Marine Log - March 2009 - (Page 2) March 2009 Vol. 114 No. 3 John R. Snyder Publisher & Editor ISSN 08970491 MARINELOG USPS 576-910 PRESIDENT Arthur J. McGinnis, Jr. amcginnis@sbpub.com jsnyder@sbpub.com editorial PUBLISHER & EDITOR John R. Snyder SENIOR EDITORIAL CONSULTANT Nicholas Blenkey nblenkey@sbpub.com ASSISTANT EDITOR Shirley Del Valle sdelvalle@sbpub.com nkitchen@msn.com wbeber@comcast.net psexton@sbpub-chicago.com wwilliams@sbpub.com pdesiere@sbpub.com Stimulus package offers hand to second-tier shipyards CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Nigel Kitchen CONTRIBUTING EDITOR William B. Ebersold MARKETING DIRECTOR Peter Sexton CREATIVE DIRECTOR Wendy Williams ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR Phil Desiere I f you’ve been a marine journalist for 25 years like I have, you are sure to have accumulated plenty of memories traipsing around shipyards and attending keel laying, launching, christening and delivery ceremonies. I don’t think you can fully appreciate how hard, hot and dirty shipbuilding is until you’ve visited a shipyard in Louisiana on an oppressively hot, sticky day in the middle of August. I was just walking around and I was soaked. I can only imagine what it was like to be welding in those conditions. At a time when U.S. automakers are struggling to survive, shipbuilding and repair remains a vital part of the U.S. manufacturing sector. As of 2006, there were 85,300 employees at U.S. shipbuilding and repair yards and another 53,900 at boatbuilding facilities, according to the U.S. Bureau of Census. That’s why I was particularly pleased to see that the U.S. Maritime Administration’s Small Shipyard Grant Program received $100 million in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The $100 million in funding represents ten times the $10 million funding the program received in 2008 when 19 shipyards received grants. The grants were used for everything from automated welding equipment and computer systems to pipe benders to Travelifts. You can read more in our report in the May 2008 Digital Edition of Marine Log www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sb/ml0508/index.php? startpage=58 The program, which provides 75% federal funds with 25% matching funds from the shipyard for capital improvements and related infrastructure improvements which will foster efficiency, competitive operations and quality ship construction and repair. Grant funds may also be used for maritime training programs to foster technical skills and operational productivity. Better efficiency should also translate into better quality, more competitvely priced vessels for ship owners. Three-quarters of funding is targeted for second-tier shipyards that have 600 employees or less. The remaining $25 million may be awarded to yards with up to 1,200 employees. If you would like to apply for a grant you must file by April 20, 2009. Awards will be made by MarAd by August 17, 2009. I expect the response to be just as overwhelming as 2008. Visit the Maritime Administration’s website for more details: www.marad.dot.gov/ships_shipping_landing_page/small_shipyard_ grants/small_shipyard_grants.htm ART PRODUCTION MANAGER Todd Blanchard tblanchard@sbpub.com PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Mary Conyers-Brown NATIONAL SALES DIRECTOR Roland Espinosa mbrown@sbpub.com respinosa@sbpub.com INTERNATIONAL SALES MANAGER Donna Edwards dedwards@sbpub.com SALES MANAGER Jeff Sutley SALES REPRESENTATIVE -KOREA Young-Seoh Chinn CLASSIFIED SALES Diane Okon CONFERENCE DIRECTOR Jane Poterala CONFERENCE COORDINATOR Michelle M. Zolkos CONFERENCE ASSISTANT Latima Meynard jsutley@sbpub.com jesmedia@unitel.co.kr dokon@sbpub-chicago.com jpoterala@sbpub.com mzolkos@sbpub.com lmeynard@sbpub.com A SIMMONS-BOARDMAN PUBLICATION EDITORIAL AND BUSINESS OFFICES 345 Hudson Street New York, N.Y. 10014 TEL: (212) 620-7200 FAX: (212) 633-1165 website: www.marinelog.com e-mail: marinelog@sbpub.com CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTIONS: Call toll free (800) 895-4389, Monday-Friday 9 am—5 pm EST. jsnyder@sbpub.com 2 MARINE LOG MARCH 2009 www.marinelog.com http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sb/ml0508/index.php?startpage=58 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sb/ml0508/index.php?startpage=58 http://www.marinelog.com http://www.marad.dot.gov/ships_shipping_landing_page/small_shipyard_grants/small_shipyard_grants.htm http://www.marad.dot.gov/ships_shipping_landing_page/small_shipyard_grants/small_shipyard_grants.htm http://www.abb.com http://www.abb.com http://www.marinelog.com
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