Ben C. Gerwick, Inc. and Ocean and Coastal Consultants, Inc. merger creates new player in the North American marine engineering market
COWI North America, Inc. (COWI NA) announced that its two marine companies, Ben C. Gerwick, Inc. and Ocean and Coastal Consultants, Inc. will join forces to establish COWI Marine North America (COWI Marine NA). According to the company, the new entity will aim to compete with top national specialist marine firms.
COWI NA announces that effective January 1, 2015 Ben C. Gerwick (Gerwick) and Ocean and Coastal Consultants (OCC) will merge operations to form the new specialist business unit in North America, COWI Marine North America (COWI Marine NA).
President of COWI NA, Steve Hunt, sees the merger as an opportunity to consolidate the best resources and skills in one business unit covering the entire geography of North America.
"The merger of two sister companies within COWI North America makes sense. Together they will be stronger, able to meet the increasing market demand for one-stop-solutions and this will also bring great career opportunities for all employees who wish to expand their horizons within a stronger business,” Hunt explained. “In addition, adopting the COWI brand links strongly into COWI's international marine business with its strong track record of large port and marine projects undertaken for international clients."
Gerwick, based in Oakland, California has been part of COWI since 1988. While its involvement on projects is international in scope, its resources are concentrated on the U.S. West Coast.
"It is time to act in the COWI name which we have been part of for a number of years,” said says Winston Stewart, currently MD of Gerwick. “Being part of a much larger organization will provide both the financial and professional strength to successfully pursue large, complex projects, and deliver all services involved in such a project."
OCC has been part of COWI since 2007. It is based in Trumbull, Connecticut with resources concentrated in the U.S. Northeast.
"We will be able to offer our customers a larger pool of skills, resources, and relations and meet requirements for larger projects covering ports and terminals, coastal resiliency and multidiscipline marine solutions,” says John Chapman, currently MD at OCC. “Furthermore we will all get more opportunities and be able to compete effectively with the top national marine firms.”
Going forward Winston Stewart will head the new entity, COWI Marine NA, while John Chapman will take on the key position of Market Director for COWI's marine business across North America.
COWI Marine NA will be an operational business unit as of January 1, 2015.
