Page 10: of Marine News Magazine (November 2024)

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Insights Peter

QQQQQQQQQAAA &

Duclos

Co-president,

Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation

To start, will you please share your personal Since 2000, the business has largely been run by John, journey in the shipbuilding industry and what Carol and me, and in 2010, the assets were of? cially trans- led you to your current role? ferred from my parents. We all worked at the company at

Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding Inc. was started by Pres- various times as teenagers, including cleaning the of? ce af- ton Gladding and Richard Hearn in mid-1955. My fa- ter hours. Between the three of us, we have done every job ther, George Duclos, joined them as a minority partner in the company. The transition from our parents running in late 1955, and for $900 owned 20% of the company. the company to our generation was a natural progression.

Fast forward to 1984, my parents bought out the Glad- ding and Hearn families and formed Duclos Corpora- How would you describe your leadership phi- tion. Gladding-Hearn was kept as a d/b/a trade name. losophy?

My brother John joined the company in 1984 with a We are all very much hands on and team-oriented. It’s naval architecture degree from University of Michigan. a small family business, so we need to have a full under-

I joined the company in 1987 with a mechanical en- standing of everything that goes on. The three of us have gineering degree from UMass. Our sister Carol joined our areas of responsibility, but we work together as a team. the company in 1999 with a MS degree in ? nance from We are involved from the initial customer contact, through

Boston College. Although we each of? cially joined the design, project management, construction, trials and de- company at different times, we all grew up immersed in livery. If there is an issue with one of our boats, whether it’s the shipyard. Our Dad was very fond of saying, “We had a month old or 40 years old, John or I will usually get the shipyard for dinner every night.” ? rst call and manage it from there. 10 | MN November 2024