NYC ferries being built on GC

Horizon Shipbuilding of Bayou La Batre, Ala., has landed contracts for projects along the Gulf Coast to New York City. Horizon is contracted to build at least 10 NYC aluminum passenger ferries. The contract could reach as much as $40M, and has created about 80 new jobs. The ferries are part of an effort by NYC’s mayor and Economic Development Corporation to expand and improve public transportation in the city. “We specifically chose the Gulf (Coast) because the oil industry is down a little bit, so there’s manpower available here to shift to the passenger vessel industry,” said Hornblower Company’s CEO Terry MacRae in NYC. The firm will be operating the NYC ferry service. Metal Shark Aluminum Boats of Jeanerette, La., is also building identical ferries as part of the project, and even though the two companies are collaborating, there are more ferries up for grabs for construction contracts. (Source: WKRG 11/16/16)