Manufacturing Experience News

Matt Hart, Manager & Platform Leader, Marine & Stationary Power Systems, Wabtec, offers insights on how the megatrends of decarbonization, energy transition and autonomy all inspire and impact the marine power solutions from Wabtec.Matt, to start us off, can you provide insight on the journey to your present position?I graduated from the University of Notre Dame with an undergraduate in Mechanical Engineering and started with General Electric in the Edison Engineering Development rotational program at the Erie…

The L.S. Starrett Company, a manufacturer of precision measuring tools and gages, metrology systems and more, appointed Matthew Wells as Director of Operations and Continuous Improvement, responsible for Production, Planning, Production Control and Purchasing, Inventory Management, Warehouse and Shipping, Quality, Manufacturing Engineering, Facility, EHS, Maintenance and Continuous Improvement. Wells reports directly to Mr. Emerson Leme, Vice President, Starrett Industrial Products, North America.

Naval architecture, marine engineering and marine surveying firm The Shearer Group, Inc. (TSGI) announced it has hired Charles Slajus and Jacqueline Campbell.Slajus joined TSGI as a naval architect. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. Over the course of his education, Slajus gained shipyard operations and composite manufacturing experience as an intern. He was also a Teaching Assistant for a marine power and energy course.Campbell rejoined TSGI as a Designer after working for TSGI from 2013-2019.

Fincantieri Marine Group began accepting applications for a new paid Industrial Shipbuilding Apprenticeship program this week. This program, which was approved by Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, is designed to increase the quality and quantity of skilled technicians trained and equipped to succeed in the maritime sector of the manufacturing industry. Fincantieri will select its first group of apprentices in July, and then will open up additional apprenticeship positions in the coming months.

Katarina Lindström will join Hempel as Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer from August 1, 2020 as the coatings manufacturer aims to double in size.As Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer (COO), Katarina Lindström will be a member of Hempel’s Executive Management Board.As part of its long-term growth strategy, Hempel is making significant investments in innovation and sustainability, while strengthening its supply chain and manufacturing footprint, particularly in Asia-Pacific.

MasterCraft announced that it has acquired NauticStar, a leading manufacturer and distributor of 18-28 foot, high-quality bay boats, deck boats and offshore center console boats for approximately $79.8 million. Founded in 2002, NauticStar, located in Amory, Mississippi, is privately owned and operated. With more than 15 years of boat manufacturing experience—including a 200,000 square-foot manufacturing facility—NauticStar has a reputation for reliability, quality and consistency, with a loyal network of dealers and customers including professional and sport fishermen, and recreational and pleasure boating enthusiasts. NauticStar currently sells its boats in the United States through an established network of approximately 70 dealers.

Robert De Hoyos has joined WPT Power Corporation as the company’s new engineering manager, bringing to the post 21 years of manufacturing experience as a mechanical engineer.   De Hoyos’ expertise is in new product design, drawing and routing as well as traditional engineering department functions. He has taught mechanical design (Solidworks and Auto CAD) classes at Midwestern State University and training courses in geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T). Most recently, he was a mechanical engineer for Magic Aire, United Electric Company. Prior to that, he was chief engineer at Washex Manufacturing overseeing production and R&D design projects.

Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft, FSG, was founded in 1872 by a group of five local ship owners who previously had all their steamboats built in England as most German ship owners did in the 19th century. The first ship, the iron tall ship Doris Brodersen, was delivered to one of the founding partners in 1875. The cargo steamer Septima was commissioned a year later. In 1892 a floating dock, with a capacity of 2,300 tons has been built. At the turn of the year 1900, more than 2c000 employees worked at FSG.

A division of the Unique Maritime Group (UMG) which is an integrated turnkey subsea and offshore solutions providers, Unique Seaflex, announced it has assisted Belfast shipyard Harland and Wolff with the largest load test ever carried out with the use of their WaterLoad range of bags over the course of the final days of May 2014. Building on 150 years of marine manufacturing experience, Harland and Wolff offers a combination of vast facilities and technical capability. From initial consultancy through detailed engineering…

Superior-Lidgerwood-Mundy’s standardized commercial winches are tough, customizable and built to last. For 150 years, Superior-Lidgerwood-Mundy (SLM) has been at the forefront of innovation for the Marine Sector. Focusing on the strict Navy and USACE standards for much of that time has given the firm a unique perspective upon which to build long lasting and reliable products in the marketplace. In 2010, SLM decided to split its resources into Commercial and Defense divisions.

Northrop Grumman Corporation has delivered the second MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter to the U.S. Navy after completing final assembly at the company's unmanned systems center in Moss Point, Miss. The aircraft is joining the first one delivered to Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu, Calif., to conduct flight testing before using the system for operational missions in 2014. "Since 2006 we have conducted final assembly of the earlier MQ-8B Fire Scout aircraft from our Moss Point facility…

Under New Ownership, Freeman Marine becomes part of the Advanced Marine Technologies Group. Freeman Marine Equipment Inc., a globally recognized brand and major US supplier to the worldwide marine industry, is now part of Advanced Marine Technologies (AMT). The company was purchased by AdvanTec Global Innovations of British Columbia, Canada. AdvanTec owns the four companies that make up the AMT Group. The other members of the group are Diamond Sea Glaze, Steelhead Marine and Manly Marine. Freeman Marine is the latest acquisition AdvanTec has made in its marine manufacturing division.

Rapp Marine Group recently acquired Hydra Pro Seattle, a crane manufacturing firm. Possessing both American Petroleum Institute (API) Spec 2C and ISO 9001:  2008 certifications, Rapp Hydra Pro is a rarity in the crane community. Hydra Pro also manufactures A-Frames, cylinders and other associated machinery. Hydra Pro’s clientele includes customers the offshore oil industry, the U.S. military, and various other marine subsectors, including ROV-handling. Kurt Manchester is the new Hydra Pro President; he has over 25 years of manufacturing experience.

UK Wind Energy Services company, Gaoh Offshore announced the signing of a Letter of Intent covering the design development and construction of their multi-purpose wind farm development vessel, the Deepwater Installer. Gaoh Offshore and STX Offshore & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (STX O&S) signed the Letter of Intent [LOI] at the end of 2010 and board approval was given last month. The LOI is for construction at the STX Dalian Shipbuilding Complex in China after a period of joint further development giving both companies a commercial interest in the design.

American Superconductor Corporation, a global power technologies company, and South Korea-based Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (Korean Stock Exchange: HHI) announced that they have expanded their strategic alliance to include the joint development of a five megawatt (MW) full conversion wind turbine primarily for use in the burgeoning offshore wind industry. Under the terms of the alliance, the five MW wind turbine design will be jointly developed by HHI and AMSC's wholly-owned AMSC Windtec(TM) subsidiary. Once HHI begins volume production of the wind turbines, which is expected to commence by the end of 2011, HHI will purchase power electronic components for the five MW wind turbines from AMSC.

Seattle-based Global Diving & Salvage, Inc. has appointed Eric Crumpton as Operations Manager for its fleet of underwater vehicles. Crumpton, who will be based out of Global’s Seattle office, brings over 30 years of ROV operations and manufacturing experience to the job. Prior to joining Global, Crumpton worked for Deep Sea Systems, Oceaneering, Honeywell, Hydro Products and Alliant Techsystems. Crumpton will be responsible for the supervision and management of Global Diving’s ROV operations and related services for all groups within the GD&S family as well as the greater marketplace. (www.gdiving.com)

Joining Burger in August 2002, Mitchell has been continuously promoted to various positions throughout the company. Mitchell has combined his initial education in Mechanical Design with 23 years of prior manufacturing experience, including Plant Managing and 15 years ownership of his own business. Burger Boat Company designs and builds custom motor yachts, in aluminum and/or steel, ranging in sizes to 200' (60m). Since 1863 Burger has been recognized internationally for design, quality construction, seaworthiness and reliability. As the foundation of the American yachting experience, Burger is the oldest and most respected custom yacht builder in .

With more than 20 years of experience in marine engineering technical sales, Engineered Piping Products (EPP) supplies shipping companies, OEMs and engine manufacturers with quality products and technologically-driven advice. The company provides a turn-key package that covers engineering, design and stress analysis as well as an extensive range of products that include metal and rubber bellows, expansion joints and hydraulic fittings alongside valve and pipe design and manufacture. The Hamworthy KSE Dolphin range of marine centrifugal pumps have been granted wide acclaim for their reliability, accessibility and efficiency, and are supplied to every shipbuilding and major industrial country - worldwide.

Unidynamics welcomed back William H. Kell to its team as Director of Systems Engineering responsible for estimating, product development, design and manufacturing engineering. Bill comes to us with over 15 years of engineering experience and was with Crane Defense Systems, the parent company of Unidynamics prior to its acquisition by Gulf Coast Holdings in the fall of 1999. Bill's desire to return to Unidynamics coupled with his history with the company made him an optimal choice for this position. His most recent experience was with SGI-Integrated Graphic Systems as their Director of Engineering. During his tenure with SGI, he was responsible for Product Development and Estimating, Product Configuration Control, Drafting and Art.