Page 44: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (August 2025)

SHIPBUILDING | U.S. MID-SIZED YARDS

HENDRY MARINE HENDRY MARINE

BUILDS ON A BUILDS ON A

CENTURY OF SERVICE CENTURY OF SERVICE

All images courtesy Hendry Marine or nearly a century, Hendry Marine Industries (HMI) provides QP1-certi? ed blasting, ultra-high-pressure washing, has been a ? xture of Tampa’s waterfront, evolving and coatings services across the region.

from a local dredging company founded in 1926 into The numbers tell a story of scale and capability: 388 em-

Fone of the most capable marine repair and conversion ployees, 3,200 linear feet of bulkhead waterfront, four dry- operations in the Southeast. Under the leadership of Richard docks ranging from 2,500 to 10,500 LT, and the ability to

McCreary, President of Gulf Marine Repair and its parent, handle vessels up to 950 feet by 120 feet with a 30-foot draft.

HMI, the company is preparing for a new chapter, one par- All told, HMI operates across 32 acres, with an additional 25 tially shaped by the Trump Administration’s prioritization of acres under lease, positioning it as a key player in Florida’s

U.S. shipbuilding and maritime infrastructure. maritime economy.

McCreary, who holds a BSE in Naval Architecture and Ma-

THE TRUMP BUMP rine Engineering from the University of Michigan and an MBA from the University of Chicago, brings a wealth of leadership For McCreary, the Trump Administration’s Executive Or- experience from across the industry. His résumé spans top roles der to “Restore American Maritime Dominance” represents at Vigor Works, BAE Systems, and Marinette Marine, where he the most comprehensive maritime policy push he’s seen in his helped build the Navy’s Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ships, career. “It’s the ? rst time I’ve seen such emphasis on maritime as well as executive positions with VT Halter Marine. A past military and commercial shipping, shipbuilding, associated chairman of both the Shipbuilders Council of America and the trade restrictions, supply chain development, shipyard incen-

National Shipbuilding Research Program, McCreary has spent tives, and workforce development, all from one Administra- his career at the forefront of American shipbuilding and repair. tion,” he said.

At the heart of this effort is the proposed Shipbuilding and

A TAMPA POWERHOUSE

Harbor Infrastructure for Prosperity and Security (SHIPS) for

Today, HMI’s core operations are anchored by Gulf Marine America Act, which codi? es many of the Executive Order’s

Repair (GMR), a Green Marine-certi? ed shipyard special- initiatives. McCreary views the Act, combined with the estab- izing in repair, conversion, and modi? cation of oceangoing lishment of a White House Shipbuilding Of? ce, as “a welcome commercial vessels, tugs, barges, dredges, and government policy reversal” after decades of decline fueled by restrictive craft. In 2023 alone, GMR serviced 320 vessels. Complement- ? nancing programs, subsidy cuts, and industry consolidation.

ing GMR is Anchor Sandblasting and Coatings (ASC), which While much of the policy framework is still being devel- 44 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • August 2025

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