Building of tugs brings jobs to Conrad

Conrad Industries in Morgan City has commenced construction of four tugboats for a Hawaiian-based transportation company, and the work will bring about 50 jobs to the area in the coming months, according to officials.
The company held a keel laying ceremony Tuesday at its shipyard in Morgan City for the four Damen Stan 3711 Kāpena Class tugs now under construction for Young Brothers, Hawaii’s largest inter-island transportation company, a news release said.
The contract is part of Conrad’s effort to diversify outside of the oil and gas industry during the downturn in that industry, Port of Morgan City Executive Director Raymond “Mac” Wade said.
Conrad has been an area leader in diversifying their business, Wade said. About 50 new jobs, not connected to the oil and gas industry, will be created just to construct those four boats, Wade said.
Wade said Conrad’s contract to build the four tugboats for Young Brothers is “a tremendous thing for the area.”
The laying of the keel is the formal recognition of the start of a ship’s construction, Conrad Industries Senior Vice President Dan Conrad said.
“Signing of the keel to wish good fortune to the vessel and its crew is a tradition as old as ship-building itself,” Conrad said.
Young Brothers President Glenn Hong explained that the word Kāpena means captain in Hawaiian and each of the four vessels is to be named after a legendary tug captain from Young Brothers’ storied 115-year history, the release said.
“Certainly today it’s very evident that the economies of Hawaii and Louisiana are linked,” Hong said.
“Our mariners, maintenance folk are really going to appreciate the fact that we have new equipment that will stand the test that we put it through,” Hong said.
The boats will be built in Morgan City, but “will be put in service around the world,” Wade said.
The company has also recently built ferry boats and boats for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
“We are investing to serve the Hawaiian Islands for decades into the future,” Hong said. “Young Brothers is a company with a long tradition of giving back to the communities we serve, and we are delighted to join with Conrad, a company with a matching philosophy.”
Hong shook each hand of the many members of the Conrad shipbuilding team gathered for the ceremony and praised them for their reputation of quality and craftsmanship.
Conrad Chairman and CEO Johnny Conrad said in a new release that Damen Shipyards, based in the Netherlands, was instrumental in Conrad securing the contract.
“Damen’s global foot-print and their unique business plan of standardization streamlines construction and provides cost effective solutions to our customers,” he said.
Damen Shipyards Chairman and CEO Kommer Damen said that Damen Shipyards is looking forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with Conrad and Young Brothers.