Mobile's Harrison Bros Dry Dock and Repair Yard is to close
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.