Todd Grove News

ABS named Howard Fireman as Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) effective April 20 in a move that strengthens alignment and generates further synergies across all of ABS' technical programs, ABS announced. Fireman, who will report to ABS Chairman and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki, assumes this role following former Senior Vice President and CTO Todd Grove's appointment as ABS Group President and CEO. Technology continues to be a core element of the ABS mission of protecting life, assets and the environment.

ABS Group of Companies, Inc. announced the appointment of Todd Grove as its new President and CEO. Grove most recently served as Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for ABS Group's parent company, American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). He has served more than 30 years at ABS, in various senior technical and operational management roles across the world. Grove holds a bachelor's degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the University of Michigan, an MBA from the University of Houston and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School's Advanced Management Program.

ABS continues to work closely with industry through its extensive international network of technical committees that advise ABS on Rule development. ABS has expanded this network with the formation of the organization's 19th technical advisory committee, the ABS Hong Kong Technical Committee. The purpose of the newly formed committee is to promote the exchange of technical views on ABS Rules through close cooperation with industry. Through this forum for open discussion about evolving technical challenges, ABS can continue its close alignment between the ABS research and development program and industry needs. "Active dialogue at the…

ABS, a provider of global maritime classification services, today released its Navigating the Northern Sea Route Advisory to support shipowners and operators intending to transit the increasingly popular commercial shipping routes through the Arctic seas. The comprehensive advisory, which was developed with assistance from Russia's Central Marine Research and Design Institute, provides owners with the information they need to apply for permits and to identify the possible technical…

ABS, a provider of maritime and offshore classification services, appointed Dr. Richard Korpus as Chief Scientist, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). In the Chief Scientist role, Korpus will support the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and the organization through his focus on developing and applying CFD technology. "We see technology as the road forward," said ABS Chairman and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki. The creation of this Chief Scientist position is the most recent step in the continuing process of technology investment at ABS.

ABS continues to cultivate industry expertise for the development and modification of Rules and Guides with the formation of The Offshore Technical Committee of ABS. “ABS once again has taken the lead in working with the offshore industry,” said ABS President and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki. “The Technical Committee of ABS has advised us for many years. The goal of the recent division of The Technical Committee of ABS into separate committees was to refine the focus of each committee to facilitate information exchange for Rule and Guide development and modification. ABS is the first class society to take this approach. The first meeting of the The Offshore Technical Committee, hosted 3-4 May 2012 in Houston, was attended by a majority of the 40 members elected by The Council of ABS.

ABS launched a suite of products that are desgiend to improve information transfer between the classification society and its clients around the world. ABS Connect looks to streamline communications, placing more in-depth information in the hands of industry. ABS Connect is the most recent evidence of the organization’s continued efforts to develop service delivery products and practices to meet the expanding needs of the marine and offshore industry. “As the class society of the future…

Houston, TX -The Research & Development Corporation of Newfoundland and Labrador (RDC) and ABS of Texas have announced a combined $600,000 investment for the ABS Harsh Environment Technology Center and associated research program. This investment will fund research on how ship and offshore structures can be improved to work more effectively in volatile ocean conditions, such as the North Atlantic. “This partnership further demonstrates Newfoundland and Labrador as a recognized leader on the international stage when it comes to research and development of technologies for ships and offshore structures operating in harsh environments,” said Keith Hutchings, Minister Responsible for the RDC. “Worldwide, there is an industry need for this type of research and development.

(Houston, TX---) ABS, the leading provider of classification services to the global offshore industry, announces the establishment of the ABS China Offshore Technology Center (COTC) in partnership with Shanghai’s Jiaotong University (SJTU). The focus of the center will be on new technology research for offshore facilities. While the research efforts will support development activities in the Greater China region, applied research will also be conducted on a wide range of oil and gas development issues.

ABS announced the appointment of Todd Grove to the position of Chief Technology Officer (CTO) in a move that further underscores the strategic alignment of the classification society’s technology resources and Rule development initiatives with the operating divisions. Grove will report to ABS President and COO Christopher J. Wiernicki and be based in the society’s headquarters in Houston. Grove, a 28-year veteran of ABS, has served as President and COO of three ABS operating divisions – Europe, Pacific and Americas. He also has extensive experience in the offshore sector having served as Director, Energy Project Development and Manager, Offshore Engineering.

ABS and The Republic of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport and Communication (MTC) have concluded an agreement granting ABS Recognized Organization (RO) status, able to act on behalf of the country’s maritime Administration. This designation allows ABS to perform statutory certification surveys and functions on board Republic of Kazakhstan flagged vessels and offshore units, and for companies which operate these ships and units. In this capacity, ABS determines the compliance of such vessels with applicable international convention requirements and national regulations for the issuance of relevant statutory certificates on behalf of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Effective 1 July, ABS will introduce new senior management in its Europe and Pacific divisions. At that time, William J. Sember, currently President and COO, ABS Europe Ltd, based in London, will return to Houston as Vice President Global Marketing, responsible for further developing client relations in all sectors. Todd Grove, President and COO of the Pacific Division of ABS will move from Singapore to London, assuming the position of President and COO, ABS Europe Ltd. “Europe remains the center of our shipowner client activity,” said ABS Chairman and CEO Robert D. Somerville. Grove has previously served as President of the Americas Division of ABS and, prior to that, as Vice President Western Europe, based in London.

At a meeting during the World Maritime Technology Conference (WMTC) in Mumbai, India, a delegation of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) members including Society President Keith Michel, Executive Director Kimball, Naresh Maniar, Bruce Hutchison and Todd Grove met with members of the Institute of Naval Architects of India (INAI) at the offices of Bharati Shipyard Ltd. in downtown Mumbai to negotiate and sign a cooperative agreement between the two societies.

ABS has named Todd Grove President of its ABS Americas Division effective May 1, 2004. He will replace Robert E. Kramek who, as previously announced, will assume the role of President and Chief Operating Officer of ABS at that time. Grove currently serves as Vice President Western Region, ABS Europe. In his new role he will be located at the Americas’ Division headquarters in Houston, Texas. He will have operational responsibility for all ABS classification activity in North, Central and South America.

With the global LNG (liquefied natural gas) market forecast to double in size over the next decade, industry is readying to provide ample liquefaction capacity to meet demand. In the United States alone, LNG imports reached 4.9 million tons in 2000, about 5 percent of the global LNG trade, and up from 3.4 million tons in 1999. Drivers for the rapid LNG growth include continued demand for a cleaner-burning fuel and the need to bring "stranded" gas from deepwater and remote areas to market. Concern over long-term U.S. gas supply; a larger number of new supply projects; and lower LNG infrastructure costs from a decade ago also are contributors to the LNG growth spurt in recent years. But perhaps the reality of Sept.

ABS has signed a memorandum of Agreement with the Prefectura Naval Argentina (PNA – the Argentine Coast Guard) by which the classification society is now authorized to issue statutory certificates on behalf of the PNA for Argentine flag vessels in the nation’s cabotage trades. ABS is one of only two international class societies to receive this authorization. ABS is currently authorized by the PNA to issue statutory certificates for internationally trading Argentine flag vessels. The extended authorization expands that authorization to include domestically operating vessels such as workboats, fishing vessels and barges. “This agreement has particular significance since a recent change in Argentine law requires all cabotage vessels to operate under the national flag by 2006…

ABS has signed a memorandum of Agreement with the Prefectura Naval Argentina (PNA – the Argentine Coast Guard) by which the classification society is now authorized to issue statutory certificates on behalf of the PNA for Argentine flag vessels in the nation’s cabotage trades. ABS is one of only two international class societies to receive this authorization. ABS is currently authorized by the PNA to issue statutory certificates for internationally trading Argentine flag vessels. The extended authorization expands that authorization to include domestically operating vessels such as workboats, fishing vessels and barges. “This agreement has particular significance since a recent change in Argentine law requires all cabotage vessels to operate under the national flag by 2006…