Kirby Awards ATB Contracts to Bay Shipbuilding

Bay Shipbuilding Company (BSC) of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, a subsidiary of Fincantieri Marine Group (FMG), has been awarded a contract to build two 155,000-barrel capacity barges and two 6,000 HP tugs for Kirby Corporation.

The vessels are to be operated as Articulated Tug-Barge (ATB) units and will haul petroleum and chemical products domestically. The first ATB unit is scheduled for delivery in the Fall of 2016 and the second unit will be delivered in Summer of 2017.

Kirby Corporation, based in Houston, Texas, is the nation’s largest tank barge operator, transporting bulk liquid products throughout the Mississippi River System, the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, along all three Unites States coasts, and in Alaska and Hawaii; the company now operates several ATB units built by BSC in the mid-2000s.

Todd Thayse, BSC Vice President and General Manager, commented on the significance of the award: “This repeat business from Kirby Corporation is validation of Bay’s quality products and positive history in this product range.” He continued, “Bay Shipbuilding has built 22 ATB-units over the past 15 years, and is now under contract for several more. The new business from Kirby, combined with our current ATB orders, will further allow BSC to invest in our infrastructure and it strengthens our backlog position.”

FMG President and CEO Francesco Valente discussed the long-term future of the Fincantieri Marine Group commitment to the U.S. market: “The recent capital investment by our parent company, Fincantieri, has transformed our United States yards into modern, efficient shipbuilding powerhouses.  The result is competitive pricing and a level of quality that is second to none. We intend to aggressively seek new business opportunities that will showcase America’s finest master craftsmen.”

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