Travis R Short News

Louisiana-based shipbuilder Metal Shark said it has acquired the assets of Alabama-based Horizon Shipbuilding, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October 2017.Metal Shark will assume ownership of Horizon’s fully developed 35-acre shipbuilding facility in the Mobile Bay region, following a motion approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Southern District of Alabama on June 5, 2018.The Horizon facility, which features separate east and west yards both fronting a dredged deepwater inlet…

2018 has been a busy year thus far, says Gulf of Mexico shipyard Horizon Shipbuilding, Inc. The Alabama shipbuilder, which announced reorganization plans in September 2017 amid insufficient revenues, says it is presently working on a steady stream of both new construction and repair projects. “Our continued production testifies to Horizon’s unwavering commitment to our customers, vendors and friends,” said Lance C. Lemcool, Horizon’s vice president. The yard’s 2018 new construction projects have included delivery of an 88’ bunker boat and a 25’ truckable towboat.

Plucked from the headlines, the top stories of 2017 were compelling, and each provided impact to the domestic waterfront and in particular – the workboat sector. Follow along as Marine News recaps the highlights, drama and significant events that shaped the past 12 months. When Elaine Chao was sworn in to be the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, the Washington veteran brought a welcome burst of competence to the position. Her wide-ranging experience across the maritime sector and prior service at the U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration, and the Federal Maritime Commission uniquely positions her to understand the critical role that the waterfront plays in the intermodal equation. Soon after taking her chair, she was joined by another familiar face at Marad. Rear Adm.

A new landing barge delivered to Sunset Key Transportation Corporation will provide access to the Sunset Key Resort located on a small island near Key West, Fla. Ordered to replace LCM8 boats purchased from the U.S. Government that are now at the end of their service life, the new barge was built be Horizon Shipbuilding, Inc., with detail design performed in-house by the yard’s engineering department based on a basic design from Shipwright, LLC. The barge is 60’ long with an 18’ molded beam. Horizon said it enlisted Gulf Coast Air and Hydraulics for the ramp hydraulic system.

Horizon Shipbuilding announced it will reorganize amid revenues insufficient for maintaining normal operations. Lance C. “Last year, Travis R. Short, President of Horizon Shipbuilding saw an opportunity to repeat a great construction performance from 2012. Namely, an unheard of quantity of vessels in a very short period of time starting from ground zero. Hornblower (HNY Ferries) offered just this type of opportunity through its NYC Ferry project and Horizon has achieved what most believed couldn’t be done.

Bayou La Batre, Ala. shipbuilder Horizon Shipbuilding, Inc. said it has hired John Hotz as Vice President of Business Development. Hotz brings to the role industry experience and a background in business development, having worked within the commercial and government marine sector throughout his entire 27-year career, including positions at several domestic and international boat builders. “John will focus on growing Horizon’s core competencies in the global marketplace and continue to build on the momentum we have been able to secure internationally,” said Travis R.

President and General Manager: Travis R. Founded in 1997 by a father-and-son duo, Horizon Shipbuilding, Inc. is located on the southwestern coast of Alabama approximately 30 miles from the Port of Mobile. The company designs, builds and repair ships, boats and barges up to 300 feet in length and 1,500 tons launch weight for the offshore oil industry, cruise and diving industry, tug and barge operators and specialized craft for the United States and foreign governments. Horizon owns and operates two shipyard facilities in Bayou La Batre…

Travis R. Short, President of Horizon Shipbuilding, Inc. announced that the U.S. Coast Guard Maintenance Command, Norfolk, Virginia recently awarded a five-year contract for maintenance of 41-ft. utility vessels stationed on the Gulf Coast from Florida to Louisiana. This is the second multi-year contract awarded to Horizon by the Coast Guard for maintenance and refurbishment of its vessels; a five-year contract for major overhaul of 30-ft and 40-ft fiberglass boats was awarded in 2003.

Horizon Shipbuilding, Inc. of Bayou La Batre, Ala., won a contract by the Coalition Provisioning Authority (CPA), Baghdad, Iraq to construct a 70-Ft. Pilot Boat for the port of Umm Qasr, according to Horizon’s President, Travis R. Short. Detailed design and construction will commence immediately. Horizon recently completed a contract for the U.S. Navy to construct several environmentally safe multi-tier paint floats used in ship maintenance and overhauls. These were delivered to U.S. Naval Stations at Pascagoula, Miss., and Mayport, Fla., and the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Va. Current work includes the overhaul and repair of two U.S. Coast Guard Cutters and several high-speed small craft.

Horizon Shipbuilding was awarded a contract to construct a series of 30 ft. (9 m) fiberglass Improved Surface Tow Targets (ISTT) for the U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division in Point Mugu, Calif. According to Horizon's president, Travis R. Short, the total contract calls for the delivery of more than 30 units throughout the next two years to be built at the company's facility in Bayou La Batre, La.

Horizon Shipbuilding was awarded a contract to construct a series of 30 ft. (9 m) fiberglass Improved Surface Tow Targets (ISTT) for the U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division in Point Mugu, Calif. According to Horizon's president, Travis R. Short, the total contract calls for the delivery of more than 30 units throughout the next two years to be built at the company's facility in Bayou La Batre, La.

To say the Gulf of Mexico maritime business had a down year would be a major understatement. But rags-to-riches-to-rags experience of the past has resulted in a consolidated, resourceful group of companies poised to pounce on the next market upturn … which should be very soon. The business trends of consolidation and globalization that have largely defined the late 1990s have touched every level of business in the U.S., including the Gulf of Mexico maritime industry. Companies that had largely depended on "business as usual" are generally out of business today. The result: a resilient industrial base that is poised to prosper in good times and bad. "Business is bad right now, as the oilfield is our primary source of business," said Ralston P.

The only logical reason the sustained high price per barrel of oil has not already been dubbed "OIL BOOM 2000" is the fact that hindsight is 20/20. Companies that operate, build and supply vessels for the fickle oil patch have seen schizophrenic markets of days past bring industry goliaths to their knees. There remains a reserve among Gulf of Mexico area companies regarding prospects 2000 and beyond, but there is a growing feeling the business - which has largely been dismal since the end of 1997 - is set to embark on one of those notorious end runs that will fill area yards with healthy backlogs for years. The reason for the "look before you leap" attitude is also largely rooted in changing business dynamics which have effectively altered the way in which the world does business.