Interview: Ted Williams, President, Senesco Marine

 

An Annapolis graduate and retired Navy Captain, Williams’ current role is growing Senesco Marine and, in the process, helping restore America’s ship construction and repair capabilities.

Tell us about yourself – your background and education. We see you spent 31 years in the U.S. Navy. Thank you!

I grew up on the shores of Narraganset Bay in Rhode Island where I developed a passion for the ocean. After high school, I attended the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was there that I further developed my love for being on the water and for vessels of all sizes.

After graduating from Annapolis and being commissioned in the Navy, I went on to fly EA-6B Prowlers off aircraft carriers all over the world for 20 years. I then transitioned into the nuclear navy and went on to leadership positions on aircraft carriers and other ships. It was in these positions that I learned a great deal about ship repair and construction. I retired from the Navy in 2014 as a Captain with 27 years of commissioned service.

I transitioned into the oil and gas industry upon retirement and moved to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Transitioning back to the U.S., I went to work for General Dynamics/Electric Boat as a construction manager for the new Columbia Class submarine. It was from there that I literally moved across the street and took the reins of Senesco Marine in 2021.

Wow, fascinating! Why the Navy?

I spent a great deal of my time growing up on the water and knew I was meant to be on or near it in whatever I chose as a career. I also had a desire to give back and serve my country in some capacity. The Navy was the perfect combination of those two driving forces.

Tell us about the founding of Senesco. What was the inspiration behind it?

Senesco was founded in 1999 by a group of Rhode Island businessmen to bring jobs to the local economy. Our current parent company, Reinauer Transportation Company (RTC), purchased the shipyard in 2006 to rebuild their fleet of petroleum barges, making them all double-hulled as a result of the Exxon Valdez disaster in 1989. After rebuilding the RTC fleet, Senesco Marine has been building vessels of all sizes for both the commercial and offshore wind markets.

What does the name mean?

Senesco originally stood for South Eastern New England Shipbuilding Company as we’re located in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, on Narragansett Bay. A few years we changed it to Senesco Marine.

How many employees and facilities are there?

We currently have about 400 employees, subcontractors and vendors working at Senesco Marine. Our facilities consist of WWII aircraft maintenance hangars and ramp space for WWII seaplanes as well as a WWII aircraft carrier pier that we utilize for our Repair Yard. As you can imagine, we’re challenged by this aging infrastructure and are working with the state of Rhode Island for resolution.

We do, however, boast the largest indoor aluminum production area in the Northeast and consider ourselves the region’s premier shipbuilding and repair facility.

What markets do you serve and what kinds of vessels do you build? Do you handle both newbuild and repair work?

Yes. In our New Construction yard we’re capable of building vessels of most sizes, only limited by our launch capabilities. We’re currently building the fifth and sixth CTVs in our inventory – both of which are deemed “hybrid-ready.” Additionally, we’re building the first-ever hybrid ferries in the Northeast – both for the state of Maine.

Our next project involves venturing into the deck barge “build and charter” arena as we recognize the demand for deck barges is and will remain high. We’re starting a 140’x50’ barge in the next few weeks to be followed by two tugs before the end of the year.

Wow, busy! How important is offshore wind for Senesco? Is the future still bright for offshore wind in the U.S.?

Offshore wind is very important for Senesco as we are positioned geographically at the hub of East Coast OSW. Capable of building feeder barges and supporting steel pieces and parts in addition to the CTVs, we remain at the ready to continue to be a key contributor to OSW.

The future remains bright for OSW. However, the industry has been in a bit of a pause in 2024 in ship construction as the large companies bidding on the farms are finding expenses significantly higher in the U.S. than expected just a few years ago due to recent inflation, increased labor rates and material shortages.

How do you find and keep good employees?

With Senesco Marine literally in the shadow of General Dynamics/Electric Boat, we’re in a continuous battle to attract and retain top talent. We focus on maintaining a strong family atmosphere at Senesco and offer a very good benefits package. We also have a unique work week– nine-and-a-half hours Monday through Thursday and then seven hours on Fridays – allowing employees to leave early on Fridays while also having the opportunity of five overtime hours/week if they work the full seven hours. Our teams enjoy that, and it allows us to retain quality employees.

What’s your biggest challenge right now?

Our biggest challenge remains finding quality skilled labor, particularly skilled design engineers. We offer very competitive pay, superb benefits and a quality work environment in beautiful Rhode Island on Narragansett Bay. If interested in joining our team, please visit our website at www.senescomarine.com.

What’s your vision for the company? Where would you like to see it in, say, five years?

Senesco Marine has evolved quite a bit in the past 25 years. My vision is to further enhance our core competencies to include large barges while taking the shipyard to the next level. This next level would propel us into more complex builds (including Department of Defense work) as well as future technologies such as composite materials and alternative energy propulsions systems.

Okay, we have to ask this. Do you get kidded much about your name?

Yeah, I hear that a bit, but it’s been fun to have the name. People remember me.

How would you describe your management style?

I’m a hands-on, collaborative leader. I value a strong, interactive team that offers thoughtful and varying ideas. It’s imperative to care about your people like family and listen to them at all levels to receive inputs and ideas that may not be readily apparent.

What’s a typical day like for you?

I’m not sure there is a typical day at the shipyard. We generally have collaborative meetings in the morning with our team and interact in the yard throughout the day as able. I spend a great deal of time working with state leadership on business issues including the improvement of our state-owned infrastructure. I’m also on the road about one week a month at conferences or business meetings.

What do you like to do in your spare time? Do you have any hobbies?

Rhode Island offers so much to do year-round, it’s really a great place to live. In the spring, summer and fall I’m on the water as much as possible, either sailing or cruising and fishing in a power boat. In the winter months, I spend time up in the mountains to ski when conditions permit.

My newest hobby is wine making as I make Italian reds and whites throughout the year. I’ve developed a modest wine cellar with some nice vintages.

Wow, how cool is that? Winemaking. Okay, anything else our readers should know about Ted Williams and Senesco Marine?

As mentioned earlier, Senesco Marine is broadening its portfolio by establishing a new division focused on constructing deck and crane barges. The inaugural barge under construction measures 140’x50’x 9’ and adheres to ABS standards. Subsequent barges will vary in dimensions and capacities, tailored to meet customer specifications, and will be offered for sale or charter. Senesco aims to develop a fleet comprising 12 barges of diverse sizes and capacities, contributing to the modernization of aging barges in the construction sector.

We’re committed to innovation, efficient capacity utilization and sustainable marine solutions and will continue to be a leader in delivering quality vessels and exploring new avenues of business. It’s critical that Senesco Marine and all U.S. shipyards enhance their capabilities to support our maritime and defense industries to be able to meet any requirements at any time, allowing the U.S. to remain the global leader in sea power.