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become busier. ?Vessel builders along the Gulf continue to face a shortage of skilled labor,? Paul Candies said. ?We have an ongoing training pro- gram in our yard, and we hire people and apprentice them. But we'd like to see local, educational institutionsoffer more training for our industry.? Not everyone wants to be a doctor or a lawyer, he said. New federal regula- tions, tougher EPA standards, added safety and security requirements and more stringent towing-vessel inspec- tions are a challenge, but complying with them creates work that some builders welcome. ?All indications are that 2012 will be a busy year for U.S. regulatory dockings and inspec- tions,? Bollinger?s Socha said. ?While we anticipate a first-quarter 2012 sea- sonal slowdown in repairs and con- versions, we find that customers are looking to fulfill U.S. regulatory requirements sooner than later.? That should keep phones ringing with new work this year, contends Socha. PROACTIVE OPERATORS = BUSINESSFORU.S. YARDSDavid Barousse, business develop- ment director at Fleet Operators, Inc., in Morgan City, La., said ?it seems that oil and gas companies, aswell as regulators, now have a handle on the post-moratorium, permittingprocess.? Companies are trying to stay in the good graces of the federalgovernment by proactively meeting new and existing regulations, he said. ?The deep water market is slowly tak- ing off again, with big expectationsfor 2012,? Barousse said. ?Overall, things are looking positive for work in the Gulf of Mexico for the foresee- able future." And that should make the start of 2012 look much brighter for a shipyard industry which started the previous year under much cloudi- er circumstances. www.marinelink.com MN29MN#1 (18-31):MN 2011 Layouts 1/5/2012 2:57 PM Page 29