“Local boat builders Glovertown Shipyard were chosen in Summer 2012 as the production facility for two new barges to be operated at the Hebron Project Site”
Glovertown Shipyard
Building for the Hebron Project Glovertown is one of the communities in the province to benefit from the booming offshore oil and gas industry in Newfoundland and Labrador. Local boat builders Glovertown Shipyard were chosen in Summer 2012 as the production facility for two new barges to be operated at the Hebron Project Site. The barge project is a collaborative effort of McKeil NL, Mammoet, Hunt’s Transport, and KKC.
Clients of Glovertown Shipyard have been able to count on complete marine services of high quality from the family-owned enterprise for more than thirty years. A mostly local workforce has furthered Glovertown Shipyard’s reputation for excellent results. In addition, Glovertown Shipyard has been committed to providing opportunities for apprentice tradespersons to gain experience.
David Porter, President of McKeil NL, stated that choosing Glovertown Shipyard for this project was simple. “Glovertown Shipyard is a large capacity shipyard with a wealth of experience in the production of steel vessels. Their experienced group of workers has completed top-notch projects throughout the years, and my familiarity with Glovertown Shipyard made the choice easy.”
Bob Davis of Glovertown Shipyard stated that “The project we’ve commenced at our facility will increase our workforce by fifty to sixty employees, with potential for an additional thirty positions.” The first barge is scheduled to finish by August 2013, with the second barge to be delivered by April 2014. The partners on the project have named the two vessels the Dowden Spirit, in honor of the late owner and operator of the shipyard, Ford Dowden; and the Glovertown Spirit, in recognition of the community in which the vessels will be manufactured.
Steve Fletcher, President of McKeil, said “McKeil is proud to be an integral part of the Glovertown Shipyard project. Working with the shipyard to construct the new vessels is exciting for all parties involved. We appreciate the sense of pride from Leon Dowden and his dedicated team, and
especially their commitment to build the barge on time and on budget”. Mr. Fletcher added, “As we expand our business in this province, we are very pleased that this project will provide great employment opportunities for many, which is good for McKeil, good for Glovertown and good for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.”