Greg Metcalf News

On March 20, Austal USA launched its seventh and largest vessel to date. Lake Express, a 192 ft. high-speed vehicle-passenger ferry rolled out of Austal’s purpose-built aluminum shipbuilding facility in Mobile, Ala., and into the Mobile River. “This project is a further step in building up capacity and capability at Austal USA which will stabilize our efforts to be a major contender in larger contracts in both the commercial and military markets,” said Austal USA CEO, Greg Metcalf. With capacity for 248 passengers (COI for 400) and 46 cars, the Auto Express 58 will be capable of 34 knots.

On March 20, Austal USA launched its seventh and largest vessel to date. Lake Express, a 192 ft. high-speed vehicle-passenger ferry rolled out of Austal's purpose-built aluminum shipbuilding facility in Mobile, Ala., and into the Mobile River. "This project is a further step in building up capacity and capability at Austal USA which will stabilize our efforts to be a major contender in larger contracts in both the commercial and military markets," said Austal USA CEO, Greg Metcalf. With capacity for 248 passengers (COI for 400) and 46 cars, the Auto Express 58 will be capable of 34 knots. It will link the cities of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Muskegon in Michigan…

The U.S. Navy has awarded a team that includes Austal USA, a $79 million contract to develop a final design for the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), along with options to build two ships. Total contract value including both shipbuilding options is $536 million. With its unrivalled expertise in large, high-speed aluminum vessels, Austal, as the designer and builder of the proposed LCS vessels, is a major contributor to the team which is led by General Dynamics-Bath Iron Works. The team’s…

The new Austal Auto Express 58 catamaran “Lake Express” entered service on June 1. Operating between Milwaukee, Wis., and Muskegon, Mich., “Lake Express” provides a crossing time of 2.5 hours slicing in half the time it would take to drive around the southern tip of the lake, through a congested Chicago. Another Austal vessel, the Australian-built “Spirit of Ontario I”, is scheduled to begin service across Lake Ontario between Toronto and Rochester, New York, on June 18. The establishment of the Austal USA shipyard in Mobile…

The long-awaited awarding of the contract to construct the new series of Littoral Combat Ships (LCS), a series that could total 60 ships worth $14 billion over 15 years, will have to wait just a little longer. However, the U.S. Navy in late May did pare the competition to two, with teams headed by General Dynamics - Bath Iron Works and Lockheed Martin Corporation - Maritime Systems & Sensors tapped to continue construction plans. LCS has generated fierce competition among the few remaining, large corporate entities that dominate the military markets today. While General Dynamics ($78,798,188) and Lockheed Martin Corporation — Maritime Systems & Sensors ($46…

On November 17, Mobile, Alabama-based Austal USA celebrated the grand opening of its new construction facility with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. This event took place just 11 months to the day after breaking ground on the project on January 17, 2005. Several notable VIPs participated in the ceremony, including: State of Alabama Director of Development Neal Wade, Mobile County Commission President Mike Dean, Mobile Mayor Sam Jones, John Rothwell (Austal Ltd. Executive Chairman), Greg Metcalf (CEO, Austal USA), Tom Bender (CEO, Bender Shipbuilding & Repair Co., Inc.) and Henry Seawell (CEO, Thompson Engineering, the company that was contracted for the design and construction of the expansion).

The multi-billion contract to build a new family of Navy ships took one giant step last month with the awarding of development contracts to three industry teams. The fight to win the contract to design and build the family of Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) is sure to be fierce, as the deal to build up to 60 of the vessels will help feed the corporate coffers of the successful team for decades to come. LCS is indicative of the Navy's transformation from a deepwater fleet leftover from the Cold War threat of only one other credible super power, to the reality of today's multi-faceted threat environment: small, hard to find and diverse groups around the globe.

Key stakeholders involved in the project to build a 192-ft. high-speed ferry for Milwaukee-based Lake Express LLC attended a ceremony on July 10 to celebrate the start of the vessel's construction at the Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, AL. Chris Pemberton, Austal USA's Vice President of Sales and Marketing, welcomed the guests and explained that construction of the aluminum catamaran was actually already well underway, as was evident in the main construction hall of Austal USA's shipbuilding facilities. "MARAD's recent confirmation of loan guarantees under the Title XI program was vital to this project moving forward, and it is a great pleasure to be involved in realizing Ken's 10-year-old dream of a high speed link across Lake Michigan," Pemberton said.

Key stakeholders involved in the landmark project to build a 192-ft. high-speed ferry for Milwaukee-based Lake Express LLC attended a ceremony on July 10 to celebrate the start of the vessel’s construction at the Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, AL. Chris Pemberton, Austal USA’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing, welcomed the guests and explained that construction of the aluminum catamaran was actually already well underway, as was evident in the main construction hall of Austal USA’s modern shipbuilding facilities. Pemberton acknowledged the Maritime Administration’s support for the project and lauded the vision of the Director of the Port of Milwaukee, Ken Szallai.

The U.S. a preliminary design for the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). teams that was down-selected in the competition to build the first two ships of this class. Dynamics-Bath Iron Works. on Austal’s unique 126 meter high-speed aluminum trimaran hullform. the global military vessel market. project,” Mr. McKinnon said. appropriate choice for ships, even in combat roles. defense contracts,” he said. solution for the Navy’s LCS requirements. Mr. a variety of defense applications. two builders, one or both of whom will build the first two ships. construction in early 2005 and the other in early 2006. construction of three ships in 2008 and four in 2009. The Navy predicts that up to 60 Littoral Combat Ships may eventually be required.

Austal has appointed Greg Metcalf to the position of CEO. Prior to relocating to Mobile with his family, Metcalf worked for Austal Limited in Henderson, Western Australia for 5 years as Austal Group Financial controller and then Vice President of Business Development. Current activity at the Mobile yard includes a 143 –ft. high speed passenger catamaran being built for the Circle Line Statue of Liberty Ferry Company in New York City. Circle Line transports thousands of passengers each day to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. The new catamaran is designed to meet Circle Line’s requirements for a vessel capable of fulfilling a number of different roles and will be delivered to New York in July.

Austal USA shipyard confirmed the order of two Austal, Auto Express 107 metre vehicle-passenger ferries for Hawaii Superferry (HSF), making the contract unconditional. Construction of the first ferry has been underway since June 2004 at Austal’s Mobile, Alabama shipyard based on initial funding from Hawaii Superferry and a strategic decision by Austal to advance work on the structure in order to develop the workforce in readiness for the US Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship order. On present planning, the first ferry is due for delivery in December 2006. The second ferry will start in the second half of 2006 and is due for completion in first half of 2009.