Joe Bekker News

Thrustmaster of Texas, Inc. announce it is providing a customized thruster propulsion system to SERCO, Inc. in support of its recently awarded No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The advanced platform design has been developed by SERCO to meet the performance requirements established by DARPA to demonstrate true unmanned operations for extended time periods.Joe Bekker, president of Thrustmaster of Texas, said,…

Thrustmaster of Texas on Tuesday announced it has been awarded a contract to overhaul the thrusters for the U.S. Coast Guard’s 175-foot WLM vessels.The multiyear contract, awarded by the U.S. Coast Guard Surface Force Logistics Center (SFLC), will see Thrustmaster fully overhaul to a like-new status the primary propulsion system for these icebreaker/buoy and construction tenders.This effort will allow the Coast Guard to continue to support the important missions of these vessels for years to come. This contract will be executed at Thrustmaster’s 300,000 sq.ft.

Rolls-Royce Commercial Marine has signed an agreement to sell the product Dynamic Positioning (DP) to the U.S. based company Thrustmaster of Texas, Inc.The agreement means that Thrustmaster of Texas now takes over the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) required to produce and sell the DP product. Rolls-Royce will also pass on necessary documentation and knowledge of the DP product. The agreement does not involve transfer of personnel.Joe Bekker, President of Thrustmaster of Texas…

Marine propulsion and thrusters manufacturer Thrustmaster of Texas announced that Leonard Hill and Jason Hill have joined its waterjet team, bringing with them more than 65 years of experience in waterjet design, manufacturing and sales. Leonard Hill began his waterjet career at Jacuzzi Brothers waterjet division in 1978, and in 1984 purchased the waterjet product line from Jacuzzi to start North American Marine Jet (NAMJet). Leonard invented and introduced a new style of jet to the market place known as the TRAKTOR JET, which combines all the features of the conventional waterjet with higher thrust, especially at low vessel speeds.

Thrustmaster builds a complete line of Z-Drive azimuthing thrusters from 500 HP to 4,000 HP for the inland towboat industry specifically designed to endure the demanding conditions when operating in brown water. Using Z-Drives on towboats results in substantially improved fuel efficiency, shorter trip times, decreased maintenance downtime and higher customer satisfaction when compared to traditional shaft and rudder installations. All thrusters are developed in-house by a complete engineering department for mechanical, hydraulic, electrical and electronic design.

Thrustmaster’s deal with DOEN brings waterjet manufacturing to the United States. Marine propulsion and thruster manufacturer Thrustmaster of Texas, Inc. announced a deal earlier this year to acquire the technology of DOEN, an Australian designer and manufacturer of waterjet propulsion systems. The deal is significant in that it makes Thrustmaster the only producer of commercial waterjets in the United States, helping the Houston-based company to expand upon an already strong line of commercial marine propulsion offerings.

Thrustmaster of Texas, Inc. manufactures heavy-duty commercial marine propulsion and thrusters including waterjets, propulsion out drive units for barges, thru-hull azimuthing propulsion in the form of Z and L drives, retractable thrusters, transverse tunnel thrusters, and the patented Portable Dynamic Positioning System. The factory is based out of Houston, Texas with sales offices in Rotterdam, Singapore, Dubai, and Brazil. The company also has a service office in Houma, Louisiana to respond to our off-shore clients working out of that region.

Thrustmaster brings water jet manufacturing to the United States, becoming the nation’s only manufacturer of commercial water jet propulsion. DOEN, a designer and manufacturer of waterjet propulsion systems based out of Australia, is one of five marine waterjet manufactures in the world building waterjets up to 5,364 hp (4,000 kW). With a history that spans over four decades, DOEN has a proven record that will be incorporated in to Thrustmaster’s propulsion product lineup. The manufacturing of the Thrustmaster DOEN waterjet product range in Houston is a key element in this joint strategy…

Thrustmaster of Texas, a manufacturer of commercial marine propulsion equipment based out of Houston, closed out this year's OTC by placing ink to paper after signing a contract on the trade show floor with the Dutch Barge Company Thursday to supply a complete thruster package. The deal concluded at a press conference inside the Reliant Center hosted by Thrustmaster’s president, Joe Bekker, and Dutch Barge Company's Henk Kapitein. Thrustmaster is staged to supply a complete thruster…

Thrustmaster of Texas, a manufacturer of commercial marine propulsion and thrusters based out of Houston, said it will sign a contract with the Dutch Barge Company during the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) Thursday at 10:30 a.m. The deal, to be reached at OTC, will conclude with a press conference hosted by Thrustmaster's president Joe Bekker in the Reliant center press conference room. Thrustmaster is staged to supply a complete thruster package to outfit a multipurpose offshore supply vessel that will be classed by Buereau Veritas for dynamic positioning class two operations.

Thruster manufacturer Thrustmaster of Texas, Inc. expanded its product lineup to include waterjets after acquiring the technology of DOEN Pacific on Wednesday. DOEN, a designer and manufacturer of waterjet propulsion systems for the past 48 years, is one of five marine waterjet manufactures in the world building waterjets up to 4,000 kW for the commercial and military marine markets. To meet the demands of large scale, commercial applications Thrustmaster said it plans to introduce two new models to the DOEN waterjet product lineup.

Have you ever wanted to tour the largest dedicated thruster factory in the world located in Houston, Texas? Now you can. A peek behind the curtain of Thrustmaster of Texas, Inc. was typically available for customers and open day events but now this experience is available online. Thrustmaster of Texas, working with a partner of Google’s Business Photos has developed a virtual tour showcasing the scale of operation underway in the 200,000 square feet of manufacturing space. The tour highlights the scope of the azimuth thrusters in the assembly area…

Talk to Joe Bekker for five minutes and you know he’s living the “American Dream.” Bekker, the founder, owner and president of Thrustmaster of Texas, came to Houston from The Netherlands in 1979 and has never looked back. An innovator and entrepreneur, Bekker has helped Thrustmaster of Texas evolve from its initial contract – a single 85 hp outboard propulsion unit for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the early 1980s – to a $150 million company today: here’s how. The maritime industry is replete with interesting stories, and Thrustmaster of Texas and its founder Joe R.