Trauthwein, Greg
Editor-
30 Apr 2013
Nor Crane Powers Ahead
At less than 10 years old, Nor Crane is a relatively new name in deck machinery. While short on years, it is long on experience, with an impressive order book, too. Nor Crane is not unlike a number of other Norwegian technology companies in that it has a history strongly rooted in the country’s offshore and fishing fleets, espouses the mandate of quality over costs, and is truly global in its scope and reach. Nor Crane was established in 2004 by Finn M.
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29 Apr 2013
WSS’ Global Quest
With the earning of ABS global approval for its safety services and the opening of a Houston Training facility, Wilhelmsen Ships Services (WSS) passed two critical milestone’s in a quest to build and operate an efficient, technically superior maritime and offshore services juggernaut. More than a decade ago Wilhelmsen Ships Service planted the seeds for what today is growing one of the world’s premier providers of services to the maritime and offshore markets globally.
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15 Apr 2013
The Glass Half Full
I tend to be a glass half full kind of guy, as even in the worst of times there tends to lie opportunity. I would not be remiss in saying there are more than a handful…
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04 Apr 2013
Bordelon Marine Debuts Stingray Class OSV
The story of Bordelon Marine is not far afield from many others in the Gulf of Mexico, that of a small, family owned business carving a niche for itself. But when Wes Bordelon joined his namesake company in 1999, he knew that change was essential for survival. More than a dozen years later, MarineNews sat in Bordelon Marine’s brand new shipyard in Houma, La., a month before the debut of its Stingray class of offshore service vessel…
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18 Mar 2013
ClassNK
There has been a decided uptick in activities from Japan’s ClassNK in the last 18 months, as it continues to drive its world-leading tonnage numbers ever higher. Led by Chairman and President Noboru Ueda, ClassNK has been making moves to extend its influence globally, including a big push for growth in the U.S. Maritime Reporter & Engineering News was able to visit with Mr. Ueda to discuss the society’s strategy going forward.
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19 Feb 2013
Ready for Launch: MTN Nexus Targets high-volume Cruise Market
MTN Satellite Communications launched MTN Nexus, a next-generation comms network billed as a hybrid that integrates it with new terrestrial wireless technologies as well as sophisticated computing, powerful processing and specialized optimization. Targeting the high volume cruise sector, MR thought an apt time to sit down with CEO Errol Olivier to discuss Nexus and its relevance to communications at sea. We understand you are a maritime satcom industry veteran.
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14 Feb 2013
A USV Franchise Grows Strong in Abu Dhabi
As the evolution and integration of robotics in maritime vehicles continues to reshape missions and capabilities inland, near-shore and at sea, Maritime Reporter & Engineering News last month was on hand in Abu Dhabi for the unveiling of a new Unmanned Surface Vessel family. If it delivers as designed, it will revolutionize marine robotic vehicle applications for both military and commercial purposes. Robert J.
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12 Feb 2013
Five Minutes With Trond K. Johannessen
Trond K. Trond K. Johannessen, President & CEO, Hatteland Display, shares with MR his insights on the evolution and future direction of this Marine Electronics subsector, modern marine displays. Please tell us how you came to lead Hatteland Display. As so often in life, it was a coincidence that I got introduced to Hatteland Display in 2008 by a former colleague from McKinsey &Company that had contacts in the Board of Hatteland Display.
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08 Feb 2013
New "Robot Boat" Family Debuts in Abu Dhabi
Today Al Seer Marine and 5G International announced the introduction of a new family of unmanned surface vessels, a family ranging from the 3m Sea Serpent to the 11m monohull Eclipse. The USV family is designed to rapidly penetrate a vibrant Middle East defense market and to offer affordable, dependable USV options for commercial operations. Eclipse, the top-of-class 11-m monohull. While USV technology is surely not in its infancy…
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23 Jan 2013
TOTE Goes Gas
Last month U.S. ship owner Tote Inc. shocked the maritime community in ordering the world’s first LNG-powered containerships; in one fell swoop energizing the U.S. shipbuilding sector. On the occasion of this historic contract, top executives from TOTE, NASSCO and MAN spoke to Maritime Reporter & Engineering News to weigh in on the deal’s significance. In recent decades, particularly in the large commercial ship niche, it is fair to say that the U.S. has not been a world force.
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22 Jan 2013
Oil & Water do Mix
Matters of fuel use, economy and emissions are “A-List” items on any vessel owner’s agenda, as skyrocketing prices for diesel and a spiraling maze of regulation regarding fuel content and emissions are pressing owners to adopt technical solutions. Maritime Reporter & Engineeing News recently spent some time with Dr. Jerry Ng Kok Loon, the founder and CEO of Blue Ocean Solutions, and one of the industry’s leading experts within emulsified fuel technology.
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18 Jan 2013
Richard Bludworth Bludworth Marine LLC
Running a ship repair business in the U.S. is anything but simple, with the unexpected being the norm and a cavalcade of new regulations. But Richard Bludworth has a penchant for turning the difficult simple. A staple in the Gulf of Mexico, Bludworth Marine LLC was founded by Richard Bludworth in 1998, strictly as a topside repair facility. Today the Bludworth Marine reach stretches to four waterfront facilities on the 103 mile run between Orange to Galveston, TX, with its HQ in Houston.
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17 Jan 2013
TOTE ‘Walks the Walk’
Having sat in this chair for more than two decades, I must admit that I have become somewhat jaded in the sense that there are few developments which actually give me cause to pause. Of course there are the spectacular casualties that will never cease to amaze, but on the business side there are very few real showstoppers. Then there was last month. Just as I was literally packing up to head down to New Orleans for the International Workboat Show, news broke that U.S. ship owner TOTE Inc.
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20 Dec 2012
Five Minutes with Kevin Lord, Chet Morrison Contractors
In conjunction with the Underwater Intervention exhibition MTR set forth to find an excellent source to speak in the first person on the diving industry, and more specifically the balance today between deploying man and machine. Kevin Lord is the Subsea Operations Manager within the Marine Construction Division of Chet Morrison Contractors. He began his commercial diving career in the Gulf of Mexico after serving four years in the United States Navy.
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11 Dec 2012
Engineering a New Path
WR Systems, long renowned for its prowess in delivering innovative engineered solutions to the U.S. Navy, is making waves in commercial maritime circles. WR Systems is a rare bird by many accounts. While the Norfolk, VA-based engineering firm earns the lion’s share of its business from the U.S. Navy, it was never fashioned specifically as a “defense contractor.” While it houses an enviable stable of technical talent…
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11 Dec 2012
Lube Oil: Less Can be More
Ever tightening environmental regulation in the maritime sector means that effective fuel and lube management onboard ships will become a defining issue for vessel owners; a bigger factor in profit versus loss. With new international and regional regulations come new technologies, and when a company the size of ExxonMobil talks, people tend to listen. We sat with Iain White, field marketing manager…
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05 Dec 2012
MetalCraft Marine
On the occasion of Metal Craft Marine’s 25th anniversary, Maritime Reporter & Engineering News ventured north, to the boat builder’s Kingston, Ontario headquarters, to discover the secret to its success. Metal Craft Marine is well regarded in maritime circles for designing and building high performance craft outfitted for the most demanding work conditions. While the company is diverse in its work scope and capability…
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30 Nov 2012
Sneed Shipbuilding: An (Extended) Family Affair
When Martin M. Sneed embarked in the business of building for the demanding workboat market in the mid-60s, he likely did not imagine that four decades later, his son Clyde (pictured) and business partner and co-owner Mitch Jones would be at the helm of a highly successful boat building company, crafting finely appointed custom boats for some of the industry’s most discriminating owners. Sneed Shipbuilding was founded by Martin M.
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26 Nov 2012
From 85 hp to Infinity
Talk to Joe Bekker for five minutes and you know he’s living the “American Dream.” Bekker, the founder, owner and president of Thrustmaster of Texas, came to Houston from The Netherlands in 1979 and has never looked back. An innovator and entrepreneur, Bekker has helped Thrustmaster of Texas evolve from its initial contract – a single 85 hp outboard propulsion unit for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the early 1980s – to a $150 million company today: here’s how.
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23 Oct 2012
A Class Act Robert D. Somerville, ABS Chairman
As Robert D. Somerville, ABS Chairman, winds down his career with the American Bureau of Shipping, he shares with Maritime Reporter more than four decades of insight and perspective on the evolution and future of class. Earlier this month you were honored by the US Coast Guard Foundation at a black tie event in NY City. You have received many honors over your career: in your mind what makes the recognition from the Coast Guard Foundation special or unique?
