Gm News

Cobham Satcom Secures Contract with China TranTech

Cobham Satcom and China TranTech Technologies have signed a contract which includes the largest delivery of SAILOR XTR Ku VSAT antennas to the Chinese market so far, supported by an extensive training and global service program.China TranTech is a subsidiary of China Transport Telecommunication Information Group Company Limited (CTTIC) and the only maritime satellite safety communication provider in China.SAILOR 1000 XTR Ku antennas deliver dependable, high-speed connectivity that vessel crews need to optimize remote marine operations at sea.

First in "Prima Plus Class", Norwegian Aqua Launched

The uniquely painted Norwegian Aqua was launched at the Fincantieri  Marghera (Venice) shipyard, the first vessel in the Prima Plus class for Norwegian Cruise Line's (NCL).With external work now complete, the yard and its partners will forcus on completing the ship for its scheduled April 2025 delivery.“We are thrilled to celebrate another milestone together with our partners at Fincantieri, who are an integral part of the Prima class ships' journey and support us in evolving the extraordinary experience we design and deliver to our guests…

Automakers Reroute Shipments After Baltimore Bridge Collapse

U.S. automakers General Motors and Ford will reroute affected shipments after a bridge collapse in the U.S. shuttered the Port of Baltimore, but the companies said on Tuesday the impact will be minimal."We expect the situation to have minimal impact to our operations. We are working to re-route any vehicle shipments to other ports," GM said in a statement.The Port of Baltimore is the busiest U.S. port for car shipments, handling at least 750,000 vehicles in 2023, according to data from the Maryland Port Administration.

Aarseth new GM for Vard Interiors

Birgit Aarseth has been appointed General Manager for Vard Interiors AS coming from the position as Vice President Operations. Aarseth has been working at Vard Interiors since March 2022, first as Department Manager Interior and then as Vice President Operations.

Chevron Names Yavuz GM for its Global Marine Lubricants

Chevron announced it has appointed Ayten Yavuz as the new General Manager, Global Marine Lubricants.Yavuz joined Chevron in 1991 and has held notable positions over three decades at the company. Most recently, Yavuz was the Regional Manager of Chevron Marine Products for North West Europe and the Americas.In her new role, Yavuz will be responsible for charting the course toward profitable growth, innovation and development within the marine business sector, Chevron said. She will…

Fairbanks Morse Defense Acquires Samtan Engineering Corporation

Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD), a portfolio company of Arcline Investment Management, has acquired single-source metalworking supplier Samtan Engineering Corporation based in Malden, Mass. Samtan’s metalworking services expand FMD’s portfolio with shearing, punching, forming, machining, fabrication and assembly capabilities.“Our acquisition of Samtan Engineering Corporation allows Fairbanks Morse Defense to continue delivering value far beyond the cost of our services through the seamless integration of metal-stamped products and machine shop services,” said FMD CEO George Whittier.

Moose Boats Delivers New Fireboat to Alameda City FD

Vallejo ,Calif. boatbuilder Moose Boats announced it has delivered a new fireboat to the Alameda City Fire Department (AFD) located in Alameda County, Calif.According to the builder, the new Moose M2-38 fireboat is the most powerful ever assembled, running on twin Cummins turbo charged QSB 6.7L 480HP engines with Twin Disc Transmissions and Hamilton HJX 29 waterjets. The boat can reach speeds up to 38 knots with a cruise speed of 30 knots.The vessel is equipped with two large Darley 2000 GPM fire pumps powered by PTO systems that enables full control at the helm while flowing close to 5…

"AI is the Game Changer"

Austal USA Advanced Technologies is working with the US Navy on technical solutions that will power the next-gen of navy assets. Don Hairston recently took the helm of the AAT team, and discusses how additive manufacturing and artificial intelligence are powering the future of naval asset design, construction and lifecycle maintenance.Don, what specifically attracted you to the position as GM of Austal USA Advanced Technologies?I liked Austal USA as an up-and-comer; it offers tremendous growth opportunities.

Biden's Clean Energy Agenda Faces Mounting Headwinds

Canceled offshore wind projects, imperiled solar factories, and fading demand for electric vehiclesA year after the passage of the largest climate change legislation in U.S. history, meant to touch off a boom in American clean energy development, economic realities are fraying President Joe Biden’s agenda.Soaring financing and materials costs, unreliable supply chains, delayed rulemaking in Washington and sluggish permitting have wrought havoc ranging from offshore wind developer Orsted’s project cancellations in the U.S.

Lies, Damn Lies, and Inextinguishable Lore – EV Fires

A few weeks ago I was talking to some professional fire fighters and was regaled with EV fire fighting disasters. They told me that EV caught fire all the time, that EV fires were much more dangerous than gasoline fires, and that fire trucks could not carry enough water to put out an EV fire. When I asked if they had fought any EV fires, they told me their information came from reliable sources and then asked me if I would park my Chevy Bolt in my garage. They focused on my Chevy Bolt, since it is widely regarded as a fire hazard.

Bibby Marine to Build Zero-emission eSOV

Bibby Marine and its consortium partners are moving forward with plans to build the world’s first zero-emission electric service operation vessel (eSOV) after securing funding for the project from the Zero Emission Vessel Infrastructure (ZEVI) competition.The award, announced Monday at London International Shipping Week, comprises of match funding to build the pioneering vessel, which will operate solely on 20MWh of batteries – a significant step toward achieving the marine industry’s net-zero ambitions.

SeaLink Marine & Tourism Names New Executive GM

Australian operator SeaLink Marine & Tourism announced the internal promotion of David Hay to the newly created role of Executive General Manager – Business Operations. Hay will commence the new role on October 4.SeaLink Marine & Tourism’s fleet of 113 vessels connect travelers to 16 islands around Australia and includes tourism and hospitality experiences in multiple capital city harbors and major rivers, as well as two island resorts on K’gari (Fraser Island). Contracted essential transport services with governments and private clients include ferry services for passenger…

Hairston Named GM of Austal USA Advanced Technologies

Don Hairston has been named General Manager of Austal USA Advanced Technologies in Charlottesville, Va. Hairston comes to Austal from L3Harris Technologies where he was vice president and general manager of the C5 Systems Division. He was responsible for leading a $400 million organization that designs and delivers unmanned surface vessels, integrated C5ISR, and maritime controls and cyber solutions to support, defend and protect critical national assets and infrastructure.In…

New Product: Subsea Power Cable Cutting, Clamping Tool

Credeblug and Tecnalia have teamed to improve the maintenance and repair operations carried out on underwater power cables. The end result: the manufacture and validation of s cutting and clamping tool, designed to secure one end of a cable after it has been cut, aiming to save time and money.“This functionality has been called for by offshore cable repair teams all over the world since such operations began in the 19th century," said Joannes Berquè, a TECNALIA researcher. "To this day, current cutting tools mean that the ends of the cable drop off after they have been cut.

Crowley Names Karl SVP and GM of Wind Services

Crowley has appointed Bob Karl as senior vice president and general manager of the company’s new business unit, Crowley Wind Services. As Crowley elevates the scope of its offerings in wind energy, Karl will lead the company’s wind services team in the strategic development and expansion of services to support the emerging sector. The development of a wind service business unit will see the company continue to leverage its expertise and assets to provide landside and marine logistic solutions throughout the wind lifecycle.

Electric Tug Sparky Chistened in Auckland

Sparky, a new all-electric ship handling tugboat, has been christened in Auckland, New Zealand.The RSD-E Tug 2513 was built at Damen Song Cam Shipyard in Vietnam for owner Ports of Auckland. Equipped with 2,784 kWh of batteries, the 70 tonne bollard pull harbor tug can undertake two or more assignments before being recharged—which takes about two hours—entirely emissions-free.In 2016, Ports of Auckland adopted the goal of becoming a zero emissions port by 2040, and its new tug Sparky is a key part of this green agenda…

Shipbuilding: Ingram Marine Christens Four Towboats in One Day

On June 24, Ingram Marine Group held a special christening ceremony for four vessels: M/V Capt. Roy Daniels, M/V Randy Hooper, M/V Debbie L. Owen and M/V Harold B. Warren. The M/V Debbie L. Owen and M/V Capt. Roy Daniels are new builds. The M/V Randy Hooper and M/V Harold B. Warren are refurbished vessels.“The people we are honoring today are a testament to the kind of company we’ve worked hard to build. They really represent the ‘Ingram Way’ which is why it is so fitting to christen some of our vessels in their honor…

Moose Boats Delivers New Catamaran to Westar Marine Services

California boatbuilder Moose Boats announced the delivery of its latest project, a 75-foot crew and cargo transfer vessel to San Francisco based Westar Marine Services.Moose Boats' biggest project to date, the catamaran will be used in the San Francisco Bay for passenger and cargo transfers. With a carrying capacity of more than 15,000 pounds of cargo and a passenger capacity of 28, the boat, christened the Madison Lynne, is an Incat Crowther designed USCG Subchapter T vessel.A…

Mercury Marine Names Millender Bailey VP & GM, eSolutions

Mercury Marine, a division of Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC), has named Perissa Millender Bailey Vice President and General Manager, eSolutions. This new position on Mercury’s leadership team will be responsible for leading the company’s electrification business and product development strategy.Millender Bailey joins Mercury following an 18-year career with Ford Motor Company, most recently serving as the company’s global technology strategy and planning director. At Ford, she spearheaded electric vehicle user experience…

Phoenix Hires Sonnenberg as Norfolk GM

Subsea marine services company Phoenix International Holdings, Inc. announced that Michael Sonnenberg has joined the company as general manager of its Norfolk, Va. office.As a U.S. Navy Master Diver, Master Chief, and Master Training Specialist-Instructor, Sonnenberg brings to Phoenix 29 years of experience in air and mixed gas diving, salvage and underwater ship husbandry. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Organizational Leadership from Thomas Edison State University.Patrick Keenan…

Crowley Commits to Net-zero GHG Emissions by 2050

As the maritime industry collectively struggles to chart the course toward decarbonization, Crowley today committed to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across all scopes by 2050, pursuing a path aligned with the latest climate science to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.What this means is an overall reduction of 4.2 million metric tons of greenhouse gases per year for the maritime and logistics giant.“Crowley is on a mission to become the most sustainable and innovative maritime and logistics company in the Americas,” said Tom Crowley, chairman and CEO.

Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding Announces Leadership Change

U.S. shipyard Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding announced a change of leadership. Todd Thayse, who began working at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding more than 37 years ago and he has spent the last 10 years as the vice president and general manager, has decided to retire.“The timing of one’s retirement is not an easy decision,” Thayse said. “Especially when you enjoy what you do and the people you get to work with every day.”Thayse will remain at FBS through mid-January to help enable a smooth transition with the incoming VP and GM, Craig Perciavalle.

Video Interview: Dominicana Caribbean Shipyards Opens

Last month Ciramar Shipyards signed a strategic alliance with Fassmer Technical Projects to build and repair ships in the Dominican Republic under the Dominicana Caribbean Shipyards name.“There’s been a need for a long time for a new shipyard to rise within the Caribbean region and the Americas in general, to be able to professionally service various ship types that transit the area,” said Craig R. Gundry, GM, Fassmer Technical Projects. “Luis and I came together a number of years ago and started a relationship working with each other in different ways.