Terminals International LLC (TTI) canceled appointments on Monday. That facility is majority owned by container shipping giant Mediterranean Shipping Company SA (MSC).Representatives from TTI and the longshore union, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.All terminals were open at the Port of Los Angeles, the nation's busiest, and at Oakland, California, representat
Career Moves: US Offshore Wind Powering Up
workforce).’”Kent was asked if workforce development has expanded to the scale needed by Vineyard Wind. He said no, not yet. For example, he said that a dearth of programs for HUET – helicopter underwater escape training – has created a bottleneck. For Vineyard, the closest HUET facility is in Groton, Conn., and Kent said, “They’re packed full pretty much through the summer.” New employees may need to travel to the Gulf region for HUET. Bristol Community College in Massachusetts is developing a HUET program, but it will start too late, Kent said, for Vineyard&rsquo
MGBW Workers Complete In-house Welding Program
Marine Group Boat Works (MGBW), a family-owned boat repair and construction facility, is pleased to announce that 30 of its boatbuilders recently graduated from MGBW’s in-house Welding Certification Program. The Welding Program was launched in 2021 with support from a Small Shipyards Grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD). In total, $859,250 was spent to develop the curriculum, secure an instructor, equip the welding classroom and sustain the vital program with a cost share of 67% covered by the grant with the remaining expenses covered by MGBW.
