Summary of Dredging Industry Fly-in to Capitol Hill

Dredging Contractors of America had a very successful Washington, D.C. fly-in this past week. It was a good and solid effort made by all to demonstrate the resolve of the U.S-Flag dredging industry. The DCA delegation to Capitol Hill was led by industry leaders including:

Devon Carlock (Cottrell Contracting), Bill Hanson (Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company), Phyllis Harden (Pine Bluff Sand & Gravel), Dan Hussin (Manson Construction, Co.), Chris Kirk (Jay Cashman, Inc.), Fred Paup (Manson Construction) and Ted Smith (Marine Tech).

“I am pleased with the success of this fly-in to Washington, DC,” said Dredging Contractors of America CEO and Executive Director William P. Doyle. Our companies ensure that the Americas’ ports are big ship ready for expediting U.S. Exports.” Doyle continued, “The U.S dredging industry has the capacity to fulfill all dredging projects in the United States. The U.S.-flagged dredging fleet totals more than 400 dredges.”

DCA’s Michael Gerhardt stated, “The U.S.-flag dredging industry is in a period of strong growth. This sector has invested over a billion dollars recently in U.S. shipyards constructing approximately 30 new vessels including dredges, barges, tugs and other equipment.”

Facts

• The U.S.-flagged dredging fleet, both private and state-owned, totals more than 400 dredges and spans 350+ congressional districts.
• The U.S. dredging industry is highly competitive with over 50 different companies awarded federal work each year and 80 different companies bidding on that work each year.
• The U.S. dredging industry is in the midst of a $1 billion-plus capital construction campaign.
• New investments include 3 large cutter suction dredges, two large hopper dredges, and approximately 50 barges built in shipyards all across the U.S.
• Dredging plays a growing role in restoring, preserving and protecting our beaches, wetlands, and barrier islands. By restoring land, dredging is leading to more productive, healthy natural ecosystems and wildlife habitat preservation.
• The American dredging sector is part of the wider U.S. maritime industry—shipyards, vessel operators, and maritime labor—and is responsible for nearly 500,000 jobs with more than $100 billion in annual economic output, and over $29 billion in employee compensation, requiring that all vessels in domestic commerce be American-owned, controlled, built, documented, and crewed.
• The dredging companies are part of the Jones Act family, responsible for $10 billion in annual tax revenue and $49 billion in annual value added to the economy.
• The U.S. dredging industry partners with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to efficiently execute its navigation mission

“We thank the U.S. Department of Transportation for their time in meeting with the dredging companies,” William Doyle said. “I want to personally thank Admiral Mark Buzby, Administrator of the U.S. Maritime Administration; Skip Elliott, Administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and Drue Pearce, Deputy PHMSA Administrator and their staffs for making time in their schedules to meet with us.”