Christopher Allard News

Australia's Birdon Group announced its U.S. subsidiary has reached a deal to acquire Metal Shark Boats' shipyard in Bayou La Batre, Ala.Birdon America said it will utilize the 32-acre facility for vessel repair work as well as newbuild activity, including construction of the U.S. Coast Guard's $1.187 billion 27-vessel Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) Program awarded to Birdon in 2022.Birdon Group CEO, Jamie Bruce, said, “The investment in this facility will not only ensure we deliver on our promise to the U.S.

Proliferation of energy related transport continues to drive commercial U.S. As the United States aims towards energy independence by the end of this decade, domestic shipyards and vessels owners are reaping rewards from this most unexpected turn of events. Hydraulic Fracturing, or fracking, has been the main (and well publicized) culprit in the rapid turn of events. While the proliferation of gas has been widely known for years, the presence of oil, in quantity, was a pleasant…

Established in 1986, Gravois Aluminum Boats and its government/commercial entity Metal Shark Boats are leading suppliers of welded aluminum boats for defense, law enforcement, and commercial entities. Customers include the U.S. Coast Guard, Navy, Army, Air Force, the militaries of partner nations worldwide, and a growing list of state and local law enforcement agencies. Metal Shark has entered the shipbuilding sector with a new 25-acre shipyard, maintaining in excess of 110,000 SF of combined manufacturing space (both yards), and a full slate of new builds underway.

Louisiana-based boat manufacturer Metal Shark announced it has commenced operations at its new shipyard, where the first of its recently announced Endurance-class catamarans is now in production. In January, Metal Shark acquired a 25-acre waterfront tract situated on the Charenton Bypass Canal in Franklin, Louisiana, and announced plans to develop the new property into a facility to support its planned aluminum and steel shipbuilding efforts for vessels up to 250’ in length. Six months later, the new facility is operational and production is underway.