In the Pacific Northwest region Vigor Industrial is a big player for the
repair and conversion segment. With a new drydock the company wants
to enter additional markets.
The arrival of the 960 ft Vigorous, the largest floating drydock in North America, at the Swan Island yard, opens[ds_preview] Vigor Industrial up to new opportunities such as post-panamax vessels and cruise ships at a time when total large-drydock capacity on the West Coast has been shrinking. The company currently employs around 2,000 employees, with around 850 workers employed at the Swan Island yard.
So far there have been two MARAD (US Maritime Administration) ships, the »SS Algol« and the »SS Capella«, which have drydocked. Both ships are Fast Sealift Ships (FSS) and had hull coating, propulsion system inspections, as well as other miscellaneous repair and maintenance work.
CEO Frank Foti says, »Our vision is to prove that America is not a ›post-industrial nation‹, by building a US-based industrial business that doesn’t merely survive, but thrives. We’re out to move beyond the feast and famine cycle of current shipyard businesses and provide stable, long-term, family-wage careers for the skilled artisans who build things with their hands.« In his opinion, shipyard businesses have a responsibility to become as competitive as possible. »And in order to do that, we need to have the consistent business and financial resources to invest in our workers, upgrade our facilities, and take risks to innovate«, Foti adds.
For the CEO, the Vigorous drydock is a symbol of the resurgence of the maritime industry in Portland and the wider Pacific Northwest. It’s also a strategic investment. Ships like the Military Sealift Command’s new vessels are getting larger while capacity has tightened up because other drydocks on the west coast have gone out of service. These government jobs provide about 60% of the work in the shipbuilding and repair industry in the United States.
50mill. $ were invested in building and delivering the dock from Chinese yard Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries. It allows Vigor to send another drydock from Portland to Seattle, expanding capacity there. The dock has a lifting capacity of 80,000 LT, 960 ft length, 186 ft inside width, 70 ft height and a weight of 24,000 LT. According to Foti, the Vigorous is about the same size as the drydock which was sold in 2001 in order to repay millions of dollars that the company owed lenders. The sale of the shipyard’s largest asset led some to speculate it was the end of shipbuilding in Portland. However, since then the company has grown from a single shipyard to nine locations from Portland to Seward, Alaska.
In the beginning of 2015, the »North Star« and the »USNS Mercy« were docked. Up next for the Vigorous is the »Norwegian Star«. The TOTE »North Star« is a motor vessel roll-on-roll-off, truck and car carrier. It trades between the Port of Tacoma and Anchorage in Alaska. »USNS Mercy« is a US Navy hospital ship (a converted San Clement class tanker) that is used for humanitarian efforts across the world. It will have shaft work – seals and possibly replacement. Both vessels will have hull and freeboard preservation, tank coatings, and steel repairs.
In mid-March, Vigor will welcome the 2,300 passenger cruise ship »Norwegian Star«, part of Norwegian Cruise Lines. The work will include repairs to the ship’s propulsion and steering system, bow thruster, fin stabilizer, lifeboats and davit, as well as tank cleaning and water blasting and painting of the hull. The scope of work is estimated to be around several million dollars and will employ approximately 750 workers per day.
Greg Lind, Director of Estimating at Vigor Industrial, says: »We have a history of successful projects with a wide array of cruise ship lines in the years prior to the sale of our original large drydock in 2003. Many of the people that contributed to this success are still with Vigor. With the addition of the new Vigorous we now have the necessary people and facilities
to regain our place in the cruise ship repair market. Cruise ship projects are extremely high intensity. What makes Vigor special is that we have a drydock that is perfectly suited to fit their needs and the expertise to deliver projects on time and on budget.«
Michael Meyer
