Robert Clemons News

Manufacturer of diesel engines and generator sets for the marine industry Cummins Inc. said it recently delivered the first four QSK95 engines for a marine application, with four additional units to be delivered in December. The engines were delivered to longtime Cummins partner SEACOR Marine Holdings Inc. for installation into a 57-meter catamaran crewboat designed by Incat Crowther. “We are extremely excited to be working with SEACOR Marine to launch the first QSK95 marine engines,” said Jim Schacht, Executive Director - Marine Market, Cummins Inc.

Tomorrow, April 8, at 2:40 p.m. EDT, U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., Chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, will host a press conference to announce a recent study that highlights the importance of the Jones Act to Louisiana’s economy. Sen. Landrieu has long been a strong supporter of the Jones Act. In 2011, she wrote a letter to the president criticizing the Administration’s use of foreign vessels to transport crude oil within the United States during the ongoing Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) drawdown.

The Offshore Marine Service Association announced that Ben Billings has officially assumed the position of President and Chief Executive Officer. Billings comes to OMSA from Washington, D.C. where he has worked for the past nine years on maritime issues in the U.S. Senate for Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Billings commented on his return to his native New Orleans and the experience he brings to OMSA, saying, “I am very happy to have this opportunity to return home for such an important mission.

The Offshore Marine Service Association announced that it will begin a transition of leadership. Several months ago, President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Adams informed the OMSA Board of Directors that he would be stepping down by the end of the year to manage a startup business that he and his partners have developed in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. “Jim has done an outstanding job and he will be genuinely missed. He has expertly guided OMSA through some difficult waters.

Todd Hornbeck will succeed Otto Candies III as chairman of the Board, Robert Clemons will advance to Vice Chairman and Ben Bordelon will serve as Secretary and Treasurer. Jim Adams, who had been working in his interim position since August, was named as the association’s President and CEO. “I want to thank Otto Candies, III for his remarkable leadership through a very challenging time for OMSA. He served the membership well and we will continue to rely on his counsel as he retains his seat as a member of the board of directors,” said Todd Hornbeck.