The Ohio Shipbuilding Company
THE OHIO SHIPBUILDING COMPANY
WHEN the Shipping Board formulated its program for the production of ships upon an unprecedented scale, it found, as one of its best assets, active plants and workers ready to take up the work.
Previous to the great development under Gov-ernment auspices in response to the world need for tonnage, the Great Lakes was the most active area of shipbuilding in this country. Llere many of the ablest shipbuilders received their training, and here the Shipping Board found the best and most available material for carrying out parts of its program.
In securing tonnage with promptness for im-mediate needs the United States Shipping Board had to take advantage of every possible available resource, and in this connection did a good deal of work in securing vessels that had been built for lake trade and having them reconstructed so as to adapt them to use as overseas carriers.
One of the most prominent of the organizations which were enlisted by the Government for this purpose was The Ohio Shipbuilding Company, of Cleveland, Ohio, which has its plant at Mahoning Avenue and Cuyahoga River. The officers of the company are Frank J. Sullivan, president; Thomas Deegan, vice-president and general manager; R. G. Floyd, secretary, and H. B. North, treasurer. The company built up a plant for the building and repairing of steel ships, with shops also, where they carry on an efficient business in boiler construction and repairs, and their plant has 700 feet of frontage on the river, and they are building a 700-foot berth for the construction of steel ships. The company, following the action of the Shipping Board in laying out its program for shipbuilding, took contracts for the reconstruction of a number of steamers which had been engaged as lake carriers so as to adapt them for ocean service. Among the vessels thus reconstructed were the steamers "G. A. Flagg" rr.d "Yuma," both of which were 320 feet in rogth and were cut into two sections to permit of their passage through the canals to seaboard. The company also cut the steamer "Warner" for the same purpose, and did other work for the r tipping Board, and they are now in a position to undertake the execution of contracts for the construction of steel ships of any size. The company has a complete shipbuilding organization, with facilities for their business which enable them to turn out work of the best quality and made in accordance with the latest and best principles of ship construction; and they are also prepared to undertake and execute the very best quality of repairs on ships.
The organization is a strong one, its officers be-ing men of long and active experience in the ship-building business.
Frank J. Sullivan, the president, has been prom-inent in the shipping business for the past quarter of a century, in which he began in Chicago with D. Sullivan & Company from 1893 to 1902, and after that founded the Interlake Engineering Company; and he has been engaged in business in lake transportation, insurance and as vessel agent at Cleveland since 1907.
Thomas Deegan, vice-president and general manager of The Ohio Shipbuilding Company, is a practical shipbuilder of long and active experience, having been for twenty-eight years with The American Shipbuilding Company in various ca-pacities from superintendent of the boiler shops to superintendent of hull construction, and was for one year general manager of The Interlake En-gineering Company, previous to joining Mr. Sullivan in the organization of The Ohio Shipbuilding Company.
Messrs. R. G. Floyd, secretary, and H. B. North, treasurer, are both active business men, thoroughly familiar with the ship business, and with this organization of experience and trained ability the company has its facilities thoroughly organized to efficiently meet the demands of vessel owners for the building of new ships or the repairing of old ones upon the best methods and with the utmost expedition.
In the new alignments of commerce following the making of peace the ship industry of the Great Lakes will continue to be one of great importance, calling for the steady operation of plants which, like the Ohio Shipbuilding Company, are ready to do construction and repair work of the best quality.
