Page 34: of Marine News Magazine (April 2011)

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H arvey Gulf International Marine, Inc. began in 1955 as Harvey Canal Towing Company by

Captain Numa Guidry. Fifty-six years ago the company started as a fleet of inland towing vessels, but by the time Numa Guidry’s grandson, Shane Guidry, took over the business, the company had been renamed Harvey

Gulf and served exclusively the offshore towing and sup- ply market. “I went straight into the business and worked my way up,” Shane Guidry said. Guidry, now Harvey Gulf’s CEO and Chairman, described himself as self-taught and street smart. “I started with the company in 1988, doing safety inspections, running parts. That lasted about two years.”

Then Guidry went into logistics for another two years, and sales for a year and a half after that. Eventually he became Executive Vice President and then took over as

President and CEO in 1997. Guidry said his father stepped out of the business to build the riverboat casino

Treasure Chest in New Orleans after his son had taken the reins. “It was good timing for me. I was 24. Ironically my dad was 24 when he took over the company,” Guidry said. “The company back then had $7 million EBITA. Now it’s worth $100 million.” “I’m happy to say today we have no equipment available.

Everything is working,” Guidry reported, despite the shape of the economy and the Deepwater Horizon spill and ensuing moratorium in the Gulf. However, back when he became CEO “it was no where near as challeng- ing as it is today,” he admitted. “Of course starting young prepared me for it.” “The industry changes because as we explore deeper water it takes better technology and more infrastructure.

It just continues to evolve.” Just as a city grows and gets larger he said, “it goes from two lanes to four. We live in a world where people are always going to want more and more. We’re never going to be satisfied. As those needs grow, service providers like myself either follow them or get pushed out and wither and die.”

Since he took over the business, Guidry said, “so much has evolved in terms of safety, clients wanting no down time, efficiency.” Clients continue to want larger vessels and equipment, and Guidry’s response has been to make the capital investment and grow. “As time went on I sold off the smaller assets. I used cash flow through the com- pany and from the smaller assets to build bigger assets, all state-of-the-art equipment.” “Who would have ever thought that a supply boat 34 MN April 2011

Offshore supply and mooring line storage vessel (OSMLSV), Harvey

Provider, was upgraded with reel spooling units that enable it to provide dual service as an OSMLSV and an offshore supply vessel.

The Provider is capable of dispensing over 17 miles high strength steel cable to assist ultra-deepwater rig mooring.

Photos courtesy Harvey Gulf International Marine