Bill Harrison III, owner of Harrison Brothers Dry Dock and Repair Yard Inc., Mobile, Ala., has announced that the shipyard, founded in 1895, is to close, MarineLog reports.
The Press-Register reports that the inventory - ranging from a 1908 barge to a 1940s tug and more modern equipment - is being sold in one chunk. "Harrison is looking to clear and lease the land - one 18-acre tract known as the south yard that's directly in front of Austal USA's riverfront works and another 3-acre tract known as the north yard," says the newspaper. It quotes Mr. Harrison as saying that a combination of events led him to his decision, includinga slack economy, the Gulf oil spill putting the squeeze on drilling, and a new industry environment - one where small yards do not necessarily fit in.
"We're dealing with an environment of consolidation now. The one- and two-tugboat operators are giving way to the 50- and 500-tugboat operators," the Press-Register quotes him as saying.
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