Today, Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation (GLDD), the largest provider of dredging services in the United States announced the execution of a definitive contract for the construction of a 6,500-cubic-yard-capacity Trailing Suction Hopper Dredge (TSHD) with Conrad Shipyard of Morgan City, Louisiana. With expected delivery in the 1st quarter of 2023, the vessel will complement the company’s existing six-dredge Hopper fleet, including the ATB Tug Douglas B. Mackie and…

Today, Mike Hooks, LLC of Westlake, Louisiana announced it will be building a new state-of-the-art cutter suction dredge.  Originally founded in 1945 by Mike and Lorraine Hooks, the company is now entering its fourth generation of family ownership and remains dedicated to its mission of enabling economic growth through safe and sustainable dredging, marine construction, and environmental remediation along the Gulf Coast.

Friday, June 5, 2020 is the Centennial anniversary of the Merchant Marine Act – also known as the Jones Act. It is the law that ensures only American-built, American-owned, and American-flagged vessels operate on our nation’s 95,000 miles of waterways. The dredging industry is a major component of the Jones Act fleet of companies, mariners and shipyards.

“A strong and vibrant domestic dredging industry prevents the United States from depending…