Page 60: of Marine News Magazine (August 2015)

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THE COMPANY:

Metal Shark is a leading shipbuilder specializing in the

M SETAL HARK design and production of boats and ships for military, law

B OATS enforcement, ? re rescue, and a wide spectrum of commer- cial applications. At its facilities in Franklin and Jeanerette, 6814 E. Admiral Doyle Drive

Louisiana, Metal Shark manufactures vessels in aluminum,

Jeanerette, LA 70544

Tel: (337) 364-0777 steel, and ? berglass. In addition to the diverse lineup of

Email: [email protected] models designed by its in-house team of naval architects,

Website: www.metalsharkboats.com

Metal Shark has partnered with Damen Shipyards to offer

CEO: Jimmy Gravois the proven and globally supported range of Damen ves-

President: Chris Allard sels up to 80 meters. These are produced at its Franklin,

Louisiana shipyard where they are easily launched into the glass vessels up to 250’. Its facilities include a 15-acre pro-

Gulf of Mexico. Metal Shark also works with leading na- val architectural ? rms to offer passenger ferries and other duction facility in Jeanerette, Louisiana, and a 25-acre wa- terfront shipyard in Franklin, Louisiana.

specialized vessels. The Metal Shark story is one of careful, calculated growth driven by continual reinvestment in the

THE PRODUCT LINE: company’s people, facilities, and technology. Today, Met-

Metal Shark offers purpose-built vessels for defense and al Shark ? elds a workforce of over 250 employees spread across two facilities, with nearly 1,000 vessels in service security, law enforcement, ? re rescue, pilot associations worldwide. Each component of every Metal Shark vessel and port operators, passenger ferry and excursion boat op- is digitally designed, router cut, and assembled to precise erators, and many other commercial markets. Metal Shark is a leading supplier of boats to the U.S. Armed Forces, tolerances utilizing industry-leading technologies and con- with several active contracts underway and boats deliver- struction methods. ing to installations in the U.S. and abroad on a weekly ba- sis. In addition, Metal Shark provides vessels for a growing

THE CASE: list of state, local, and municipal law enforcement and ? re

Well established as a producer of welded aluminum rescue agencies. The company specializes in the installa- boats for military and law enforcement, Metal Shark has tion of equipment such as positive-pressure Chemical, Bi- signi? cantly expanded its capabilities with its new Frank- ological, Radiological, Nuclear, and High-Yield Explosive lin, Louisiana shipyard now operational. The company has (CBRNE) crew protection systems, ? re pumps and moni- expanded into several commercial markets and now offers tors, Command and Control infrastructure, and other aluminum, steel, mission-speci? c systems. Recent deliveries in the ? rst half and ? ber- of 2015 include a 32’ De? ant ? re boat to the Iona Mac- gregor (FL) ? re department, a 75’ Endurance catamaran dive boat to the Aqueos Corporation (LA), and a 45’ Bill

Preston-designed pilot boat to the Canaveral (FL) Pilots

Association. Through June of 2015, Metal Shark also delivered numerous boats to foreign militaries in- cluding multiple 38’ patrol boats to a country in Southeast Asia and 24’ Riverine combat vessels to two countries in Latin America, all in addition to the company’s ongoing deliveries to the U.S. Coast Guard and

Navy. Key contracts awarded in the ? rst half of 2015 include a contract worth up to $47 million to produce 7-meter

RIBS for the U.S. Navy, and a contract to produce large offshore patrol vessels for Vietnam.

August 2015 60 MN