Page 4: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (April 1972)

Todd And MarAd

Jointly Announce

Expansion Plans

PRINCIPALS AT THE LUNCHEON are, left to right: Marvin Pitkin, Maritime Adminis- tration's assistant administrator for research and development; Andrew E. Gibson,

Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Maritime Affairs; John T. Gilbride, president, Todd

Shipyards Corporation, and Ralph Anselmi, general manager, Todd's Galveston Division.

ALL WEATHER FACILITY—A yard towboat pulls a midbody for a Lykes Bros, ship out of the shop where it was constructed. This building has more than 90,000 square feet of space. It has overhead bridge-type crane service with a total capacity of 400 tons in three bays and undercover launching facilities. The new dry dock will he built here.

ON THE COVER: John T. Gilbride (left), president, Todd

Shipyards Corporation, and Ralph Anselmi, general man- ager, Todd's Galveston Division, lend moral support to

Andrew E. Gibson, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for

Maritime Affairs, as he applies the welder's torch to lay the keel for the world's largest floating drydock.

At a joint ceremony held recent- ly in Galveston, Texas, the Mari- time Administration announced the establishment of a National

Maritime Research Center and

John T. Gilbride, president of Todd

Shipyards Corporation, disclosed plans for a major expansion of

Todd's Galveston Division. An- drew E. Gibson, assistant secretary of Commerce for Maritime Affairs, officially opened the new National

Maritime Research Center which will concern itself with basic and applied research into the maritime aspects of nuclear power, pollution abatement, tug-barge linkages, maintenance and repair, and lique- fied natural gas transportation projects. Todd Shipyards wijl act as supporting contractor for this project.

Todd's immediate expansion plans, according to Mr. Gilbride, call for the keel laying, which took place during the ceremonies, of a $16 million floating dry clock—the largest in the world—which will give the company the unique and flexible capability of both launch- ing new construction and drydock- ing the giant "superships of the future."

The future portion of the ex- pansion program, as envisioned by

Mr. Gilbride, is the construction of a major shipbuilding facility on more than 200 acres of currently unused Todd land on Pelican Is- land. which could be serviced by the new dry dock and, if construct- ed, would give the Port of Galves- ton a shipbuilding capability for liquefied natural gas (LNG) car- riers, large tankers, the new lighter and barge carrying vessels (LASH and SEABEEs), and other types of cargo vessels.

Mr. Gilbride pointed out that the new-construction phase of

Todd's expansion plan is contin- gent on the company's receiving firm contracts totalling at least $250 million for shipbuilding. Con- tracts in this order, of magnitude, he added, are being actively pur- sued by the company.

Additionally, Todd's president announced that, in conjunction with Galveston Wharves, Todd has purchased the Southwest Indus- tries property, located one quarter of a mile west of Todd's main plant on Pelican Island, from Ingersoll-

Rand Company for $3 million.

Todd heretofore leased this prop- erty to build the midbodies in its

Lykes Bros. Steamship Company containership conversion program.

An all-weather facility, the new

Southwest Plant will be used to (Continued on page 8)

PROPOSED $60 MILLION EXPANSION for Todd's Galveston shipyard is shown by the overlay on model of existing yard. It indicates the more than 200 acres of unused Todd property where the facility would be built. The new floating dry dock is shown near the center of the picture and the new 'National Maritime Research Center is shown in the lower portion. The Southwest Industries' property which Todd has purchased is shown at the top of the picture. 6 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News