Kim McMahon, co-owner and daughter of founder, Mr. Mike Hooks, traveled to Southwest Shipyard in Galveston, Texas, recently to attend the Steel Cutting Ceremony for Hooks’ new dredger.
McMahon, accompanied by various Hooks executives and managers, was invited to the ceremony by contractor SPI/Mobile Pulley Works to celebrate the start of construction of the 27-inch custom cutter suction dredger (CSD).
As she addressed an audience of guests from Mobile Pulley, Southwest Shipyard, and Hooks’ management, McMahon formally announced that the new dredger will be named Dredge Lorraine Hooks in honor of her mother – the late matriarch of the Hooks organization.
“The steel cutting for this new cutter suction dredge is an important milestone for Mike Hooks as we strategically invest in our fleet capacity to meet the nation’s increasing maritime infrastructure needs,” McMahon said.
Additionally, the construction of the Lorraine marks another milestone for the Hooks organization as it is the first dredger to be built by a third-party vendor.
The majority of Hooks’ existing fleet was fabricated at their own facility in Southwest Louisiana, under the supervision of Mr. Hooks.