Austal announced the appointment of Dan Spiegel to the position of Chief Operating Officer for Austal’s Mobile, Ala., shipyard. Spiegel, his wife and their three children have relocated to the Mobile area from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Spiegel holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Michigan and an MBA from Indiana University. He brings to Austal a successful career background that includes over 20 years of management experience in the manufacturing industry.
Current activity at the Mobile yard includes two 353-ft, (107-m) high-speed cargo/passenger ferries for
Hawaii Superferry and one 127-m Littoral Combat Ship under construction for the U.S. Navy. Austal’s operation in the US currently employs over 700 shipyard workers. The yard began operation in 2001 and has successfully produced and delivered eight aluminum vessels, including two fast crew supply vessels, two dinner cruise yachts, two high-speed passenger ferries, one high-speed vehicle/passenger ferry, and one surface-effect vessel for the Office of Naval Research.