Page 52: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (October 15, 1981)

George Engine Reports

Record Growth-Sales —Brochure Available

George Engine Company, Inc., of Harvey, La., is an organiza- tion that started a little over 35 years ago with a $2,500 invest- ment and has grown into one of the world's largest distributors of Detroit Diesel marine engines.

The company is named for its late founder, George S. Frierson

Jr., who secured a franchise in 1945 from the General Motors

Corporation through a combina- tion of personality, business acu- men, and old-fashioned luck. Mr.

Frierson's son, Louis, now serves as chairman, president and gen- eral manager.

The company's new Harvey headquarters facility encompass- es a quarter of a million square feet, making GECO one of the biggest installations of its kind in the U.S. In addition, the com- pany operates wholly owned branches in Lafayette, Morgan

City, and Baton Rouge, and has acquired property for building ad- ditional branches in other key areas.

The company's franchised deal- ers, of whom there are more

WATER

GROOVE

WATER

WEDGE

SHOULDERS

SOFT

RUBBER h

How to get a cold shoulder and like it!

Sometimes a "cold shoulder" can put you at a real disadvantage. With BFGoodrich Cutless® rubber bearings from Lucian Q. Moffitt, you'll get a cold shoulder that you'll like. Here's how.

Thanks to a unique "Water Wedge" design, circulating water is carried over the shoulders of the bearing. The wedge of water, flowing through rounded rubber grooves, forms a lubricating film between the bearing and shaft. This allows heat to dissipate and keeps the bearing shoulders cool even when abrasive materials are present. By eliminating excessive friction and heat, two major causes of bearing failure, the bearing's service life is extended.

Available world-wide through yards and marine stores. Or phone us for same-day shipment from our large inventory of Cutless rubber bearings that give you the cold shoulder you'll like.

LUCIAN

MOFf ITTJNC.

NATIONAL and INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTORS

P.O. Box 1415, AKRON, OHIO 44309

Write 271 on Reader Service Card cut diesel oil consumption up to 50% with

Now blend heavy oil (up to 6000 sec RW) with marine diesel oil and burn in medium speed auxiliary engines and in slow speed main engines during maneuvering.

Since 1975, owners of more than 700vessels with Dodwell fuel oil blenders have experienced no significant increase in maintenance costs nor change in engine performance. ••DWELL

Fuel Oil

Blender

ISTON

PRODUCTS INC

AFFILIATED WITH »cft mold < ». int. 1140 Bloomfield Ave . P O Box 1079

West Caldwell. N.J 07006

N.J. (201) 575-0880 N.Y. (212) 269-0985

Telex 13-8013

Houston (713) 445-0170 San Francisco (415) 421-3244 than 70, are located in nearly every important township and city throughout South Louisiana.

Sales to the maritime industry account for well over half of

GECO's entire business, which will exceed gross sales of $140 million in 1981.

The original "Jimmy Diesels" sold by GECO were used for pow- ering shrimp trawlers and oyster luggers. While commercial fisher- men still account for a sizeable share of business, the company's major interest today lies with the offshore petroleum industry.

George Engine was part of the development of much of the equipment used for transporting machinery, supplies and person- nel to offshore drilling and pro- duction sites. In the process, the company has supplied tens of thousands of marine engines and more than 1,500 complete boat "packages." The concept of sell- ing and financing complete work- boats originated with GECO and is widely accepted in the oil and towing industries.

GECO also furnished the en- gines used to power the world's first all-steel crewboat. Some years later, it did the same with the first all-aluminum crewboat that is still in service on Vene- zuela's Lake Maracaibo. The com- pany also powered and financed the industry's first "bo-truck," then a radical new design for workboats, featuring a wheel- house fully forward and a large afterdeck suited for carrying bulky oilfield cargo.

In January 1980, George En- gine added ALCO Power Boss en- gines to its product line, giving the company the ability to power the biggest workboats including long-range towing/supply ves- sels, tugs, towboats, and other equipment used both offshore and on the inland waterways.

A sizeable portion of GECO's main plant is devoted to assem- bling generator sets for the ma- rine industry.

In addition to its commercial work, GECO has furnished en- gines and generators for hun- dreds of patrol boats and a num- ber of experimental vessels built for the military.

For a brochure on George En- gine Co. capabilities,

Write 12 on Reader Service Card 14

Write 142 on Reader Service Card Maritime Reporter/Engineering News