Quality, Diversity Drive Atlantic Marine Holding Co.'s Success
Atlantic Marine Holding Company has forged an enviable reputation around the globe in all aspects of vessel construction, conversion and repair. With four distinct shipbuilding, repair and conversion facilities — two based in Jacksonville, Fla. and two based in Mobile, Ala.— the company offers shipowners a unique mixture of physical facilities, technical capabilities and organizational experience.
"We try, in all instances, to provide our customers with the best value, which includes highly competitive pricing and on-time delivery" said Thomas P. Jones, vice-president, Atlantic Marine Holding Co.
To ensure success continues well beyond the new millennium, the company is committed to a program of investing considerable resources to add to and upgrade its already impressive facilities.
"Our shipyards are all works in progress," said Mr. Jones. "We continually strive to increase productivity, and to stay ahead of the market with the most modern facilities and personnel." Capital investments are primarily focused on reducing the cost of production while maintaining quality and reducing construction time, and increasing capacity for both newbuilding and repair. For example, a 640-ft. pier was recently added to Atlantic Dry Dock Corp.'s arsenal, which will provide additional space for topside conversions. While shipyard upgrades are sizable, investment does not stop there.
The company counts its employees — line workers through top management — as the foundation upon which the company is built. To this end, the company takes great measures to ensure it recruits and retains top talent, and outfits them with the best technology available. "You can attribute our quality work, in large part, to our workforce," said Kevin E. Wilson, sales and marketing manager for Atlantic Marine Inc. and Atlantic Dry Dock in Jacksonville. Atlantic Marine Inc. originated in Jacksonville in 1964, specializing in new construction. Atlantic Dry Dock Corp. was the result of Atlantic Marine's fast growth, and is a ship repair company which has developed a reputation for high quality and on-time, on-budget repair and conversion jobs on the commercial market, and an expert in complex military vessel overhauls. "Our strength is, of course, our quality of work, but equally our ability to schedule and finish work on time or ahead of schedule," said Mr. Wilson. "The key is to get that vessel back to work making money." In 1989, the company purchased the former ADDSCO Industries, thus creating two new divisions in Mobile. Today, a modern 650 acre site is the home of new construction (Alabama Shipyard) and repair (Atlantic Marine - Mobile) facilities. The move proved prudent, as both yards have become industry leaders, culminating with Alabama Shipyard delivering the 16,000-dwt chemical tanker Amalienborg, the first selfpropelled oceangoing vessel built for export by an American shipyard in more than 40 years.
New Construction Alabama Shipyard has surged to the forefront of commercial newbuilding in the U.S. with the delivery of the above-mentioned chemical tanker for Denmark's Dannebrog Rederi AS. While the ship carries the "Made in U.S.A." tag, it embodies the international respect and cooperation Alabama Shipyard commands, as the ship's equipment list includes a virtual "Who's Who" of the world's premier ship equipment outfitters.
The Mobile new construction facility is able to build ships up to 800 x 160 ft. (245 x 49 m) and features two 150-ton gantry cranes, a 275-ton bridge crane and a 300- ton transporter. Alabama Shipyard has earned its success with a steadfast commitment to advanced facilities, and features: an enclosed building for blasting and priming all steel plates, profiles and pipe; an automated (PLC controlled) system which can process more than 23 tons of plate and structure per hour; two CNC plasma cutting machines; and a panel line featuring state-of-theart one-sided welding.
Atlantic Marine Inc., the company's newbuild arm in Jacksonville, has found itself popular among buyers of high technology, high quality tonnage. "We will give you a quality ship, and you will get it on time. When we make a commitment, we keep it," said Edward P.
Doherty, president, Atlantic Marine Inc. The yard's portfolio contains a diversity of vessels, from the 360-ft.
gaming vessel Majestic Star, to a series of 190-ft. OSVs currently being prepared for delivery to Hornbeck Offshore Services. The yard recently launched the first of four OSVs. Mr. Doherty attributes the yard's success with unique vessels to its adherance to modular construction techniques, and its investment in technology, particularly in the areas of steel cutting and handling, as well as CAD systems, as a means to this end.
Repair & Conversion Atlantic Dry Dock Corp. in Jacksonville recently completed a technically complex barge conversion for Crowley. While the the job was impressive in its own right, it is more impressive to note the entire project, from conception design to delivery, took about 120 days. The Barge CMC 450-10 conversion included: the fabrication and installation of an 82 x 66 ft. double deck, a 50 x 50 ft. landing pad, and a complete cargo and pipe manifold system; installation and piping for seven Ptanks and batch mixer for drilling process; and installation of a four-point mooring system, complete with two winches, fair lead rollers and turning sheaves. Atlantic Dry Dock Corp. is able to utilize its commercial expertise to perform military work more quickly and cost effectively. For example, the M/V Tarago — which represents the biggest single ship project ever for Atlantic Dry Dock — is currently undergoing major conversions for the U.S. Marine Corps Pre-positioning Ship Program. The conversion, which will see the ship reflagged from the Bahamas to the U.S., and re-classed from BV to ABS, includes: the installation of more than 3,000 tons of steel; installation of twin 60-ton cranes; installation of new HVAC for the caigo decks; installation of a list control system; and outfitting of a new firefighting system.
Atlantic Marine Inc. - Mobile has carved a lucrative niche in the high-profile cruise ship repair business. Situated just 700 nautical miles from Miami, the yard offers dry dock Alabama, one of the largest floating dry docks in the U.S. With its tremendous capacity (lifting capacity of 50,000 long tons displacement), dual wingwall cranes and four dock arms, the unit is the centerpiece of the yard's competitive edge. This facility was chosen for the third and final phase of the prestigious Glomar Explorer project, which saw the former naval vessel converted to an ultra-deep water drillship.
Certified Quality With intense price pressures and competition, shipyards must prove their quality to compete. Atlantic Marine Inc. - Jacksonville's newbuild shipyard was recently certified to ISO 9002 quality standards for shipbuilding and ship construction services by Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance by the following national certification bodies: RAB (U.S.); TGA (Germany); and INMETRO (Brazil). Conveniently located on 81 acres on the St. Johns River and Intracoastal Waterways in Jacksonville, Atlantic Marine specializes in the building of all types of vessels ranging from 70 to 400 ft. long. Atlantic Marine Inc. - Mobile, was the first commercial shipyard to gain accreditation to the ISO 9002 standard when it was certified in 1993, while Atlantic Dry Dock Corp. was ISO 9002 certified in 1995.
