Seabulk Appoints New Head Of Offshore Division

Seabulk International, Inc. announced the appointment of Larry D. Francois as President of Seabulk Offshore, the Company's offshore marine services subsidiary, effective immediately. Mr. Francois, who most recently served as Area Manager of domestic offshore marine operations for Tidewater Inc., will also become a corporate Senior Vice President, reporting directly to Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Gerhard E. Kurz. In his new positions, Mr. Francois will have executive responsibility for the Company's worldwide offshore operations. "We are pleased to welcome Larry to the Seabulk management team," commented Mr. Kurz. "He is a well-known figure within the maritime industry and has extensive experience in all phases of the offshore business, both domestic and international. He joins our organization at a time when the competitive environment in the offshore business has never been more intense, and his leadership will be critical to our future success."

Prior to his tenure at Tidewater, Francois served as division manager for Zapata Gulf Marine Corporation in Mexico. His other overseas assignments included International Marketing Manager in London for Western Oceanic, Inc., a subsidiary of the Western Company of North America, with responsibility for Europe, Africa and the Middle East; and Area Executive for Tidewater in Egypt. With more than 25 years' experience in the maritime industry, he also served as Marketing & Sales Manager for Dillingham Maritime, a division of the Dillingham Corporation. A Vietnam veteran, Francois served in the United States Air Force and was honorably discharged with the rank of Captain. He is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Morgan City Chapter of the American Petroleum Institute. Francois holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Saint Louis University and an M.B.A. in International Management from Pepperdine University.