Bollinger Opens Satellite Engineering Office

Bollinger Shipyards, Inc., Lockport, La., has opened its new satellite marine engineering and naval architecture office in Slidell, La., on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain near New Orleans. The ceremonial ribbon was cut by Boysie Bollinger, chairman and CEO of the company, Rhinehart Dearing, chief of staff for the city of Slidell, and officials from the city, parish (county) and state. Scott Theriot, executive vice-president of new construction for Bollinger said the office was opened to accommodate increasing business, expanding product lines and planned new services. He said the location is ideal because it is in the heart of a high tech and shipbuilding corridor which includes a highly skilled, professional talent pool from industry, government and academia. Within an 80-mile radius of the office are two of the nation's "big six" shipyards, several smaller shipyards, marine equipment manufacturers, district headquarters for the USCG, USACE, two U. S. Navy SUPSHIP offices, headquarters for the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, a large NASA complex, the Navy's new Information Technology Center, the Marine Engineering and Naval Architecture school at the University of New Orleans and its Marine Technology Center of Excellence and the UNO Research and Technology Park. Theriot said all are sources for highly qualified professionals seeking new challenges. Now designated Bollinger-North Shore Engineering, the office is linked to the company's main engineering and design offices in Lockport via computers on a real-time basis for seamless integration into the company's wide area network and Oracle based Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP). Overall management is under Dennis Fanguy, technical director in Lockport and a 16-year Bollinger veteran. The on-site manager is Jude McDonald, a 30-year vessel design specialist and North Shore resident. Fanguy said the company has planned for future expansion and the initial phase includes 3500 sq. ft. for 14 offices and other administrative functions. Options are held for adjoining space for Phase II, which would add 3200 sq. ft. and 23 C.A.D.D. stations and Phase III would include 1600 sq. ft. and provisions for 14 additional C.A.D.D. stations.