Page 74: of Marine News Magazine (November 2012)

In the busy U.S. Gulf Coast shipbuilding sectors, W&O Supply remains active within four very strong markets: navy marine, commercial marine, marine offshore and offshore fabrication. Even with the uncertainty surrounding sequestration, business in the Gulf continues to be strong, as well as diversiÞ ed. With major shipyards in the region continuing to receive contracts for follow-on vessels, the opportunity for continued success is therefore very good. Nevertheless, and not content to sit back and do Ôbusiness as usual,Õ W&O continues to look for new ways to do business, with new products and further enhance their offerings to the marine markets. As one of the better recognized names in the marine distribution markets, W&O and its management team remain bullish on the near and long term outlook for the boatbuilding sectors. In October, W&O Gulf Coast Regional Manager Debbie Garner sat down with MarineNews to outline how her Þ rm will do business going forward, why and more importantly how. Markets & Demand According to Garner, the demand for materials sand products in commercial marine markets, especially new-build, maintenance and retro- Þ tting projects, is very strong. In the marine offshore/offshore fabrication sector, she says, fabrication yards are continually producing more rigs, resulting in an increased demand for supply vessels. As a result of this chain reaction, Gulf Coast Crude Oil Production is up 18.49% from last year. Employed with W&O since 1992 and with valuable experience gleaned from her previous position as Purchasing Agent for a major shipbuilding corporation, W&OÕs New Orleans-based Gulf Coast Regional Manager Ð also educated in Mechanical Engineering Technology Ð has her Þ nger on the pulse of the all- important Gulf coast marine markets. Responsible for analyzing price and delivery dates, locating products, and providing a high level of service while also managing quoting process and turnaround, she clearly has her hands full. ÒThe shipyards are our favorite place to go and I would say it is our biggest strength. We have such a wide range of products that we can sell in the shipbuilding Þ eld, from start to W&O Positioned to Provide W&O takes the guesswork out of distribution, supply and the marine manufacturing environment. By Joseph Keefe, EditorNovember 201274 MNMNNov2012 Layout 66-81.indd 74MNNov2012 Layout 66-81.indd 7411/7/2012 11:18:48 AM11/7/2012 11:18:48 AM