Avondale Industries News

It's the end of the line for decommissioned barge carrier SS Cape Florida, which recently arrived at a scrapyard in the Port of Brownsville in Texas for recycling.International Shipbreaking LLC, (ISL) part of EMR, has been awarded a U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) contract to transport, strip and recycle the decommissioned vessel, which has been out of service since 2006.After being awarded the contract on July 6, ISL made preparations to tow the Cape Florida from MARAD Ready Reserve Fleet in Beaumont…

The new photo book, Avondale: A Model for Success, tracks the story of an American shipyard from its humble beginnings in 1938, through years of growth achievement, up to its eventual acquisition in 1999. Assembled by Rene Pierre Meric, Jr. and Philip J. Meric, the book is a pictorial account of Avondale Shipyard, taking readers on a journey that follows the shipyard’s storied history, from its foundation as Avondale Marine Ways through decades of production and expansion as Avondale Shipyard and Avondale Industries…

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced today that Irwin F. Edenzon will retire on Dec. 1, 2014. Edenzon is currently corporate vice president and president of Ingalls Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries. Although Edenzon will not officially retire until December 2014, he will step down as president on March 31, 2014, and the HII Board of Directors has elected Brian Cuccias to succeed Edenzon in the position of corporate vice president and president of Ingalls Shipbuilding, effective April 1, 2014.

Huntington Ingalls Industries announced that René Mathieu has been named vice president and general manager, Avondale Industries Inc., effective May 20. He is responsible for all non-Navy aspects of HII's energy infrastructure business in Avondale, La., including production operations, human resources, business management, engineering and design, facilities management and fabrication. Mathieu will work in Avondale and at Avondale's business development office in Houston. He will report directly to Chris Kastner, HII's corporate vice president and general manager, corporate development.

Representing an important milestone for U.S. commercial shipbuilding, the delivery of the 141,740-dwt Polar Endeavour signaled the unfolding of a major new chapter of investment in the fleet dedicated to coastwise transportation of Alaskan crude oil. Giving first form to the Millennium concept, the tanker has been purpose-designed for trade in the world's most environmentally-sensitive waters. While Polar Tankers' main requirement of the Millennium-class is to ship crude to Puget Sound from the Trans Alaska Pipeline terminal at Valdez, the series is also suited to the needs of the traffic to California and Hawaii. The program had been implemented in 1997…

Representing an important milestone for U.S. commercial shipbuilding, the delivery of the 141,740-dwt Polar Endeavour signaled the unfolding of a major new chapter of investment in the fleet dedicated to coastwise transportation of Alaskan crude oil. Giving first form to the Millennium concept, the tanker has been purpose-designed for trade in the world's most environmentally-sensitive waters. While Polar Tankers' main requirement of the Millennium-class is to ship crude to Puget Sound from the Trans Alaska Pipeline terminal at Valdez, the series is also suited to the needs of the traffic to California and Hawaii. The program had been implemented in 1997…

William E. Rowe, Chairman and CEO of Stewart Enterprises, Inc. announced the election of Thomas M. Kitchen to the Company's Board of Directors. Mr. Kitchen is an investment management consultant with Equitas Capital Advisors, LLC in New Orleans. During a 25-year career with Avondale Industries, Inc., the nation's fifth largest shipbuilder, he served as president, chief financial officer and board member. He currently serves on the board of Conrad Industries, a marine fabricator headquartered in Morgan City, La. Mr. Rowe said, "We are very fortunate to have Tom Kitchen serving on our board. Mr. Kitchen holds both an undergraduate degree and master's degree in Business Administration from the University of New Orleans, which recognized him as its 1997 Alumnus of the Year.

CAPT John Robert Exell relieved CAPT David Joe Vogel at a Change of Command Ceremony for the Naval Sea Systems Command's (NAVSEA) Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair (SUPSHIP), New Orleans, Wednesday, 12 December 2001. RADM Charles Young, Vice Commander, NAVSEA, was the principal speaker. In his remarks, RADM Young reflected on CAPT Vogel’s service to NAVSEA. He applauded CAPT Vogel’s efforts, which he said had created a dynamic three-year resurgence in quality assurance by SUPSHIP personnel and forged a long sought after strategic partnership with SUPSHIP New Orleans' lead supplier—Northrop Grumman Avondale Industries.

The Federal Trade Commission granted early termination of the waiting period required under federal law for its proposed sale of Avondale Industries Inc. to Litton Industries Inc. The $529 million merger of the two military shipbuilders is subject to approval by Avondale shareholders at a July 27 meeting, after which the deal is scheduled to close.

Litton Ship Systems' Ingalls Shipbuilding division, located in Pascagoula, Mississippi, has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with SeaAmerica Cruise Lines, Inc., based in Hollywood, Fla. Under the MOA, Litton and SeaAmerica will develop a ship design leading to contract negotiations for the construction of two 42,000-ton, 1,000 passenger cruise ships. The program will include options for two additional ships. Construction of the cruise vessels would utilize both of Litton Ship Systems' production facilities — Litton Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula and Litton Avondale Industries in metro New Orleans, La., and maximizing the resources and experience of both shipyards to achieve operating synergies.

Shipbuilding leaders convened in Washington D.C. last week to discuss the means and methods to propel the U.S. Shipbuilding market at the dawn of the new millennium. By Regina P. Under the auspices of the seeking a candid and creative discussion regarding the country's shipbuilding future, the U.S. Maritime Administration sponsored a seminar dubbed Marketing Issues and Challenges Facing the U.S. Shipbuilding Industry last week. Attended by industry executives from most of the country's premiere facilities, the conference was held on Wednesday, April 5, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Pentagon City, Va. Stressing the pressures of competition form the lucrative Asian shipbuilding powerhouses of Japan, China and Korea, many conference speakers mulled and brainstormed ways that the U.S.

Litton Avondale Industries, a division of Litton Industries, has been awarded a $477.7 million contract by the U.S. Navy for the construction of an additional ship in the Navy's newest class of amphibious assault ships. The cost reimbursable contract is for the construction of LPD 20, the fourth ship in a planned 12-ship program. The follow-on eight ships in the LPD 17 San Antonio Class program will be awarded over the next four years. As prime contractor for the LPD 17 program, Litton Avondale leads a team comprised of Bath Iron Works, Raytheon Electronic Systems and Intergraph Corporation. Design of the lead ship of the class is underway at Litton Avondale with actual production scheduled to begin this summer.

Litton Avondale Industries, a division of Litton Industries, has been awarded a $477.7 million contract by the U.S. Navy for the construction of an additional ship in the Navy's newest class of amphibious assault ships. The cost reimbursable contract is for the construction of LPD 20, the fourth ship in a planned 12-ship program. The follow-on eight ships in the LPD 17 San Antonio Class program will be awarded over the next four years. As prime contractor for the LPD 17 program, Litton Avondale leads a team comprised of Bath Iron Works, Raytheon Electronic Systems and Intergraph Corporation. Design of the lead ship of the class is underway at Litton Avondale with actual production scheduled to begin this summer.

The Office of Naval Research announced today the selection of two Shipbuilding Initiative projects to receive a combined total of $1 million of Navy funding. Industry will contribute approximately $900,000 in cost share. · Development of Advanced Steel Fabrication Processes for Naval Ship Construction, which will be performed by: Institute for Manufacturing and Sustainment Technologies (iMAST), Gulf Coast Region Maritime Technology Center, General Dynamics – Electric Boat Corp., and General Dynamics – Bath Iron Works Corp. · Hybrid Welding of Ship Structures, which will be performed by: Navy Joining Center, iMAST, Newport News Shipbuilding…

Shipbuilding leaders convened in Washington, D.C. recently to discuss the means and methods to propel the U.S. shipbuilding market at the dawn of the new millennium. Under the auspices of seeking a candid and creative discussion regarding the country's shipbuilding future, the U.S. Maritime Administration sponsored a seminar on April 5, dubbed, "Marketing Issues and Challenges Facing the U.S. Attended by industry executives from most of the country's premier facilities, the conference was held on Wednesday, April 5, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Pentagon City, Va. Stressing the pressures of competition form the lucrative Asian shipbuilding powerhouses of Japan, China and Korea, many conference speakers mulled and brainstormed ways that the U.S. shipbuilders could recapture market share.

Bollinger Shipyards, Inc., Lockport, La., has signed a contract to build two, 250-ft., double hull, jumbo coastwise service, single rake hopper barges for Tide Leasing, LLC, Birmingham, Ala. Construction has begun on the first barge and building of the second vessel will begin in August. Both are scheduled for delivery in November 2000. Overall, each barge will be 250 ft. in length, with a 52.5-ft. beam and 14-ft. depth and 11.5 ft. maximum draft. They will be built with .75-in. steel at the hopper bottoms and .625-in. steel at the hopper sides plus .5-in. T-1 liner plates on the bottom and upper sides of the hopper. Each will be able to carry up to 3,000 metric tons of coal and will operate out of Santa Marta, Colombia. Shearer and Associates, Inc., Metairie, La.

Litton Avondale Industries laid the keel of M/V Polar Discovery on August 28 for Long Beach, Calif.-based Polar Discovery. Formally known as Arco Tankers, the company contracted Avondale to build this vessel, which is the last part to a three-part series of Millennium Class tankers that will transport crude oil from Alaska to the U.S. West Coast. The tanker, which is scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter 2002, is the final chapter in this Millennium series that began with Polar Endeavour and Polar Resolution. Both vessels will enter the Alaskan trade upon their delivery in 2001. Measuring 895 x 152 x 86 ft. (272.6 x 46.2 x 26.3 m), the vessels' namesake is in honor of explorer Captain James Cook.

Kvaerner, the Anglo-Norwegian engineering and construction Group, has elected Ronald J. McAlear, as CEO of its Philadelphia Shipyard. He replaces Baard Bale, who has been acting CEO of the yard since June, and will be returning to Kvaerner's international headquarters in London in December. McAlear has spent his entire professional career in the maritime industry, and currently holds a senior executive position with Litton Avondale Industries. He will assume his new position with Kvaerner in Philadelphia at the beginning of November. McAlear, a well-known figure within the U.S. shipbuilding industry, boasts a solid background in shipbuilding, ship repair, ship-operations and marine equipment marketing and manufacturing.

Litton Industries Inc. said Polar Tankers Inc. has exercised an option for a fourth double-hull crude oil carrier, valued at $197 million, to ship Alaskan crude oil. Under a contract awarded in 1997, Litton's Avondale Industries Inc. subsidiary has three 125,000 DWT crude oil carriers under construction. Delivery of the first ship is scheduled for January 2001. Long Beach, Calif.-based Polar Tankers, a subsidiary of Phillips Petroleum Co., Polar Tankers has an option with Litton Avondale for a fifth ship which could be exercised in the first quarter of calendar year 2001. The Millennium Class "next generation" tankers being built at Litton Avondale are the first new crude-oil carriers being built for the Alaskan trade in compliance with the Federal Oil Pollution Act of 1990.

A new development within the realm of U.S. Shipbuilding — the new Kvaerner Philadelphia Shipyard (KPSI) is poised to be one of the most efficiently outfitted commercial shipyards in the world. The shipbuilding company, which occupies approximately 114 acres on what used to be the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, utilizes a section of the former Naval yard, which was closed down in 1996 by the U.S. Government due to lack of funds. Further revitalizing this historical landmark, was KPSI's decision to utilize the yard's original drydocks that date back to WWII. But the facility is hardly stuck in the 1940s as it boasts a full array of modern shipbuilding technology and systems. Recently, Ron McAlear, hailing from Litton Avondale and a U.S.

USNS MENDONCA (T-AKR 303), the fourth of seven BOB HOPE Class Strategic Sealift ships being built by Litton Avondale Industries was delivered to the U.S. Navy on January 30, 2001, ahead of schedule. MENDONCA and her sister ships of the class are designed to support the nation's ability to deploy military equipment and supplies quickly to U.S. troops around the world and provide pre-positioning and surge sealift capacity to contingency areas worldwide. The 950-ft.-long, large, medium-speed, RoRo (LMSR) ships of the BOB HOPE Class are among the largest in the Navy fleet. "A remarkable team has developed among the New Orleans Supervisor of Shipbuilding…

Conrad Industries announced that the Board of Directors has named Lewis Derbes, Jr. as the company’s new vice president and chief financial officer, effective September 30, 2002. Lew has spent the past 5 years with Northrop Grumman’s Avondale Industries, Inc., recently as the vice president and controller. Lew joins Conrad with an extensive background in all areas of financial and accounting management, including SEC compliance and reporting. Prior to his service with Avondale, Darbes was an accountant with Deloitte & Touche. Conrad’s current CFO, Cecil Hernandez has elected to resign as CFO effective September 30, 2002 to pursue other business opportunities. Cecil will remain as an officer of the company through an agreed upon transition period and will remain as a director.

Avondale Industries, Inc. has agreed to pay $357,750 in penalties for safety and health violations at its shipyard in Avondale, La., and implement a revised safety and health program as part of a settlement agreement announced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). "We are pleased Avondale has agreed to resolve this matter," said Secretary of Labor Alexis M. Herman. "Avondale's new management has shown they are serious about eliminating safety hazards. OSHA originally inspected the shipyard in October 1998 following union complaints of possible imminent danger from falls, and other health issues. Based on that inspection, OSHA issued 60 citations against the shipbuilder last April and proposed fines of $537,000.