Mobile Convention Center News

Austal USA combined two classes to graduate a total of 48 members of Austal’s cutting-edge four-year apprenticeship program yesterday at a formal ceremony held at the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center. The graduates received their certificates of completion and designation as Department of Labor Class A Journeymen. The graduates consisted of 22 electrical journeymen, 9 pipe fitting journeymen, 4 fitout journeymen, and 13 fabrication journeymen. Of the 48 graduating apprentices, 18 have already been promoted to leadership positions. Austal is proud to say that the retention numbers for these apprenticeship classes were above regional averages for other apprenticeship programs in our area.

Austal USA honored graduates of Austal’s cutting-edge four-year apprenticeship program with a banquet at the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center in Mobile, Alabama. The 38 graduates received their certificates of completion and designation as Department of Labor Class A Journeymen. They were joined by their supervisors, instructors and many of Austal USA’s executive and human resources staff in celebrating this momentous occasion. The graduating class consisted of 8 electrical journeymen, 6 fitout journeymen, 10 pipe fitting journeymen, and 13 fabrication journeymen.

The teaming of Austal Ships and Bender Shipbuilding to construct, from the ground up, a world-class aluminum vessel construction facility in Mobile, Ala., highlights the level of investment mid-tier U.S. yards have made in the past five years. Austal, which is well regarded for its fast craft design and construction prowess, will have at its disposal arguably one of the finest plate production facilities in the country, as well as access to a market for its signature craft, which is seemingly poised to boom. The two companies, however found that through a melding of similar ideas — both on a philosophical and financial level — that they could assimilate their cultural and business practices to form what aspires to become the largest aluminum shipbuilding company in the U.S. — Austal USA.

By Regina P. The teaming of Austal Ships and Bender Shipbuilding to construct a world-class aluminum vessel construction facility in Mobile, Ala., highlights the level of investment mid-tier U.S. yards have made in the past five years. Austal, which is well regarded for its fast craft design and construction prowess, will have at its disposal arguably one of the finest plate production facilities in the country, as well as access to a market for its signature craft, which seems to be poised to boom. The two companies, however, found that through a melding of similar ideas - both on a philosophical and financial level - that they could assimilate their cultural and business practices to form what aspires to become the largest aluminum shipbuilding company in the U.S. - Austal USA.

Crowley Maritime Corporation recently christened the third of ten new 185,000-barrel Articulated Tug-Barge (ATB) tank vessels that the company will take delivery of by the end of 2010. The vessels christened were the 9,280 HP-tug Resolve and barge 650-3. During ceremonies held at the Mobile Convention Center on South Water Street, Nancy Schlueter, wife of Ed Schlueter, vice president of Crowley's Vessel Management Services (VMS) christened the Resolve, while Alison Haber-Djuve, wife of Karsten Djuve, regional chartering manager, BP Shipping USA, christened barge 650-3. Crowley's Petroleum Services group will charter the VT Halter Marine-built ATB from VMS, and operate it for BP under a seven-year agreement.

Yesterday, Crowley Maritime Corporation christened the third of ten new 185,000-barrel Articulated Tug-Barge (ATB) tank vessels that the company will take delivery of by the end of 2010. The vessels christened were the 9,280 HP-tug Resolve and barge 650-3. During ceremonies held at the Mobile Convention Center on South Water Street, Nancy Schlueter, wife of Ed Schlueter, vice president of Crowley's Vessel Management Services (VMS) christened the Resolve, while Alison Haber-Djuve, wife of Karsten Djuve, regional chartering manager, BP Shipping USA, christened barge 650-3. Crowley's Petroleum Services group will charter the VT Halter Marine-built ATB from VMS, and operate it for BP under a seven-year agreement.

Crowley Maritime Corporation christened the first of six new 185,000-barrel Articulated Tug-Barge (ATB) tank vessels that the company will take delivery of over the next two and half years. The vessels christened were the 9,280 HP-tug Pacific Reliance and barge 650-1. At ceremonies held at the Mobile Convention Center on South Water Street, Constance Crowley Peabody, aunt of Tom Crowley Jr., company chairman, president and CEO, christened the Pacific Reliance, while Janet Bishop from ConocoPhillips, christened barge 650-1. Crowley's Petroleum Services group will charter the VT Halter Marine-built ATB from Crowley's vessel construction and naval architecture subsidiary, Vessel Management Services, and operate it for ConocoPhillips under a three-year agreement.