Page 40: of Marine News Magazine (June 2012)

40MNJune 2012 By Joseph Keefe After being off the radar for perhaps as many as 12 years? during which the yard was itself quite busy primarily servicing internal Reinauer requirements ? Rhode Island- based Senesco Marine LLC has moved more aggressively into the outside commercial markets. Although perhaps representing a somewhat new entity to some clients, Senesco is anything but new on the scene. An accom- plished builder of modern tonnage, it is more than capa- ble of taking on any mid-tier shipyard newbuild or repair challenge. Boat operators and competing shipyards are about to discover how, and more importantly, why. NOW& THENIn operation since 1999, the Senesco shipyard of today was born when the original developers of the then rela- tively new shipyard encountered construction difficulties with a very large ATB unit that in many aspects was an attempt at a bridge too far? at that point in the yards development. At the same time, Reinauer Transportation Company had received two tank barges completed by the yard, with an ambitious OPA-90 driven fleet replacement program also planned. The obvious quality of the work- manship found in the first two Reinauer barges with plans for more led to the rescue and redirection of the yard by Reinauer. Another driving force of the acquisition was the lack of open slots in Gulf Coast yards at the time, espe- cially following the now-famous hurricane activity that took its toll on Gulf Coast infrastructure. Craig Reinauer characterized the deal by saying, The shipyard was obtained at a good price, at exactly the right time.?Dedicated to a fleet replacement program, the yard remained for more than five years, more or less as a cap- tive operation by Reinauer. New management directed by Senesco Marine Steps Out Into the Broader Commercial Build and Repair Markets. The largest mid-tier yard in the U.S. Northeast touts deep experience and high standards. Suddenly, operators have anoth- er viable choice for newbuild and repair work. Off the Radar but, Very Much On the Ball?