Contrarian Take: A Big, New Bollinger Is A Good Thing For American Shipbuilding
Forbes
Craig Hooper | November 29, 2022
Contrary to popular opinion, Bollinger Shipyards’ epic $15 million purchase of two Singapore Technologies Engineering LTD (ST Engineering) Mississippi shipyards is a good thing for America. Analysts are fretting that the “consolidation” might limit “the navy’s options at a time when the service is trying to grow its fleet,” but those concerns are totally overblown. The new U.S. owners bring stability, a long-term management outlook, political power, and deep pockets to a traditional builder of complex and high-value government research, Polar, and special mission vessels.
Ocean Springs city leaders are talking annexation. Here’s where they’re looking to grow.
WLOX
December 2, 2022
Ocean Springs wants to expand its boundaries. Next Tuesday, aldermen will be asked to approve an ordinance that starts the annexation process for two areas of unincorporated Jackson County. Part of the proposed annexation plan would bring Ocean Springs High School inside the city limits. The 330,000-square-foot campus was built in 2012 at the corner of Highway 57 and Old Spanish Trail. The 40 acres of land is outside the city limits, but on property owned by the school district. The city will also attempt to annex land up Highway 57 north of Interstate 10. Mayor Kenny Holloway says the proposed expansion areas are “a natural pattern of growth.”
Enviva, Jackson County cut ribbon on $90 million port facility
Gulf Live
November 30, 2022
Enviva, Inc., the world’s leading producer of sustainably sourced woody biomass, held a ceremonial ribbon cutting at its recently opened marine export terminal at the Port of Pascagoula Wednesday. According to the company, the event commemorated Enviva’s continued commitment to deliver positive economic impact, growth, and green jobs to Mississippi, as well as the company’s mission to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on a lifecycle basis in power, heat, and heavy industry domestically and abroad.
Enviva, Port of Pascagoula cut ribbon on $90 million terminal
Y’all Politics
Frank Corder | November 30, 2022
On Wednesday, Enviva Inc. held a ceremonial ribbon cutting at its recently opened marine export terminal at the Port of Pascagoula. The event, Enviva said, commemorates continued commitment to deliver positive economic impact, growth, and green jobs to Mississippi, as well as the company’s mission to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on a lifecycle basis in power, heat, and heavy industry domestically and abroad. Enviva owns and operates the deep-water marine terminal in the Bayou Casotte Harbor in Jackson County, Mississippi in partnership with the Jackson County Port Authority.
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Ingalls delivers 34th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer to Navy
Gulf Live
Warren Kulo | December 2, 2022
Ingalls Shipbuilding transferred ownership of DDG 123, Lena Sutcliffe Higbee, to the U.S. Navy Thursday, marking the 34th such transfer of an Ingalls-built Arleigh Burke-class destroyer during a delivery ceremony aboard the ship. “Delivering an incredibly capable finished ship to the Navy is always an important event for our Ingalls team,” said Ingalls president Kari Wilkinson. “We are absolutely committed to the work that we do for our customers, communities and country.”
Bollinger moves its executives into key positions at newly acquired Mississippi operations
Nola.com
Anthony McCauley | November 29, 2022
Bollinger Shipyards, the Lockport-based shipbuilder, has put several of its own executives in charge of running the loss-making Bollinger operations in Mississippi, which it bought earlier this month from Halter’s Singapore-based parent. Chris Remont, head of new construction at Bollinger in Lockport, will be the new chief of VT Bollinger in Pascagoula, which has been renamed Bollinger Mississippi Shipbuilding. Remont replaces Bob Merchant, who was hired as VT Bollinger’s CEO in the summer of 2021 after a long career at Ingalls Shipbuilding.
HII Ingalls Shipbuilding Transitions Guided Missile Destroyer to U.S. Navy; Capt. Seth Miller Quoted
Executive.gov
Jamie Bennet | December 2, 2022
A new Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer has been officially transferred by HII‘s Ingalls Shipbuilding subsidiary to the U.S. Navy. The DDG-123 destroyer will be named after Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee, the first woman to be honored with the distinguished Navy Cross for her service as the second Superintendent of the Navy Nurse Corps during World War I, the branch said Thursday. The future USS Higbee is the last Flight IIA ship developed by Ingalls before the Navy’s transition to Flight III destroyers. The company built 34 such units with the Aegis Combat System. The system’s Baseline 9C2 allows for optimum electronic countermeasures, high firepower and quick response time to threats.
Mississippi welcomes new terminal for Port of Pascagoula
WLOX
Ja’Colbi Rivers | November 30, 2022
Enviva and Port Authority officials celebrated Wednesday after opening a new terminal for the Port of Pascagoula — a plan that has been in development for 10 years. “It’s been a long time coming. That only happens when we think about things like this strategically,” said Thomas Meth. This $90 million investment will help ship wood pellets from Mississippi to other places across the world in an effort that Enviva president Thomas Meth says will help ease the usage of fossil fuel usage.
Navy Accepts Delivery of Future USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee
Press Release
December 1, 2022
PASCAGOULA, Miss. – The Navy accepted delivery of the future guided-missile destroyer USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123) from Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division, Nov. 30. Accepting delivery of DDG 123 represents the official transfer of the ship from the shipbuilder to the Navy. Prior to delivery, the ship conducted a series of at-sea and pier-side trials to demonstrate its material and operational readiness. The ship’s namesake, Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee, served as the second Superintendent of the Navy Nurse Corps from 1911 to 1922 and was the first woman to receive the Navy Cross for distinguished service in the line of her profession and devotion to duty. When she entered naval service in 1908, she was one of the first 20 women to join the newly established Navy Nurse Corps and contributed her nursing skills to the Navy during the First World War.
Hundreds of Chevron employees volunteer across Gulf Coast area
GulfLive
Warren Kulo | December 1, 2022
Hundreds of Chevron employees from the Gulf Coast area donated more than 800 hours of volunteer service to 15 projects from 10 nonprofit organizations across Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas as part of the company’s annual Humankind Campaign of Service. Chevron volunteers came together to contribute their human energy through partnerships and programs having a positive impact on local communities.
Ocean Springs begins $567K project to upgrade Gay Lemon Park
Gulf Live
Warren Kulo | December 2, 2022
Work is underway which, once complete, will result in a $567,000 upgrade to Gay Lemon Park in Ocean Springs. The project, funded by a $283,707 grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund with an equal match from the City of Ocean Springs 2% food & beverage tax, will result in not only a new open pavilion area with concessions but renovated restrooms, improved accessibility, and drainage, new dugouts, fencing, and lighting.
Cornerstone Restaurant in Gautier celebrates 25 years
WXXV
December 4, 2022
The Cornerstone Restaurant in Gautier turned 25 today. The community came together to celebrate this milestone with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a proclamation from the mayor. Cornerstone once started as a deli and over the years has expanded to one of the hot spot restaurants in town. The restaurant offers a variety of seafood options but is famously known for their ‘greater tater,’ an overstuffed potato.