Page 8: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (July 15, 1969)

Gilbride Advises Stockholders Todd Planning To Participate In Shipbuilding Resurgence John T. Gilbride, president of Todd Ship-yards Corporation, told the annual meeting of Todd stockholders that his company expects, "a long-lasting period of high activity and, we hope, of record profits." He predicted "great increases in volume." These, he said, would be based on the inevitable reconstruction of the U.S. Navy and merchant marine, the rapid advances of containerization, and the great need for American-flag tankers resulting from oil discoveries on the Alaskan North Slope. The meeting was held at the Chase Manhat-tan Bank in downtown Manhattan. Stock-holders approved a management proposal to increase to nine the number of directors, and elected William B. Rand as a new director. Mr. Rand is the former president of United States Lines and is now an independent ship-ping consultant. Re-elected as directors were John H. Baker and Clifford A. Sheldrake, Todd vice-presidents. In referring to the company's record profits for the last fiscal year, Mr. Gilbride remarked that these could well be exceeded in the pres-ent year. He referred to a recent award of a $40-million containership conversion contract from Sea-Land Services, Inc., the nation's leading operator of containerships. This con-tract, he said, would involve the participation of five of the seven Todd yards. It follows an earlier Sea-Land contract of $25-million for similar work, and the combined contracts re-sult in a great increase in the size of the Sea-Land fleet. Mr. Gilbride spoke of the belief that very soon the beginning steps would be taken in the reconstruction of American sea power. He said such actions would result in great de-mands on the services of his company. Todd has already received many pressing inquiries calling for the construction of tankers and con-tainerships. The Todd Corporation is presently spending heavily for capital improvements, upgrading and modernization of all its yards. Mr. Gil-bride said that the shipbuilding facilities at Todd's Los Angeles Division would be com-pletely modernized in order to accommodate the construction of vessels much larger in size. On completion, this plant will be ade-quately geared to compete more effectively in the tanker, dry cargo, containership and Navy markets. Todd's Galveston yard, according to Mr. Gilbride, is under consideration for expansion into the ship-construction field. The present Galveston yard specializes in conversion and repair work, but Mr. Gilbride said the com-pany has the land available for further expan-sion at that location. He said the final de-cision on such a move would depend on the availability of substantial multiple-tanker con-struction orders which would justify such a facility. Mr. Gilbride told the audience that the first of the giant Todd-built 100,000-dwt dry docks would be installed at the company's San Francisco yard. It should be operational there by March of next year. A still larger dry dock is planned for the company's Gal-veston yard. Halter Marine To Build Oil-Well Supply Boat Halter Marine Fabricators, Inc., Moss Point, Miss., is to build an offshore oil-well supply boat for George Engine Co. Designated Hull No. 232, the vessel will have the following dimensions: 166 feet by 38 feet by 13 feet and will be equipped with 1,700-total-bhp diesels. New President And Directors Named By Marine Exchange Of San Francisco tive vice-president, Grace Line, Inc.; third vice-president?John R. Page, president, Gen-eral Steamship Corp., Ltd., and treasurer?-Rae F. Watts, director of the Port of San Francisco. Robert H. Langner was re-elected executive secretary. GE Aircraft Engine Group Forms Separate DD963 Propulsion System Operation Robert L. Miles Newly elected president of the San Francisco Bay Region Marine Exchange, Chr. L. "Chris" Blom, admires with Maritime Queen Evelyn Draper the just-published "Gold-en Gate Atlas." Two years in development by the Ex-change, the new "Atlas" provides 156 pages of facts, maps and photographs covering every phase of shipping, trade and related services and facilities of the Golden Gate harbor complex. Five industry and regional leaders were named to the board of directors of the Marine Exchange of the San Francisco Bay Region last month. Elected for three-year terms by the mem-bership of the 120-year-old maritime service and development agency were: Harmon How-ard, vice-president, Howard Terminal, Oak-land ; John R. Page, president, General Steam-ship Corp., Ltd.; Norman Scott, executive vice-president, Matson Navigation Co.; Melvin Shore, port director and chief engineer, Port of Sacramento, and Joseph P. McBrien, coun-ty administrator, Contra Costa County. The directors-elect met later in June with other board members and Exchange Presi-dent Robert E. Mayer to elect a new president and new officers for terms starting immedi-ately. Named as president to succeed Mr. Mayer, coast sales manager of Todd Shipyards Corp., was Chr. L. "Chris" Blom, 41-year veteran of shipping in the U.S. and president of Overseas Shipping Co. Headquartered in San Francisco and with offices at principal Pacific Coast ports, the firm was founded by Mr. Blom in 1952. In accepting his new post, Mr. Blom said, "Need for change and new services was never greater in our shipping and water navigation-related industries. For over a century, the Marine Exchange has proven responsive to such challenges. Leadership has been given to cutting paperwork red tape, increasing har-bor safety, improving maritime intelligence and assuring our channels are improved and maintained. A great deal has been accom-plished by our membership and task forces? and we must maintain the pace if Golden Gate commerce is to continue to grow at its high rate." As examples of the Exchange's promotional efforts, he cited its pending publication of the region's first "Golden Gate Atlas" and a new, expanded chart of Pacific Coast steamship stack insignia. Also elected to direct the Exchange for the next 12 months were: first vice-president? Edward L. Ransom, partner, Lillick, McHose, Wheat, Adams & Charles, admiralty attorneys; second vice-president?Ernest R. Senn, execu-General Electric Company's Aircraft En-gine Group has announced that it is forming a DD963 Propulsion System Operation to fo-cus GE attention and resources to the DD963 shipbuilding program. Announcement of formation of the new operation was made by Raymond E. Small, GE vice-president and general manager of the Aircraft Engine Support and Service Di-vision. Robert L. Miles, previously general manager of the Marine and Industrial Depart-ment, is the manager of the new operation. Samuel J. Levine, previously manager of the Aircraft Engine Group's Advanced Engineer-ing and Technical Resources Operation, has been named general manager of the Marine and Industrial Department, which will con-tinue its former objectives offering gas-turbine powerplants for marine and industrial appli-cations. The creation of two separate marine appli-cation entities within the Aircraft Engine Group is a result of the growing emphasis the group is placing on the use of aircraft-derived gas turbines for marine utilization. The DD963 Propulsion System Operation will act as the focal point for the all-GE integrated marine propulsion system for the U.S. Navy's DD963 (DX destroyer) program. Heart of this system is the Marine and Industrial De-partment's 25,000-hp class LM2500 gas turbine. Mr. Miles, a graduate of Duke University, joined General Electric in 1956. In 1967 he was named general manager of Special Prod-ucts Department. In 1968, when the Marine and Industrial Department was formed, he was named general manager. Mr. Levine, general manager of the Marine and Industrial Department, is responsible for the marine and industrial applications of GE-built aircraft gas turbines. As manager of the Advanced Engineering and Technical Re-sources Operation, he was responsible for the engineering efforts applied to advanced engines and demonstrator programs for the Aircraft Engine Group. Mr. Levine holds undergraduate and ad-vanced degrees in electric engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He joined the company in 1930 and was asso-ciated with the company's Air Conditioning Division and the Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion Department. In 1961, he was manager of marketing for the Marine and Industrial Op-eration. In 1962, he was named manager of engineering, Small Aircraft Engine Depart-ment in Lynn, Mass. He holds 10 patents. Samuel J. Levine 10 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News