American Shipbuilding Association News

The Board of Directors of the American Shipbuilding Association (ASA) announced today its decision to dissolve the organization effective December 31, 2010. The decision comes after a review of the organization’s charter and changes in the industry landscape convinced the Board that another approach was needed to address the industry’s issues in Washington. "The structural changes underway in the U.S. shipbuilding industry and the recent decision by Cynthia Brown to step down as president of the Association have afforded the opportunity to take a hard look at the direction the industry needs to take in the months and years ahead to ensure our voice is heard in Washington and across the country," said Fred Harris, Chairman of American Shipbuilding Association.

The Congressional Shipbuilding Caucus, Co-Chaired by Representatives Gene Taylor (D-MS) and Rob Wittman (R-VA), hosted a meeting with the Commandant of the Coast Guard, Adm. Robert J. Papp, to discuss the Coast Guard’s ship force structure needs, its missions, future threats, and the U.S. shipbuilding industry. Members of the Caucus in attendance were Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT), Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC), Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), and Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA). Admiral Papp conveyed the difficulty the Coast Guard has in keeping its major programs funded sufficiently. The Admiral discussed specific programs such as the National Security Cutter (NSC), the Fast Response Cutter (FRC), and the Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC).

On September 14, 2010 the Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA), entered into a new industry-wide National Alliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the National Shipbuilding Research Program (NSRP), and the American Shipbuilding Association (ASA). The unified Alliance will run for a two-year charter, and is just the second new Alliance signed since the Obama Administration re-worked partnership criteria. In a ceremony at OSHA Headquarters in Washington, DC, Mr. Jordan Barab, Deputy Administrator of OSHA, Pete Halvordson, Chairman of NSRP’s Executive Committee, and Cynthia Brown, ASA’s Predisdent joined SCA’s Ian Bennitt in the signing of the Alliance agreement between what will collectively be known as the Shipbuilding Group.

The American Shipbuilding Association (ASA) announced that U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS) would be the 2010 recipient of the Herbert H. Bateman Award. The award will be presented Wednesday, June 23 at 6:00 pm during ASA's Salute to the Illih Congress reception in the Gold Room (2168) of the Rayburn House Office Building. "Thad Cochran, throughout his 38 years of service in the U.S. House of Representatives and in the U.S. Senate, has been a tireless advocate for a stronger shipbuilding industry and our Nation's sea services.

The American Shipbuilding Association (ASA) announced that Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) is the 2009 recipient of the Herbert H. Bateman Award. This award was presented on Wednesday, May 13th at 6:00 pm during ASA’s Salute to the 111th Congress reception in the Gold Room (2168) of the Rayburn House Office Building. Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1996, Senator Reed is a senior Member of the Armed Services Committee, a Member of the Subcommittee on Seapower, and a Member of the Appropriations Committee. Senator Jack Reed has dedicated his years in the United States Senate to working men and women who build the finest submarines and surface ships in the world so that American Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen and women have the best in executing their missions.

The American Shipbuilding Association (ASA) announced the election of four new Partner Advisory Council officers for calendar years 2009 and 2010. They were elected by their fellow ASA members in the fall of 2008. The four newly-elected officers of the Council are Pete Goumas, General Manager, The Babcock and Wilcox Company, Nuclear Operations Group, Euclid, OH; Shoun Kerbaugh, Vice President, Naval Systems/Merchant, Converteam Inc., Pittsburgh, PA; Bruce Rosenblatt, President, Bruce S. Rosenblatt & Associates, LLC, Arlington, VA; and Don Roussinos, President, Henschel, L-3, Newburyport, MA. Fred Conroy, Vice President and General Manager of the Government Business Unit for Dresser-Rand, Olean, NY, will continue his role on the Council through 2009.

The American Shipbuilding Association (ASA) announced that Mr. John F. “Dugan” Shipway, President of Bath Iron Works, Bath, ME, has been elected Chairman of the Board of ASA for calendar years 2009 and 2010. Mr. Matthew J. Mulherin, Sector Vice President and General Manager of Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, VA, has been elected as the Association’s Vice Chairman. Dugan Shipway joined Electric Boat in July of 2000 as a Special Assistant to the President and was appointed President of Bath Iron Works on April 28, 2003. Prior to joining Electric Boat, he was a career Navy officer, retiring as a Rear Admiral after 35 years of service. He commanded a nuclear attack submarine for more than four years after previously serving on various other submarine platforms.

In recognition of her commitment to the men and women who work at Bath Iron Works, a coalition of shipbuilders pledged their support for Susan Collins for re-election to the United States Senate. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Collins has supported legislation to provide a continued and steady workload at Bath Iron Works (BIW). Senator Collins has stated that BIW has been, and must continue to be, a central part of efforts to expand and modernize the U.S. Naval fleet to counter existing and emerging threats.

William E. Rowe, Chairman and CEO of Stewart Enterprises, Inc. announced the election of Thomas M. Kitchen to the Company's Board of Directors. Mr. Kitchen is an investment management consultant with Equitas Capital Advisors, LLC in New Orleans. During a 25-year career with Avondale Industries, Inc., the nation's fifth largest shipbuilder, he served as president, chief financial officer and board member. He currently serves on the board of Conrad Industries, a marine fabricator headquartered in Morgan City, La. Mr. Rowe said, "We are very fortunate to have Tom Kitchen serving on our board. Mr. Kitchen holds both an undergraduate degree and master's degree in Business Administration from the University of New Orleans, which recognized him as its 1997 Alumnus of the Year.

leases of foreign-built ships to not more than one year. Services Committee. amendment,” said Cynthia Brown, president of the American Shipbuilding Association. (DOD) practice has been to evade the Budget Enforcement Act and U.S. leases of 59 months in duration, foreign-built ships to the detriment of America’s defense industrial base,” said Brown. because of budget analyses demonstrating that leasing is more expensive to the taxpayer than a direct acquisition. same ship for another 59 months to meet military unique long-term mission requirements. first year as required by Office of Management and Budget regulations accompanying the Budget Enforcement Act. U.S. law also requires that ships purchased for all branches of the Armed Forces be built in the United States.

The American Shipbuilding Association (ASA) announced on June 21, 2004 that Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-CA) would be the 2004 recipient of the Herbert H. Bateman Award. This award will be presented on Wednesday, June 23rd at 6:00 pm during ASA’s Salute to the 108th Congress reception in the Foyer of the Rayburn House Office Building. “Duncan Hunter, throughout his nearly 24 years on the Armed Services Committee, has been a tireless advocate of a stronger defense shipbuilding industrial base. He has consistently worked for larger defense procurement budgets to fund the required number of naval ships,” said Cynthia Brown, President of the American Shipbuilding Association.

Stolt-Nielsen S.A. appointed Otto H. Fritzner as CEO of Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group (SNTG). Fritzner most recently served as Managing Director, Ship Owning at SNTG. He succeeds James B. Hurlock, who was named Interim CEO of SNTG in July 2003. • SNTG's global operations will be organized into three regions - the Americas, administered from Greenwich, Conn.; Asia-Pacific, administered from Singapore; and Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa (EMEIA), administered from Rotterdam, SNTG's corporate headquarters. • SNTG's Indian Ocean Service and the Europe-to-Asia Pacific Service will be operated out of Rotterdam. I.M. Skaugen ASA announced that Skaugen PetroTrans (SPT), its 50 percent owned joint venture company, has appointed Per Voie as its President.

The American Shipbuilding Association has long bemoaned the level of U.S. Navy funding, arguing that the amount of spending on new ships would, in the future, leave the force woefully under-equipped to handle its duties of defense. Though the ASA is but the lobbying voice of the country's "Big Six" shipbuilders — by consolidation now reduced to, in effect, the Big Two — would be the primary beneficiaries of a spending splurge, it now seems the arguments presented were visionary, as the U.S. enters a gray area in international relations with the recent terrorist attacks in New York and Washington and the resultant war in Afghanistan.

Despite the renewed vigor for military activities due to the prolonged commitment to fighting terrorism at home and abroad, it seems that lawmakers are still reticent — via the proposal of a Navy Budget for Fiscal Years '02 and '03 — to spend adequate levels of money to maintain a strong fleet. According to the American Shipbuilding Association (ASA), The Defense Authorization Bill for FY02, that passed both the House and Senate (S.1438) on December 13, authorizes a paltry 5 and 1/7 new naval ships, despite the ASA's contention that 12 ships per year are needed to sustain the 305-ship navy mandated in the 1997 Quadrennial Defense Review. Meanwhile, a draft of the Navy's FY03 budget proposes to buy only five new ships.

Yesterday in Washington, D.C., leaders from the Senate, the military and business met to discuss strategies to increase FY 03 procurement funding by at least $2.9 billion to build more new navy ships. Concerned that funding is inadequate to maintain the Federally mandated 300-ship navy as required by the 2001 Quadrennial Defense Review, leaders sought to bring publicity to their plight, magnifying the depth of their need while celebrating the success of the navy in response to the September 11 terrorist attacks. The current budget requests $6.1 billion for five new ships, a figure that is $5 billion below the previous administrations FY ‘01 shipbuilding procurement budget.

The American Shipbuilding Association today calls upon congress to add money to the President’s budget for more naval ships. “It is impossible to reassure Americans of their safety and security when the President’s budget slashes funding for ships for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. This budget will plunge the fleet to a size never before witnessed in our history. Investment in America’s naval fleet has been woefully inadequate for the last decade. But it is unconscionable that the current Administration is shrinking the fleet even below the levels proposed by the previous Administration. Homeland security begins with naval forces,” stated Cynthia Brown, president of the American Shipbuilding Association.

Increase the Naval Shipbuilding Rate to Maintain a Navy: The Bush Administration’s 5-year shipbuilding plan will drop the force to 244 ships. The first installment in the process of restoring the Navy’s fleet to the bare bones minimum, defined in the 2001 QDR, is to add one DDG-51 destroyer, one LPD-17 amphibious transport dock ship, complete the purchase of the LHD-8 amphibious assault ship, and add advanced procurement dollars for an economic order quantity production of the Virginia Class Submarine in FY 2003. “Tax on Delivery” of Naval Ships: H.R. 2189/S.666 will correct an inequity in the Tax code that severely penalizes naval shipbuilders by strengthening the shipbuilding industry’s cash flow to allow for greater investment in facilities…

Those companies that belabor the arduous conditions prevalent in business today will literally be left on the docks when the pace picks up during the coming year. All signs seem to point towards the start of economic recovery in the U.S., though the ripple effects will take some time to filter through to maritime and offshore businesses. Despite a generally dour hangover from the past 12 months, business opportunities are available to those who seek them. Politics and irrational bean counters aside, the U.S. Navy will present ample opportunities for companies selling into this market in the decades to come. The cacophony of individual interests making cases for increased dollars at budget time does a great disservice to the causes that are truly needy. While the U.S.

The President is proposing a much needed, and long overdue increase of $49 billion in his fiscal year 2003 budget for National Defense. What is astonishing is that this larger budget proposes slashing the Navy's shipbuilding procurement account below that recommended by the previous Administration. Why is this astonishing? If it were not for ships of the Navy and Marine Corps, the U.S. would not have been able to defend America from additional attacks from the air and sea, or retaliate in Afghanistan after the September 11 attack on New York and Washington, D.C. Long before the terrorist attacks, the commanders-in-chief (CINCs) of the…

Virginia Republican Rep. Herbert Bateman, 72, a nine-term congressman and strong military supporter who planned to retire at the end the year, died in his sleep, reportedly of natural causes on Monday, September 11, according to a spokesman. He had battled a series of health problems in recent years including lung and prostate cancer. First elected in 1982, Congressman Bateman had dominated his heavily Republican district in the Tidewater region of Virginia. He used his seat on the House Armed Services Committee to support the military and the area's heavy concentration of defense contractors while building a moderate voting record.

The Congressional Shipbuilding Caucus met yesterday with shipbuilding industry officials to discuss commercial and military shipbuilding priorities. The event was part of the Shipbuilding Industry Day Conference hosted by the American Shipbuilding Association. During a discussion among members of Congress, presidents of the Big Six shipyards, shipbuilding labor representatives, and major ship system and component manufacturers from across the country, the group outlined the threats facing the Nation if our naval fleet and shipbuilding industry continue to decline. Shipbuilding Caucus co-chairs Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis (R-VA) and Congressman Gene Taylor (D-MS) were joined by Congressmen Tom Allen (D-ME)…

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) headquarters, Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA, Mr. Edwin G. Foulke, Jr., and American Shipbuilding Association (ASA) President, Ms. Cynthia L. Brown, signed an agreement renewing an alliance between OSHA and the American Shipbuilding Association. The Alliance Agreement, in place since 2003, seeks to promote cooperative relationships between management, labor, and OSHA, and the implementation of comprehensive safety and health management systems in the workplace. Providing expertise in developing information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards, and providing expertise in developing ways of communicating such information.

The American Shipbuilding Association (ASA) announced that Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) is the 2007 recipient of the Herbert H. Bateman Award. This award will be presented on Wednesday, June 6th at 6:00 pm during ASA’s Salute to the 110th Congress reception. Senator Collins was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1996 and reelected in 2002, and is Ranking Member and former Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. She also serves on the Armed Services Committee. “Senator Collins is a consistent, strong advocate for the shipbuilding industry of the United States. She helped to defeat the Navy’s ‘One Shipyard’ policy to ensure that both Bath Iron Works and Ingalls continue to design and build surface combatants for the Navy.