Dear PEP Members:

I hope you are staying cool during these Mobile summer months!

The Eagle Reef Project continues to take off, with sponsorships ranging from corporations to homeowners with docks and piers. It's an exciting time as we continue to expand this nationally-recognized project! If you haven't gotten involved, I encourage you to visit The Eagle Reef Project page to learn more and reach out to our project coordinator.

Our committees are busy planning two of most popular events, the Annual Meeting and Environmental Stewardship Awards and the 24th Industrial Reverse Trade Show. This is in addition to our bi-monthly breakfasts and lunch and learns for our members. We continue to work hard to ensure you get the most benefit for your membership in PEP! Please follow the event pages as we release more information and registration and tickets go live.

As always, if you need anything, please feel free to reach out.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Denson, Executive Director

REVERSE TRADE SHOW TICKETS GO ON SALE AUGUST 5TH!

The countdown is on! In just a few weeks, the tickets for the 24th Industrial Reverse Trade Show go on sale!

Only a limited number of VIP tickets are available for purchase, allowing you extra time to call on plant managers and decision makers before the doors open to the general public. Be sure to get your tickets to join us for another successful event!

MARK THE CALENDAR FOR SEPTEMBER'S MEMBERSHIP BREAKFAST

We are excited to welcome Roger Rice, Human Relations Director for Novelis, as our speaker for the September membership breakfast!

Thank you to our sponsor, VSC Fire Security, for making our event possible.

DO YOU WANT TO BE PART OF OUR NEXT INSTALLATION?

We are gearing up for another installation of Eagle Reefs! Adding an Eagle Reef under your pier creates a healthier aquatic ecosystem and enhances the fishing experience around your dock or pier. It's a win-win for both you and the environment! 

Fill out the interest link below and our Eagle Reef Project Coordinator will contact you with details.

AUSTAL WINS THREE SAFETY AWARDS

Mobile-based Austal USA has announced it received three industry safety awards so far this year. Austal was recognized by America Equity Underwriters (AEU) with the 2023 AEU Safety Award and by the Shipbuilder’s Council of America (SCA) with SCA’s 2023 Excellence in Safety and Improvement in Safety awards. These awards bring Austal’s total safety award count to 27 in the last 15 years. SCA’s Excellence in Safety award is based on Austal having maintained a total recordable incident rate well below SCA members’ average. The company’s shipbuilding team was also recognized for improvement in safety due to the reduction in incident rates by more than 10% from last year. For AEU, Austal USA is one of only 35 of AEU’s 1,800 waterfront employer customers being honored for safety. 

AUSTAL STARTS CONSTRUCTION ON FINAL ASSEMBLY FACILITY

Austal USA recently broke ground on its seventh assembly bay at its 180-acre Mobile waterfront manufacturing facilities. The new site is expected to create more than 1,000 new jobs.

Austal officials, joined by local politicians and business leaders, turned over the first spades of dirt on the new four-acre property along the Mobile River that will soon house a 192,000-square-foot steel assembly line. The building will be named “Final Assembly 2” and is expected to be operational by April 2026.

VERTEX GIVES BACK BY PARTNERING WITH FEEDING THE GULF COAST

Vertex Energy Mobile Refinery joined forces with Chickasaw Methodist Church in hosting a mobile food pantry through Feeding the Gulf Coast. During the event, the Vertex Energy team distributed approximately 5,000 pounds of food to more than 150 individuals in need.

APM TERMINALS EXPANDS WITH ADDITION OF TWO NEW GIANT CRANES

APM Terminals recently announced they received two new ship-to-shore cranes. Ordered in January 2023, the cranes are part of the ongoing expansion plan.

Alabama Port Authority Director and CEO John Driscoll shared comments on investments in the container terminal, updates on the deepening and widening project and an overview of the new cranes.

"The two new cranes represent a $40M investment by APMT, following the $366M channel deepening and widening project. In total, over $1B will be invested in the container terminal by 2030 through contributions from the Port, the State of Alabama, federal funding, and APMT."

ALABAMA SHIPYARD WINS $9-MILLION-PLUS CONTRACT

Alabama Shipyard LLC has announced that it will dock the USNS SUPPLY (T-A0E 6) in September. The shipyard in Mobile was awarded a $9,208,926 firm-fixed-price contract for the 103-calendar-day availability for the mid-term availability of U.S. Military Sealift Command’s fast combat support vessel. Work is to begin on September 9 and be completed by December 20.

VOLUNTEER WITH PEP!

If you or any others in your company are interested in volunteering for a PEP event, please let us know. We have several opportunities for volunteers to come out and help PEP’s cause while also networking and having fun!

JOIN US FOR PEP'S ANNUAL MEETING AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AWARDS

The date is set! Get your reservations in to attend the Annual Meeting and Environmental Stewardship Awards. We will be recognizing these PEP members whose work has made a significant and positive contribution to the Gulf Coast region.

This event is FREE for PEP members to attend, but you must RSVP.

MAKE PLANS TO ATTEND THE 24TH INDUSTRIAL REVERSE TRADE SHOW

The Industrial Reverse Trade Show brings decision-makers from industry together in one location. Ticket holders from the supplier, vendor and service sectors are the visitors who walk through the show “calling on” plant managers, purchasing managers, engineers and maintenance managers from industry, shipbuilding, multi-disciplined engineering firms, major medical centers and more.

Plan to join us for this year's event on Thursday, October 17, 2024 at Fort Whiting Auditorium, Mobile, AL. Follow the event page for registration and sponsorship updates.

PEP PRESENTS THE 9TH ANNUAL EDUCATIONAL SEMINAR

We will once again be offering a FREE educational seminar, with CEUs for those in attendance, on Thursday, October 17, from 9 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. Follow the event page for updates on topics and speakers, coming soon!