September/October Edition On the Streets
The Right Stuff
Marine salvage companies are the emergency responders of the world’s oceans, and there is nothing routine about working in or around a vessel in distress, where a seemingly normal salvage job can turn life-threatening in an instant. Just ask Resolve Marine’s President & CEO, Joseph E. Farrell, Jr., who had his own close call and tells us all about it in this edition. Farrell has the right stuff and, for that reason and others, Resolve Marine today is a globally recognized company with assets around the world. MarEx is pleased to share this great story of perseverance and personal resolution with our readers, so enjoy.
Kurt Erlandson, President of Randive, is profiled in the Executive Achievement feature and he has the right stuff too. Like Farrell’s, his is a story of leadership and personal resolution, which includes Randive’s involvement with 9/11.
In a Special Report from the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, Doug Ducharme reviews the implications of the opening of Arctic trade routes and the Panama Canal expansion. Ducharme is a retired Navy Commander and Assistant Research Professor in the War Gaming Department in Newport. Stay ahead of the curve, because this is required reading for all maritime executives. In “Trolling for Treasure,” Senior Editor Jack O’Connell explores the nascent industry of subsea mining. It is no secret that treasures abound on the ocean floor, and you’ll be surprised at the extent to which governments and companies will go to find them.
Maritime piracy is an ancient problem with a modern twist. The scallywags of old have been replaced by AK-47 and RPG-toting pirates who demand huge ransoms. “Fighting Fire With Fire” examines the debate about arming merchant vessels and, since it was penned by two attorneys, it provides an excellent analysis of the pros and cons of using lethal force on ships. Ron Thomason, Vice President for Strategic Programs at the Maritime Security Council and President of Infrastructure Security Solutions, offers an illuminating discussion of the regulatory regime for security training requirements. No matter where you fit in the global supply chain, you need to know what the current regulations dictate for training your personnel. In “The Evolving World of Maritime Security,” Kathy Smith interviews some of the top movers and shakers in the war on piracy and terrorism. These are the people who actually provide security for your vessel, your port, and your people. There’s some real intellectual capital in these articles on the very hot subject of piracy and maritime security.
In “The Green Subsidy/Job Loss Nexus,” Michael Economides and Peter Glover remind us that the U.S. government has spent hundreds of millions of dollars creating green jobs. But very few have actually been created, and they have come at the cost of many more mainstream jobs. Has “green politics” been a bust? Well, one thing we can always count on from the “professor of oil” is a straightforward, no-holds barred opinion. We continue to be in awe of Art Garcia’s ability to write on ordinary subjects and make them exciting. Well, he has once again crafted a gem, this time about ports’ heavy-lift capabilities. From handling large wind turbines and blades to moving massive steel-fabricated bridge modules, it’s all here. Don’t miss it.
Returning contributor Bob Spicer has written “Mega-Machines and Mega-Mariners” on the global salvage industry. It’s a business requiring constant training, preparation, and well-maintained equipment that can be shipped at a moment’s notice to any corner of the planet, along with the skilled personnel to run them. Spicer reached out to some of the top executives in the salvage business to get their assessment of the industry today.
Larry Kiern’s Washington Insider and Jack O’Connell’s Upgrades & Downgrades are by far our readers’ favorite columns, and I assure you they deliver again. Kiern digs deep into the Washington gridlock only to find more squabbling about budgets, tax cuts and job-killing agendas. Nor is there a lot of money for maritime. Be on the inside with Larry’s provocative view of things on the Hill. In “Hey Buddy, Can You Spare a Box?” O’Connell looks into the global scarcity of ocean shipping containers and the companies who are making a fortune by controlling them. There’s a king’s ransom in these “boxes,” and O’Connell tells you why.
It’s always exciting to share another edition of original articles penned by the best in the business, so sit back, enjoy and catch up on all the right stuff. – MarEx