Obituary: Michael E. Ford, USMMA '60
Michael E. Ford, 75, of Waretown, NJ, passed away on January 4, 2014. Born in Washington, DC and raised in Chevy Chase, Md., he graduated from the #United States Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, NY, in 1960 with a degree in Marine Engineering, and earned a master’s degree in International Business from Bernard M. Baruch College, New York, in 1979. He served his country as an officer in the United States Naval Reserve. Following his graduation from Kings Point, he sailed for the Alcoa Steamship Company, raising his Coast Guard license to Chief Engineer, unlimited.
Dynamic Positioning Takes Control at Sea
Growing reliance on DP technology, a burgeoning global market and the focus on offshore safety means that DP capabilities are no longer optional. The requirement for Dynamic Positioning (DP) capabilities on offshore tonnage is growing in leaps and bounds; directly related to the offshore drilling boom in many parts of the globe. And, says Michael C. Ford, Vice President of Commercial Operations for L-3 Dynamic Positioning and control Systems, “The global market is larger than you would think. For every rig out there, 7 to 8 OSV’s and 2 construction vessels are needed to service that operation. In the next few years, it will involve at least $200 million USD in DP investment.” Ford goes on to say that offshore operations, as a minimum, now demand DP1 capabilities.
