Alaska Ship And Drydock News

Naval architecture and marine engineering firm Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) said its board of directors has appointed Robert Ekse as president of the firm. Ekse will assume the position from current president and chief engineer, Brian King, who is retiring after 33 years of service. King will remain active in EBDG projects in a limited capacity, accepting the role as principal emeritus."Brian will be deeply missed, but his many accomplishments will be a reminder of his contributions to our industry…

Ferries for Alaska’s harsh conditions, built in Alaska by Alaskans. Vigor and Elliott Bay Design Group team up for a winning combination as the new Alaska Class Ferry Project takes shape. With its network of islands and fjords, rugged mountains and spectacular tidewater glaciers, Alaska’s Inside Passage may make a perfect summer cruise destination, but locals can’t choose when they travel. So when Alaskans need transport, the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) must find a way to move them.

J.K. Fabrication announced it has received DNV Type Approval on its Model 40-30-3000 Anchor Winch. The winch can now be specified into existing commercial applications on barges, tugs, fishing and yacht vessels around the world. The company said the new Arctic Prowler Longlining vessel, built in Ketchikan by Alaska Ship and Drydock (now Vigor Industrial) for Alaska Longline Company of Petersburg received this anchor winch. jkfabrication.com

Vigor Industrial announced today that it has renamed two of the company’s subsidiaries. U.S. Fab, Vigor’s fabrication and shipbuilding subsidiary, is now Vigor Fab. Alaska Ship and Drydock, which operates the Ketchikan shipyard in Alaska, is now Vigor Alaska. “It’s about better serving our customers,” explained Frank Foti, president and CEO of Vigor Industrial. •Vigor Shipyards, which provides repair, maintenance and modernization services to the U.S. The changes apply to the names only and do not alter the operating structures of either subsidiary. The new names go into effect immediately.

For Vigor Industrial, a privately-held shipbuilding and repair company headquartered in Portland, Oregon, the future looked bright and a bit ominous at the same time. Work was coming in, dock space was filling up, future orders were signed, and new properties purchased; in short, business was booming. But dark clouds crept in around the edges of this rosy picture. As recruiters set out to find new talent to meet the growing demand, they encountered a candidate pool without the necessary skills to pick up a welding torch and go to work.

Looking toward the future and with a weather eye on what could come next, Oregon-based Vigor Industrial launched a six-month training program this July in welding, fabricating and fitting with South Seattle Community College at a new center on Harbor Island. Vigor acquired the site overlooking downtown Seattle when it bought Todd Pacific Shipyards in 2011. And, as an active bidder for the U.S. Coast Guard’s coveted Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) program, Vigor also knows that they’ll need to perform when the time comes. A skilled workforce will be an important part of that equation.

In a climate of both seemingly fat backlogs and at the same time uncertainty for domestic shipyards, Vigor Industrial is one company that continues to make news in the shipbuilding and repair merger and acquisition markets. After acquiring Todd Pacific Shipyards in 2011 for $130 million, Vigor also diversified its geographic offerings when it scooped up Alaska Ship and Drydock in Ketchikan after raising $75 million through private equity firm Endeavour Capital. Vigor CEO Frank Foti continues to build scale through acquisitions, while diversifying the company’s construction and repair capabilities to include cargo fleets, barges and workboats, ferries, and US Navy and Coast Guard vessels, among others.

Vigor today announced its plan to acquire Alaska Ship and Drydock Inc. (ASD), further consolidating the business of ship repair on the U.S. West Coast. ASD intends to transition its business and assets to Vigor pending approval of the transfer of ownership by the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA), the owner of the Ketchikan Shipyard where ASD is based. The private companies hope to finalize their agreement on or before March 1st. ASD would operate the Ketchikan Shipyard (KSY) as the Alaska Ship & Drydock LLC subsidiary…

The high cost of recruiting, hiring and training  the thousands of skilled shipbuilding and repair professionals needed across the country each year, coupled with the need to increase productivity has left executives in the industry searching for answers. In response to this need, industry leaders recently launched a national initiative called the Lighthouse Campaign. On December 6-7, 2011, the leadership team of the Lighthouse Campaign sent representatives to a meeting at NCCER headquarters in Alachua, Florida.

When vessel owners and operators opt to bite the bullet and invest millions of dollars into a new workboat, it is reasonable to assume that they will start shopping with the expectation of procuring the most boat that their Limited money can buy. Capital investments of this magnitude are often justified solely upon the premise that a new custom-designed vessel will have more functionality and thus greater revenue generating capability. Why buy a workboat unless it can pay for itself?

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced $9.98 million in grants to 13 small shipyards throughout the United States to help modernize facilities, increase productivity, and help make the country’s small shipyards more competitive in the global marketplace. Over 50,000 Americans are employed by small shipyards in more than 30 states. The facilities vary in size, from family-owned businesses employing a few dozen workers to state-of-the-art facilities with hundreds of employees. “These grants will help improve our ability to build and repair ships in the United States, strengthening our economy and helping position these small businesses and shipyard workers to be better prepared to win the future,” said Secretary LaHood.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced $9.98 million in grants to 13 small shipyards throughout the United States to help modernize facilities, increase productivity, and help make the country’s small shipyards more competitive in the global marketplace. “These grants will help improve our ability to build and repair ships in the United States, strengthening our economy and helping position these small businesses and shipyard workers to be better prepared to win the future,” said Secretary LaHood. The U.S Maritime Administration’s (MARAD) Small Shipyard Grants Program provides money to help this vital segment of America’s maritime industry invest in production equipment…

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration announced $9.8m in grants to 19 small shipyards in the . The grants are part of the new Assistance to Small Shipyards program, set up under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006. “Small shipyards are vitally important for the health of the maritime industry, and for the economy of the Nation,” said Maritime Administrator Sean T. Connaughton. The purpose of the grants is to make capital and infrastructure improvements that facilitate the efficiency, cost-effectiveness and quality of domestic ship construction, conversion or repair for commercial and federal government use. The grants cover a maximum of 75-percent of the estimated cost of improvements. The companies are responsible for the remainder.

designs to facilitate the Navy's warfighting strategy Seapower 21. agreement to $29,900,000. expected to be completed October 2007 (2010 with options). not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. announced on the Federal Business Opportunities website. Research, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00014-05-9-0001).