Page 26: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (January 2022)

INTERVIEW RUSTY MURDAUGH, PRESIDENT, AUSTAL USA

L to R: Christina Sashington (Austal’s youngest employee), Rusty Murdaugh, Mike

Bell (VP Operations) and Curtis Greenhouse (Austal’s oldest employee). The picture is taken in front of the steel production line facility while under construction. other opportunities, both in the U.S. to build upon our pres-

So when when you look at the existing ence in Mobile and the west coast, as well as expanding our

Austal USA new build facilities and the presence overseas, where we currently have a good model in personnel, how do they complement and

Singapore. So without being too speci? c, the adjunct of all of augment all this new repair and service that is to drive through a half a billion dollars of business in a operation?

Well it goes back to those priorities, including people and rather quick fashion.

processes. We focus in on the ships that we produce and the

With the multitude of investment and people that produce them. We’re looking to leverage that ex- changes, can you run us through the time- perience and knowledge in the services model. line when all will be online and functional?

(In regards to) our steel line, we’re tracking on budget and

Do you have any plans to expand the re- on schedule to have that ready April 1, 2022. We’re doing the pair and services operation further?

Yes, we do. Maybe your readers will be a little surprised same with the San Diego model. The full use of that dry dock- to hear this, but we want a half-billion dollar services model. ing model will be ready by August 2023. And that’s why it

And so incrementally, we’re making green? eld organic and was really important for us to make that release and order the inorganic triggering events to get us there. Starting on the dry dock now because we’re accelerating and we found a re- west coast and expanding was obvious. We are looking at ally good supplier (Sedef Shipyard in Turkey) to be able to build not only what we need as far as size and capability, but 26 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • January 2022

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