Sorenson Joins St. Johns Ship Building in VP Role
St. Johns Ship Building announced it has appointed Jim Sorenson as vice president of government sales. Sorenson will spearhead all government-related sales efforts at the Palatka, Fla.-based shipyard and report directly to Joe Rella, president of St. Johns Ship Building.With over 20 years of experience in the maritime industry, Sorenson brings a wealth of expertise in government and commercial sales, project management and customer relations. Most recently, Sorenson served as director of sales at Willard Marine, Inc. Before his role at Willard Marine, Sorenson held key leadership positions at Lake
Port NOLA Names Beth Ann Branch President & CEO
MBA from the University of North Carolina.“I am truly honored to join the Port NOLA and NOPB teams,” said incoming Port NOLA President & CEO and NOPB CEO, Beth Ann Branch. “Port NOLA plays an essential role in driving economic growth for our region and state, and I look forward to building on this strong foundation in global commerce. Together, we will pave the way for more opportunities, creating jobs and driving the economy. I’m eager to work with leaders at all levels as we continue to invest in infrastructure and secure long-term prosperity for Louisiana.”In addition
Bill Sanson Joins LeeWay Marine as President
and continue to drive growth.”“I’m thrilled to join the LeeWay team and look forward to contributing to the company’s ongoing success,” Sanson said. “LeeWay has a strong reputation in the industry for its commitment to excellence and innovation. I look forward to building on this foundation and helping to drive the company’s growth in new and exciting directions.”In the past 24 months, LeeWay has expanded its global reach by operating in six different countries, which has been a significant driver of growth, and developed new global partnerships focused
Canadian Shipbuilder Davie Names Maxie Lafleur President
Canadian shipbuilder Davie announced it has appointed Maxie Lafleur as president, bringing in a business executive from outside the shipbuilding sector to help drive growth.A Montréal native, Lafleur brings a wealth of experience in digital transformation, growth strategies, change management, mergers and acquisitions, and business development, both in Canada and abroad. Her career began at KPMG as an auditor, after which she joined CAE’s M&A team. She subsequently held various senior management positions, including CFO and CEO at Bus.com, where she led growth and transformation
NOLA Terminal Hires Turkmen as Business Development Manager
NOLA Terminal announced it has hired Taylor S. Turkmen as its new business development manager.NOLA Terminal is building a facility at milepost 59 on the Mississippi River to offer a range of logistical connectivity, handling and storage options.Turkmen, a New Orleans native, attended Ursuline Academy and began her collegiate journey at Louisiana State University. In December 2015, she earned her bachelor’s degree from The University of New Orleans. Since 2017, Turkmen has gained extensive experience in the wine and spirits industry, working as a sales consultant for two of the largest distributor
Burch Takes Control of Gunderson Marine & Iron
.“My transition to an active role in the organization is both a profound honor and a tremendous responsibility,” Burch said. “We stand on the shoulders of giants that have built a stellar 100-plus year history. I am committed to continuing this rich tradition of excellence in barge building while expanding our capabilities in other complex fabrication including bridges, hydro, ships, tugs and dry docks.”Over the past year, Gunderson Marine & Iron has grown its workforce substantially as it completed notable projects such as the Denali State Park PolyChrome Bridge, the Makani
Rayha to Succeed Graney as President of General Dynamics Electric Boat
at Electric Boat and NASSCO before becoming a general manager and then president of NASSCO from 2013 to 2019 and president of Electric Boat in 2019.“Kevin has served General Dynamics with distinction for nearly 30 years, including tenures as president of both NASSCO and Electric Boat. His shipbuilding expertise and strong leadership have been instrumental to the performance and continuous improvement of both NASSCO and Electric Boat,” Novakovic said.The longtime primary builder of submarines for the U.S. Navy, Electric Boat has a shipyard in Groton, Conn., a hull-fabrication and outfitting
Hornblower Group Names Mike Flaskey CEO
and sightseeing cruises; land-based walking tours, food tours and excursions; ferry and transportation services; and vessel outhaul and maintenance services, among others."I am honored to join Hornblower Group at such an exciting time. I look forward to working with the talented team to continue building on the company's strong foundation and to explore new opportunities for growth and success," Flaskey said. “Hornblower is ahead of the curve with the significant experience-based initiatives across their business units. Touching over 20 million guests in-person annually in our various
Bollinger Names Hinkebein Director of Government Affairs
Executive Vice President of Government and External Affairs. “Andrew will play a vital role in increasing Bollinger’s engagement with our elected and community leaders across our entire footprint. As a company, we are working hard to establish South Mississippi as the Center of Excellence in building world-class icebreakers, a trade that was nearly dead for a half century. Andrew, among other projects, will be working with our local and state partners to make this vision a reality.”Prior to joining Sen. Tuberville’s team, Hinkebein held the role of Southern Regional Director for
Gernot Ruppelt to Take Over as Ardmore Shipping CEO
the next generation of leadership of Ardmore, we believe that the strength of our team and our all-encompassing dedication to performance and progress will keep Ardmore at the leading edge of the shipping industry."Gurnee noted, "It has been a privilege to work with so many wonderful people in building Ardmore, starting in 2010 with the acquisition of our first ship from our farm cottage in Ireland with my wife, Marianne, and with the support of Regg Jones and Greenbriar Equity, to the formation of an amazing team and culture with our COO Mark Cameron, to our IPO in 2013 and subsequent capital
Austal Chairman John Rothwell to Retire, Richard Spencer Tapped as Successor
Shipbuilding group Austal on Thursday announced that its inaugural chairman, John Rothwell, is retiring from his position of Chairman of the company to serve on the Austal board as a non-executive director.Former U.S. Secretary of Navy Richard Spencer will replace Rothwell as Chairman, and will also join the board of Austal USA.Rothwell’s retirement as Chairman marks a significant milestone in the history of Austal, having served in the position for 37 years since he founded the company in 1987. During that time Austal has grown from a small, privately-owned, West Australian, commercial shipbuilde
ACBL Announces Reorganization Plan
, customer satisfaction and ensure successful execution of ACBL’s fleet strategy".Patrick Sutton, who previously served as chief operating officer (COO), will assume the new role of senior vice president (SVP) of fleet development and strategy, responsible for vessel reliability, leasing, building and acquisitions. Sutton will also lead ACBL's new barge pooling business segment.Taking over as COO is Brent Cervenka, who joins ACBL from previous roles at Target, Amazon, Pitney Bowes and most recently Pandion Logistics. As COO, he will oversee logistics and network operations, vessel operations
Mark Handin Named President at Patriot Maritime
;. Handin commented, “I am both excited and proud to join Patriot Maritime. It is a great company, with great people and a strong maritime history. I want to thank Lance for the positive impact he is leaving on the company, and I look forward to moving the company forward, and building upon his efforts.” Patriot Maritime is a maritime contractor to the U.S. Government, as well as a U.S. flag owner/operator in the commercial sector. The company maintains its Headquarters in Concord, Calif., with a new operational hub in Webster, Texas, within the greater Houston area
Maritime Employers: Working to Find Workers
State of Washington’s Employment Security Department (ESD), the agency charged with implementing Career Connect Washington (CCW), which links jobseekers to training. Since 2019, CCW has funded over 150 such programs, many were apprenticeships.In 2022 the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), announced Building America apprenticeship funds. Clemons said Washington state officials moved on that opportunity, which, Clemons said, “seemed like a perfect fit for Washington’s workforce needs.” ESD’s applications were successful and new apprenticeship programs in key industries &ndash
Embracing Human and Organizational Performance: A Paradigm Shift to Address Safety and Workforce Challenges
is replaced by an examination of an organization’s safety management system, prompting management to ask, “Why was the unsafe way chosen instead of the safe way?”By instituting this fundamental change, organizations develop a workplace that encourages humans to fail safely. Similar to building a shoulder beside the interstate instead of a cliff, HOP engineers safety into procedures, allowing correction before catastrophe. The result is a resilient system that benefits the organization and the workforce.Why HOP matters for workforce retentionTraditional safety approaches can lead to a
Help Wanted: US Maritime Industry Struggles to Fill Key Gaps
an across-the-board shortage of civil service mariners (CIVMAR) to man MSC ships.“Our shortfall is in the middle to senior positions within our licensed mariners, but we need to attract the junior people now, those third-class mariners with the certifications they get from school, and start building our workforce from within,” Sobeck said. “We need to both recruit and retain today, in order to have the force we need tomorrow.”File photo: U.S. Navy sailors and civil service mariners (CIVMAR) assigned to USNS Burlington (T-EPF 10) moor the ship to the pier at Joint Expeditionary
Apprenticeship Programs Are Key to the Future of Marine Welding
strategic asset.The Navy ships impacted by these labor issues currently include one Columbia class ballistic missile submarine, two Virginia class attack submarines, two Arleigh Burke class destroyers, two Constellation class frigates, one AS(X) submarine tender and one John Lewis class oiler. Even building these ships by 2028 (plus a few years for labor and supply chain delays), the Navy will remain 64 ships short of its 355-ship goal2. In a volatile world, the protection and stability afforded by a strong U.S. Navy will only occur if we have the skilled labor to build it.Approved templateAs the Navy&rsquo
