Post by ferryfast admin on Nov 25, 2011 11:36:03 GMT -5
FerrryFast Editor's Note > Even though this article is not about fast
ferries, it is important for those in the FF industry who are looking
for employment at this crucial time. Fincantieri, it should be noted,
is the co-owner of the Marinette Marine shipyard along with Lockheed
Martin. This yard is building the LCS high-speed vessels for the U.S. Navy.
_________________________________________
Bay Shipbuilding Co. starts 'employment ramp-up'
7:10 AM, Nov. 25, 2011 |
www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20111125/ADV01/111125009/Bay-Shipbuilding-Co-starts-employment-ramp-up-
Inside building 311 at Bay Shipbuilding Co., radiant blue-white light from welding torches stood in stark contrast to the subdued gray steel of the first of the two platform supply vessels under construction.
The Sturgeon Bay shipbuilder is building the ships for New Orleans-based Tidewater Marine.
On Monday, the shipyard laid the keel on the first ship with the second keel laying expected in mid-December.
The ships are expected to help bolster the work force at the shipyard, and company officials say the contract could help attract additional commercial business.
"We are on an employment ramp-up, bringing back union workers, and we will get to full union employment by late December or early January," said Gene Caldwell, vice president and general manager at Bay Shipbuilding Co.
Bay Shipbuilding is also a key facility for repair and overhaul of both massive and small ships conducting commercial business on the Great Lakes and is nearing winter lay-up, the yard's busiest time of year when the fleet of freighters arrive for maintenance and overhaul.
Caldwell expects total employment at the yard will peak around 800 this winter — including 100 to 150 workers brought in to support the platform supply vessel projects.
"The reason for a little bit of peak this year is because of our new construction," he said.
Bay Shipbuilding, which had about 250 workers in mid-November, is part of Fincantieri Marine Group, sharing the same owner as Marinette Marine Corp. in Marinette and ACE Marine in Green Bay.
Fincantieri, an Italian company, has put about $100 million in capital improvements into the Sturgeon Bay and Marinette shipyards. A number of new and expanded buildings have been built on the yard's waterfront property.
The yard has purchased new production and transportation equipment and is upgrading its floating dry dock capabilities.
Caldwell said Bay Shipbuilding continues to seek other commercial work and the platform supply vessels have opened a new line of potential business.
"The PSVs, which are an offshoot of workboats and off-shore supply vessels, are growing as you go into deeper water and longer distances from shore to support these larger drilling rigs," he said. "Now they're going into some northern regions and that's where we came in with our expertise in ice class (vessels) and that was one of the interests that brought Tidewater to us."
(Page 2 of 2)
Both PSVs under construction in Sturgeon Bay have the capability to operate in ice.
"It is something new for us, and I think it's the hot trend in the shipbuilding market right now," Caldwell said about the PSV class of ships. "There are quite a few of them in contract right now around the world."
Construction is one piece of the business mix at the shipyard, which will fill with massive freighters in for repair and maintenance in January.
Other freighters will come in for more extensive work including replacement of engines — work designed to not only increase the efficiency of the ship but to also reduce emissions — and replacement of steel parts in cargo holds.
Some of the ships serviced at Bay Shipbuilding were constructed there decades ago.
Late last week, employees, bundled in heavy clothing to ward off the cold, worked in the open expanses of the yard and its dry docks on a number of vessels ranging from a cement-carrying tug and barge to one of the Washington Island ferries.
Caldwell said work supporting the Great Lakes fleet is the cornerstone of business at Bay Shipbuilding, but he also sees a future in new construction.
"We plan on signing some more contracts and putting the shipbuilding part back at Bay Shipbuilding," he said. "There is very much a commercial flavor to what we are looking at."
Potential markets range from ships designed for short sea shipping to dredging vessels and ships to specialty construction vessels to support the off-shore market.
"For 12 to 18 months the market was very slow, no one was contracting and now it has got some momentum," Caldwell said.
Both PSVs under construction in Sturgeon Bay have the capability to operate in ice.
"It is something new for us, and I think it's the hot trend in the shipbuilding market right now," Caldwell said about the PSV class of ships. "There are quite a few of them in contract right now around the world."
Construction is one piece of the business mix at the shipyard, which will fill with massive freighters in for repair and maintenance in January.
Other freighters will come in for more extensive work including replacement of engines — work designed to not only increase the efficiency of the ship but to also reduce emissions — and replacement of steel parts in cargo holds.
Some of the ships serviced at Bay Shipbuilding were constructed there decades ago.
Late last week, employees, bundled in heavy clothing to ward off the cold, worked in the open expanses of the yard and its dry docks on a number of vessels ranging from a cement-carrying tug and barge to one of the Washington Island ferries.
Caldwell said work supporting the Great Lakes fleet is the cornerstone of business at Bay Shipbuilding, but he also sees a future in new construction.
"We plan on signing some more contracts and putting the shipbuilding part back at Bay Shipbuilding," he said. "There is very much a commercial flavor to what we are looking at."
Potential markets range from ships designed for short sea shipping to dredging vessels and ships to specialty construction vessels to support the off-shore market.
"For 12 to 18 months the market was very slow, no one was contracting and now it has got some momentum," Caldwell said.
ferries, it is important for those in the FF industry who are looking
for employment at this crucial time. Fincantieri, it should be noted,
is the co-owner of the Marinette Marine shipyard along with Lockheed
Martin. This yard is building the LCS high-speed vessels for the U.S. Navy.
_________________________________________
Bay Shipbuilding Co. starts 'employment ramp-up'
7:10 AM, Nov. 25, 2011 |
www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20111125/ADV01/111125009/Bay-Shipbuilding-Co-starts-employment-ramp-up-
Inside building 311 at Bay Shipbuilding Co., radiant blue-white light from welding torches stood in stark contrast to the subdued gray steel of the first of the two platform supply vessels under construction.
The Sturgeon Bay shipbuilder is building the ships for New Orleans-based Tidewater Marine.
On Monday, the shipyard laid the keel on the first ship with the second keel laying expected in mid-December.
The ships are expected to help bolster the work force at the shipyard, and company officials say the contract could help attract additional commercial business.
"We are on an employment ramp-up, bringing back union workers, and we will get to full union employment by late December or early January," said Gene Caldwell, vice president and general manager at Bay Shipbuilding Co.
Bay Shipbuilding is also a key facility for repair and overhaul of both massive and small ships conducting commercial business on the Great Lakes and is nearing winter lay-up, the yard's busiest time of year when the fleet of freighters arrive for maintenance and overhaul.
Caldwell expects total employment at the yard will peak around 800 this winter — including 100 to 150 workers brought in to support the platform supply vessel projects.
"The reason for a little bit of peak this year is because of our new construction," he said.
Bay Shipbuilding, which had about 250 workers in mid-November, is part of Fincantieri Marine Group, sharing the same owner as Marinette Marine Corp. in Marinette and ACE Marine in Green Bay.
Fincantieri, an Italian company, has put about $100 million in capital improvements into the Sturgeon Bay and Marinette shipyards. A number of new and expanded buildings have been built on the yard's waterfront property.
The yard has purchased new production and transportation equipment and is upgrading its floating dry dock capabilities.
Caldwell said Bay Shipbuilding continues to seek other commercial work and the platform supply vessels have opened a new line of potential business.
"The PSVs, which are an offshoot of workboats and off-shore supply vessels, are growing as you go into deeper water and longer distances from shore to support these larger drilling rigs," he said. "Now they're going into some northern regions and that's where we came in with our expertise in ice class (vessels) and that was one of the interests that brought Tidewater to us."
(Page 2 of 2)
Both PSVs under construction in Sturgeon Bay have the capability to operate in ice.
"It is something new for us, and I think it's the hot trend in the shipbuilding market right now," Caldwell said about the PSV class of ships. "There are quite a few of them in contract right now around the world."
Construction is one piece of the business mix at the shipyard, which will fill with massive freighters in for repair and maintenance in January.
Other freighters will come in for more extensive work including replacement of engines — work designed to not only increase the efficiency of the ship but to also reduce emissions — and replacement of steel parts in cargo holds.
Some of the ships serviced at Bay Shipbuilding were constructed there decades ago.
Late last week, employees, bundled in heavy clothing to ward off the cold, worked in the open expanses of the yard and its dry docks on a number of vessels ranging from a cement-carrying tug and barge to one of the Washington Island ferries.
Caldwell said work supporting the Great Lakes fleet is the cornerstone of business at Bay Shipbuilding, but he also sees a future in new construction.
"We plan on signing some more contracts and putting the shipbuilding part back at Bay Shipbuilding," he said. "There is very much a commercial flavor to what we are looking at."
Potential markets range from ships designed for short sea shipping to dredging vessels and ships to specialty construction vessels to support the off-shore market.
"For 12 to 18 months the market was very slow, no one was contracting and now it has got some momentum," Caldwell said.
Both PSVs under construction in Sturgeon Bay have the capability to operate in ice.
"It is something new for us, and I think it's the hot trend in the shipbuilding market right now," Caldwell said about the PSV class of ships. "There are quite a few of them in contract right now around the world."
Construction is one piece of the business mix at the shipyard, which will fill with massive freighters in for repair and maintenance in January.
Other freighters will come in for more extensive work including replacement of engines — work designed to not only increase the efficiency of the ship but to also reduce emissions — and replacement of steel parts in cargo holds.
Some of the ships serviced at Bay Shipbuilding were constructed there decades ago.
Late last week, employees, bundled in heavy clothing to ward off the cold, worked in the open expanses of the yard and its dry docks on a number of vessels ranging from a cement-carrying tug and barge to one of the Washington Island ferries.
Caldwell said work supporting the Great Lakes fleet is the cornerstone of business at Bay Shipbuilding, but he also sees a future in new construction.
"We plan on signing some more contracts and putting the shipbuilding part back at Bay Shipbuilding," he said. "There is very much a commercial flavor to what we are looking at."
Potential markets range from ships designed for short sea shipping to dredging vessels and ships to specialty construction vessels to support the off-shore market.
"For 12 to 18 months the market was very slow, no one was contracting and now it has got some momentum," Caldwell said.