Great Lakes Shipyard Hires World-Class Shipyard Manager

The Great Lakes Towing Company announces the addition of Nikita Skeeter, a maritime professional with over 25 years of experience in shipbuilding and production management, as General Manager of Great Lakes Shipyard.

Skeeter’s management experience includes multiple, simultaneous shipyard projects with budgets up to $1 billion, as well as responsibilities for more than 400 maritime professionals and production tradesmen including: Design, engineering, welding and pipefitting, electrical, painting, carpentry and more. The breadth of Skeeter’s management experience ranges from design to development, commercial to government vessels, diesel to LNG and LPG, domestic to foreign cargo vessels, and special projects such as offshore structures and jackup drilling rigs.

“We welcome Nikita during an exciting period of growth for the Shipyard,” says Joe Starck, President, The Great Lakes Towing Company. “Nikita’s experience managing shipyard growth and expansion with special attention to quality, compliance and efficiency will ensure that Great Lakes Shipyard continues to scale strategically, while managing its growth successfully.”

Prior to joining Great Lakes Shipyard, Skeeter spent seven (7) years working at shipyards in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and previously worked for Newport News Shipbuilding and NORSHIPCO (Norfolk Shipbuilding & Drydock Corporation), a subsidiary of BAE Systems Ship Repair. Skeeter holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Florida International University and a Master of Science in Electromechanical Engineering Technology from University of Miami.

The addition of Skeeter takes place as the Shipyard continues work on the construction of the new 3,400 H.P. tugboat for Regimen de Pensiones y Jubilaciones del Personal de la Empresa Portuaria Quetzal, Guatemala, Central America (Regimen). Plans are also in place to proceed with construction of a second tug for NYPA’s Niagara Power Plant operation in Buffalo, New York, as well as five (5) new Damen Stan Tugs 1907 ICE for The Towing Company’s harbor towing operations.