St. Johns Ship Building Promotes Nelson to HSE Officer

Palatka, Fla. shipbuilder St. Johns Ship Building announced it has appointed Nick Nelson as its first HSE officer.

Nelson has more than a decade of service with St Johns Ship Building, most recently acting as yard safety manager.

“I expect to participate in an increased effort to protect our employees from the hazards of the industry by implementing additional new policies and procedures as well as increased oversight and training,” Nelson said. “As we continue to grow as a company, so will our efforts and commitment to protect our employees and our environment. Just as we care for the wellbeing of our employees and their families, we are also making strides to protect our planet.”

St. Johns is active in new construction and repair of various steel and aluminum vessels, including ferries, tugs, deck and tank barges, landing crafts and general cargo vessels. It is also one of several U.S. shipyards currently building vessels that support and service offshore wind farms.

Current HSE initiatives includes partnering with Green Marine and using their established blueprint for working toward goals that will reduce the shipbuilder's carbon footprint. As a partner with Green Marine, St. Johns will not only be addressing many environmental challenges related to shipbuilding and repair, but it will also begin working directly within our community to form relationships with local organizations, NGOs, and other outreach programs.  

Ed Sheets, executive vice president at St. Johns Ship Building's holding company, Americraft Marine Group, said, “The creation of this new HSE position within our shipyard facility will allow our company to better prioritize our goals of environmental stewardship as well as focusing more resources towards the increased health and safety of our employees.”

Americraft Marine is a maritime subsidiary of the U.S.-headquartered privately-owned business group Libra Group.