Page 42: of Marine News Magazine (October 2011)

42MNOctober 2011The motto at Guido Perla & Associates, Inc. (GPA) for over thirty years and continuing to this day has always been: Engineering Ideas into Reality . For clients worldwide, no matter how large or small the project, from single ves- sels to an unprecedented number of vessels in one series, the adage rings true. Behind the company?s success and commitment to each and every client is a team of over 70 professionals on four continents, led by the company?s Chairman Guido Perla and supported by his management team. That team includes president Alex Loudon, Vice President of Business Operations Chris Chuhran, Vice President of Naval Architecture Dave Pasciuti, Electrical Department Manager Stephen Gleaves and Ship Design Manager Greg Hughes. GUIDOPERLA ?ENGINEERSGPA INTO REALITY ?Perla, a Colombian of Italian descent, developed a love for aircraft and ships at a young age which continues to this day. After receiving a mechanical engineering degree in Colombia at the beginning of 1970, he went to work for Unial SA, a shipyard in Barranquilla. In 1971, he left Colombia for the US, to enroll at the University of Michigan, where he graduated from the School of Engineering in Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering in 1972. After working for several shipyards in the US and owning his own marina, Mr. Perla eventually founded a consulting service in 1979 to provide consulting services to the marine industry, mainly supporting shipyards con- structing fishing vessels. In the early days, most, if not all, of GPA?s clients were US-based but since then, the company evolved from a sin- gle person company into a multi-disciplinary firm, head- quartered in Seattle, WA, with offices in China, South America, and Europe. With the expansion of the compa- ny to different continents in recent years, GPA became a truly global player, recognized worldwide for its work and achievements, as well as for being an independent and neutral opinion in the industry. Today, the company offers a complete range of naval architecture and marine engineering services, ranging from conceptual and preliminary design, bid packages and regulatory design, scientific/engineering analysis, feasibili- ty studies, production engineering, construction manage- ment and owner representation, all of which are informed by and benefit from long-term relationships with clients. RANGINGFARAND WIDEFOR ?SPECIAL RELATIONSHIPS ?GPA enjoys a loyal customer base in the Asian, South American and European markets, and its extensive port- folio includes vessel types ranging from offshore support vessels such as PSVs, Fast Supply Vessels (FSVs) and anchor handlers, to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) car- riers, tugs, barges, icebreakers, general cargo vessels, pilot boats, ferries, research vessels, fireboats, naval vessels, fish- ing vessels, yachts, and cruise, excursion, and casino ves- sels and, at the heart of the evolution of its expertise in these markets is what the company?s founder likes to Engineering Ideas into Reality Guido Perla & Associates mantra still valid, invoked after 30 yearsGuido Perla, Chairman, Guido Perla & Associates, Inc.MN#10 (32-49):MN 2011 Layouts 10/5/2011 1:57 PM Page 42