Small Business Administration News

Salvage crews worked to lift the first piece of Baltimore's collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge from the water on Saturday to allow barges and tugboats to access the disaster site, Maryland and U.S. officials said, the first step in a complex effort to reopen the city's blocked port.The steel truss bridge collapsed early on Tuesday morning, killing six road workers, when a massive container ship lost power and crashed into a support pylon. Much of the span crashed into the Patapsco River…

U.S. Commercial Service previews September 20-22 export forum  The growing demand for marine technologies is generating new export possibilities for U.S. companies. To help American businesses pursue these opportunities, the Department of Commerce is hosting Discover Global Markets: The Blue Economy, in Providence, R.I., Sept. 20-22, 2022. International Trade Specialist Maryanne Burke leads the Marine Technology Team of the International Trade Administration (ITA). Maryanne is part of ITA’s U.S.

Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) operates hundreds of boats all the way from a 7-meter Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Boat (RHIB) to a 78-foot patrol boat, as well as construction equipment such as cranes, bulldozers, pumps, cranes, vehicles and chain saws and Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) equipment.Maintaining all of it comes under the watchful eye of Force Maintenance Director Dave Noel.“I’m the guy that fixes the equipment we buy,” Noel said. “Once it’s fielded, it’s our job to keep it operational…

As we take a breath and collectively step into 2021, I’m choosing to be optimistic and focus on the opportunities ahead. Trust me, that’s not easy to say. Even as we are still experiencing a global pandemic which has devastated both the health and financial safety of our families, friends, employees, businesses, and communities. We may be down, but I say don’t lose hope.Stronger togetherAs President of the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA) and President of my family’s business…

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced the allocation of $88 million in fishery disaster funding to Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi, where a catastrophic regional fishery disaster occurred due to extreme freshwater flooding in 2019 associated with the unprecedented opening of the Bonnet Carre Spillway.“The Department of Commerce stands with our U.S. fishing communities, especially in times of hardship,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “These funds will help industries and individuals recover from this disaster…

What will COVID-19 mean for the offshore wind industry? An industry not yet spinning on its own.Epitomized by the roller coaster ride that defined the stock market over the last few weeks, unpredictability has emerged as one of the few certainties of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis. Every industry has seen the effects of the pandemic, from hospitality, to travel, and even to the renewable energy sector. Indeed, even though the US offshore wind industry is not yet fully established…

George Raymond Duclos, age 86, died peacefully on February 15, 2020 surrounded by his family. The son of the late Raymond and Albertine (Bertha Chenard) Duclos. Born in 1933 in Fall River, MA, George spent most of his life in Westport, MA spending summers on the Watuppa Pond and moving to the Pond permanently in the 1960's.George is survived by his wife and life-long partner in adventure, Pauline D. (Duperre) Duclos, and his four children: John (Kimberly), Peter (Kimberly), Carol Hegarty (Steven) of Westport…

The United States Coast Guard Marine Safety Alert 06-19 (USCG MSA 06-19) outlines a February 2019 incident aboard a deep draft commercial vessel that called on the Port of New York / New Jersey after experiencing a significant cyber incident that impacted their shipboard network. The Safety Alert stated in part:“An interagency team of cyber experts, led by the Coast Guard, responded and conducted an analysis of the vessel’s network and essential control systems. The team concluded that although the malware significantly degraded the functionality of the onboard computer system…

Current president of Gnostech Inc., James Espino, has acquired the controlling ownership of the company from Braxton Science & Technology Group (BSTG) on May 19, 2017. As the president and controlling owner of Gnostech, Espino will lead the company into the future. “This is an exciting time for Gnostech. We can pursue new and emerging government contracting opportunities that leverage our diverse range of capabilities,” he said. Prior to joining the company, Espino served as an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard for over 20 years.

In recent years, ferries have been in the spotlight, in part because of growing mass transit needs and increased road congestion, but also because of concerns about the deadly South Korean ferry sinking last April. We asked Captain Terri Bernstein, the Passenger Vessel Association’s 2014 President, about the industry’s status in the United States. Based in Alexandria, VA, the PVA has over 500 member companies. Ferries are safer, especially since 9/11, but regulatory requirements have swelled and can be onerous, Bernstein said. She’s the owner of BB Riverboats, Inc.

Capital Access Group (CAG) says that its $10.4 Million 504 Loan has enabled the acquisition of  a powerful, 85-ton tractor tugboat for San Francisco Bay – Baydelta Maritime's 'Delta Audrey'. Capital Access Group is a commercial real estate lender specializing in U.S. Small Business Administration 504 financing for growing businesses. CAG explain that the Delta Audrey features the most modern design, engines, and equipment to increase safety, reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions, and provide increased capability to stop or redirect a tanker in shorter distances. “Our customers, the ship owners, continually demand more powerful tugs that can stop or redirect a tanker in a shorter distance…

As we launch into 2014, the domestic waterfront continues to fire on all pistons; boatbuilding, charter rates, utilization of tonnage, and so much more. That kind of momentum, however, requires funding to sustain. For smaller operators in need of capital to grow and/or maintain their fleets, sourcing those funds can be tricky. Fortunately – and unlike the Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration’s Title XI Federal Ship Financing Program of the last few years – the U.S. Small Business Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture actually have the funding to make and guarantee loans for the U.S. commercial marine industry.

Austal announce the  christening of 'USNS Millinocket; at its Mobile, Alabama shipyard. USNS Millinocket is the third of ten Joint High Speed Vessels (JHSV) Austal has under contract with the U.S. Navy as part of an overall 10-ship contract worth over $1.6 billion. The name of the new ship was chosen by Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus  after the Maine towns of East Millinocket and Millinocket. The ship’s sponsor, the Honorable Karen Gordon Mills, was sworn in as Administrator of the Small Business Administration in April 2009. A Maine resident, Ms.

Measurement Technology NW (MTNW) wins US Small Business Administration Excellence Award. The 'Excellence' award was given for supporting Lockheed Martin’s aerostat program with the US Defense Department. This award recognizes small businesses that have excelled in their performance in support of large prime contractors. “MTNW was nominated by Lockheed Martin because we were able to provide industry leading technology at a lower cost and in half the time of previous winch instrumentation and display providers,” said Tom Rezanka, Vice President MTNW.

Bodkin Design & Engineering (BD&E) contracted to develop a coastal water prototype wave power harvesting system. A prototype unit was constructed and tested at the company's Newton facility and was found to have a power conversion efficiency between 34% and 50%. This covert system is designed to be alternative power source for submerged sensors and systems. In addition to its military uses, this submerged system can find application to commercial moorings and on pleasure boats. The fully submerged, robust, self-contained design is anti-fouling and ideally suited for surf zone operation where extreme environmental conditions could damage systems that rely on deployed arms, floats or fragile mechanics.

While the U.S. economy may be in the doldrums, smart U.S. companies are looking increasingly to exports to help their bottom lines. A major market for U.S. exports is Brazil. This article examines new market opportunities in the oil and gas, shipbuilding and port infrastructure in Brazil, and identifies certain financing sources available to U.S. companies seeking to participate in these markets. Brazil’s growth in recent years has been amazing. Over the past 5 years, real GDP growth in Brazil has averaged 4.3% annually (as compared to 1.3% annually in the U.S.), reaching 7.5% in 2010.

In his weekly address, President Barack Obama spoke of his commitment to helping the people of the Gulf Coast recover and rebuild from the BP oil spill that has threatened their livelihoods. On June 4, the President heard from local residents and small business owners about the hardships that they are facing as a result of this catastrophe. The audio and video is available online (www.whitehouse.gov). I’m speaking to you from Caminada Bay in Grand Isle, Louisiana, one of the first places to feel the devastation wrought by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Marine Security Services, a division of York-Mahar, Inc., announced a partnership with MARSAF, Marine Safety Consulting. Now offering a full range of professional consulting services including maritime security, environmental safety, preparedness training, including NIMS ICS, and contingency planning; our staff of subject matter experts is uniquely positioned to assist our customers with their regulatory mandates. York-Mahar, Inc. has been certified as a participant in the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) 8(a) Business Development program. Additionally, York-Mahar, Inc. has been certified as a Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) in the Federal Government’s SDB program. The term of participation for both programs is nine (9) years beginning January 25, 2005.