Michael Babin News

The new facility has dedicated transmission and thruster repair facilities, and larger warehouse and training areas. ZF Marine has a long standing presence in Louisiana, opening their first location in the city of St. Rose in 1996. The ever increasing customer base combined with the addition of the commercial thruster product line in 2009 resulted in the need to create a larger physical presence in the region. A comprehensive search of the region resulted in ZF finding a new home at 677 Time Saver Avenue in Elmwood, Louisiana. ZF Marine’s new facility is three times the size of its previous location. The new facility not only houses dedicated transmission and thruster repair facilities, but also a significantly larger warehouse area.

Mr. Larry Rigdon, President and CEO of Rigdon Marine announced that Mrs. Janie Babin, wife of Michael Babin, Vice President of Administration, christened the “M/V BIENVILLE” in Mobile, Alabama. The “M/V BIENVILLE” is the sixth of ten contracted GPA-640 platform supply vessels to be christened. The vessel joins its sister fleet of 210’ x 54’ x 19’ diesel-electric and dynamic positioning ABS-classed platform supply vessels that are currently operating in the Gulf of Mexico. The “M/V BIENVILLE” was immediately deployed to work after its christening.