Foti News

One the United States' largest fleet service and ship repair sites is changing hands.Ship repair and commercial- and defense-related fabrication services provider Titan Acquisition Holdings announced on Wednesday it has reached a deal to acquire San Diego Shipyard from Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII). Financial terms were not disclosed. The transaction, expected to close in the second quarter, is subject to customary closing conditions.The San Diego Shipyard, formerly Continental Maritime of San Diego…

Dignitaries from the state of Washington joined Governor Jay Inslee, Washington State Ferries officials and Vigor employees at Vigor’s Seattle shipyard to celebrate the beginning of the greening of WSF’s fleet. Speakers included Governor Inslee, Roger Millar, Secretary of Transportation for Washington State Department of Transportation, and Vigor CEO Frank Foti. The ceremony concluded with a dedication of a sign marking the construction site of the Program.Earlier in the year Washington’s legislature authorized a contract extension for Vigor to build up to five 144-car Olympic class…

Global investment firm The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) and private equity firm Stellex Capital Management today announced they have closed on their acquisition of Vigor Industrial LLC and MHI Holdings LLC. In addition, Carlyle and Stellex announced they have appointed Jim Marcotuli as CEO of the newly created company comprising Vigor and MHI, effective today.Marcotuli brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in the defense and manufacturing industries. He has served in a number of executive and operating roles with Carlyle portfolio companies and in industries spanning defense…

Dignitaries from the State of Washington joined Governor Jay Inslee, Washington State Ferries officials and Vigor Industrial employees yesterday (September 9) at Vigor’s Seattle, Washington shipyard to celebrate the launch of a new hybrid-electric ferry build program for the ferry operator. Speakers included Washington State Governor Jay Inslee; Roger Millar, Secretary of Transportation for Washington State Department of Transportation; and Vigor’s CEO, Frank Foti. The ceremony concluded with a dedication of a sign marking program’s construction site.Earlier this year…

In one a dramatic U.S. shipbuilding and repair move it was announced today that The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) and private equity firm Stellex Capital Management signed a definitive agreement to acquire and merge Vigor Industrial LLC, an infrastructure, defense, and maritime services company based in Portland, Oregon, and MHI Holdings LLC, a ship repair, maintenance, and other ship husbandry services company based in Norfolk, Virginia.The transaction, subject to customary closing conditions…

West Coast U.S. shipbuilding and repair powerhouse Vigor has selected a Vancouver, Washington site to be the home for its new  all-aluminum fabrication facility.With a nearly billion dollar contract in its hip pocket to build the U.S. Army’s new landing craft over the next 10 years, Vigor is expanding it's shipbuilding operations to a new state-of-the-art aluminum fabrication facility with this project serving as the anchor for production.The facility as formerly the home of Christensen Yachts, deemed by the company as the best location to build the U.S.

Despite some 7,000 miles separating Ireland and Hawaii, the two islands have a lot in common. The islands’ peoples have always looked to their respective oceans for resources, inspiration and opportunity. Today, Irish company Ocean Energy announced its wave energy convertor OE Buoy will be built by Oregon-based Vigor and deployed at the U.S. Navy’s Wave Energy Test Site on the windward coast of the Hawaiian Island of O’ahu in the fall of 2018. The contract value is $6.5 million out of a total project value of $12 million for this first of a kind grid scale project at the U.S.

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) christened Suquamish, its fourth Olympic Class auto/passenger ferry, to serve passengers on the Mukilteo/Clinton route beginning in 2019. The christening ceremony was held at Vigor's Harbor Island Shipyard in Seattle, where the new 144-car ferry has entered the final stages of construction and preparation ahead of sea trials starting in mid-2018. In addition to summer operations on the Mukilteo/Clinton route, the new ferry will also serve as a maintenance relief vessel in the winter, filling in when other vessels are out of service.

The U.S. Army has chosen the Vigor design for its Maneuver Support Vessel (Light), MSV(L), a new generation of landing craft to replace the aging LCM-8 Mike boats. “This award is the culmination of a five year process of research and development that first began with Kvichak prior to its merger with Vigor,” said Frank Foti, Vigor CEO. The Vigor MSV(L) design was developed in partnership with BMT following a detailed study of the Army’s unique needs and the available design options to fulfill those needs.

U.S. shipbuilder Vigor has launched The Harvest, the first complex liquefied ammonia transport barge built in the U.S. for Jones Act trade since 1982. The vessel was constructed to support the operations of The Mosaic Company, an integrated producer and marketer of concentrated phosphate and potash. The Harvest will be operated by a subsidiary of Savage Companies as part of an articulated tug and barge (ATB) unit. “This is a significant project for both the maritime industry and our community,” said Vigor CEO, Frank Foti.

The new ferry Chimacum joined the Washington State fleet on Friday, April 7 as Washington State Ferries officially accepted the vessel from builder/contractor Vigor. The Chimacum will carry ferry riders on the Seattle/Bremerton route this summer after crews complete vessel outfitting, operational training and drills. Christened Chimacum, the new ferry’s name honors the Chemakum tribe’s gathering place, which is now the present day town of Chimacum near Port Townsend. “We’re excited to welcome the Chimacum to our fleet,” said Washington State Ferries Assistant Secretary Amy Scarton.

For nearly two decades, Frank Foti has led Vigor’s transformation from a single, struggling shipyard to a thriving, increasingly diversified industrial company with 2,500 employees, 12 locations and approximately $700 million in annual revenue. According to Vigor, Foti often describes his motivation in three words: “Industrial Jobs Matter.” Committed to improving long-term, family-wage job opportunities workers and their families and communities, Foti and his management team have, over time, has worked to strategically expand and diversify the company, investing in training facilities and infrastructure along the way. Also according to Vigor…

Merger positions combined company to play a dominant role in recapitalization of North Pacific fishing fleet and emerging Arctic oil gas operations. Kvichak Marine Industries and Vigor Industrial today announced the companies are merging to unite their strengths in the design and fabrication of aluminum workboats, shipbuilding, and boat building. Under the terms of the merger, Kvichak will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Vigor. Kvichak’s current owners (Jim Meckley, Brian Thomas and Keith Whittemore) will join Vigor as shareholders and as members of the leadership team. “My partners and I are very excited to be joining Vigor. Sharing best ideas and practices across companies will make us even more competitive and create a more stable business base for our workers…

Announced by Governor Sean Parnell Saturday, September 20, the State of Alaska and Vigor Industrial have reached a final agreement to construct two Alaska Class Ferries at Vigor Alaska in Ketchikan. The vessels will be the first Alaska Marine Highway System ferries to be built in Alaska. “Here we are today to launch this shipyard to a new level, a new level of good jobs, a new level of growth for Ketchikan businesses that are going to supply the shipyard and its workers,” Governor…

Based in Portland, Oregon, Vigor Industrial is the Pacific Northwest’s leader in shipbuilding and repair. With seven shipyards and two additional advanced manufacturing facilities, Vigor companies tackle projects ranging from emergency repairs, to multiple builds of large complex vessels, to advanced fabrication work for the industries including nuclear and hydroelectric power generation. Vigor’s nine facilities include seven shipyards (Ketchikan and Seward, Alaska, Portland, Oregon…

Frank Foti of Vigor Industrial has steadily embarked on a consolidation of the Pacific Northwest ship construction and repair industry. Starting in Portland in 1995 with about 50 employees, the ubiquitous owner of Vigor has built his business today to more than 2,000 employees in an ever-widening industrial group. During a recent visit to Seattle, he shared insights on his company and the market. “Vigor is a diversified marine and industrial fabricator and it is a ship repair specialist,” is how Frank Foti, the owner of Vigor Industrial for nearly 20 years, concisely describes his company.

Oregon Iron Works (OIW) and Vigor Industrial (Vigor) today announced the companies are merging to unite their strengths in advanced manufacturing, shipbuilding and ship repair. Under the terms of the merger, OIW will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Vigor Industrial. The combination creates the critical mass of innovation, infrastructure and financial strength needed to pursue even more complex projects, enter new markets and win more work than either could separately. “I’ve…

The country’s largest floating drydock, the Vigorous, is headed for Portland this weekend. The drydock, a piece of equipment used to lift vessels as large as cruise ships out of the water, is scheduled to arrive at the mouth of the Columbia Sunday. It will make its way up to Vigor Industrial’s Portland shipyard on the Willamette River by Sunday evening or Monday morning, depending on weather and river traffic. Fully assembled, the drydock will be 960-feet long. However, it is currently in three parts, which are stacked aboard a 738-foot heavy lift ship for delivery.

The country’s largest floating drydock, the Vigorous, is headed for Portland this weekend. The drydock, a piece of equipment used to lift vessels as large as cruise ships out of the water, is scheduled to arrive at the mouth of the Columbia Sunday. It will make its way up to Vigor Industrial’s Portland shipyard on the Willamette River by Sunday evening or Monday morning, depending on weather and river traffic. Fully assembled, the drydock will be 960-feet long. However, it is currently in three parts, which are stacked aboard a 738-foot heavy lift ship for delivery.

The August “Shipbuilding Annual” is one of my favorites to research and produce every year, but even more so when this edition coincides with the SMM exhibition in Hamburg, Germany, which is the largest, best shipbuilding fair in the world. Early next month more than 50,000 visitors from around the world will walk through the halls of the Hamburg Messe und Congress, for meetings, conferences and social occasions for sure, but first and foremost for a glimpse of the new and emerging technologies for the maritime industry.

Vigor Industrial inform that the owner of Seward Ship’s Drydock has signed a letter of intent to sell the assets of the Seward, Alaska, shipyard company to Vigor Industrial. Seward Ship’s Drydock operates as a full service shipyard and drydock facility, in Seward, Alaska. Under the terms of the tentative deal, the Seward shipyard would join Vigor as a subsidiary of the company’s Vigor Alaska subsidiary. Vigor explain that the two companies are currently negotiating the terms of the potential sale and expect it to be finalized after satisfactory completion of environmental…

State elected, transportation and manufacturing leaders were on hand today to celebrate the christening of the state’s first 144-car Olympic Class ferry, the M/V Tokitae, at Vigor Industrial’s shipyard in Seattle. Lynn Peterson, Washington’s Secretary of Transportation, served as the ship’s sponsor and broke a bottle to christen the new ferry before a crowd of more than 200 people. Speakers at the ceremony explained that the vessels will ensure safe, reliable ferry service, save taxpayers money and provide jobs for the state’s maritime workforce.

Vigor Industrial has ballooned from a modest shipyard in Portland, Oregon, to the largest shipbuilder in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. Vigor increasingly thinks big and builds big. The company’s new floating dry dock will be the largest in the United States. And Vigor wants to get even bigger. CEO and owner Frank Foti expresses an ambition to grow to twice the current size in the “next few years.” Foti, who is also chairman of the Shipbuilder’s Council of America, says he is, “striving for critical mass.