LOCKPORT, La. – (April 24, 2024) – Bollinger Shipyards, the largest vessel repair company in the Gulf region, recently named its 1800-ton dry dock at the Bollinger Quick Repair Facility in Harvey, LA. “Mr. Mike,” honoring the life and six-decade-long career of U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Bollinger employee Mike “Blue” Kuehne – 29 years of which have been spent at Bollinger in outside sales. Naming a vessel in someone’s honor is a profound tribute, symbolizing the enduring impact of their contributions and memorializing their legacy within the maritime community.
“Named for one of our longest serving and most dedicated employees, Mike Kuehne, the ‘Mr. Mike’ dry dock is a symbol of our appreciation for his leadership, three decades of service and the significant impact he has had on Bollinger’s success,” said Bollinger President and CEO Ben Bordelon. “Our continued investments in our infrastructure, like the Mr. Mike dry dock, provide our customers with the highest levels of quality and service in our industry – values personified by Mike and his enduring legacy here at Bollinger.”
Built at Bollinger’s Amelia, La. facility, the Mr. Mike dry dock measures 160’ x 70’ x 16’, with a wing wall depth of 16’, and has a lift capacity of 1800 tons. Mr. Mike was formerly known as the Dry Dock Darby, and recently underwent significant refurbishment and reconditioning in Amelia.
Mike “Blue” Keuhne joined Bollinger in 1995 and during his nearly thirty years with the company has been a leader on the sales team, covering all inland waterway systems from the Great Lakes south to New Orleans, west to Texas and east to Florida. His wealth of shipyard knowledge and his eagerness to get the job done has earned the respect and trust of many customers. When not at work, Mike enjoys golf, gardening and hot rods. Mike and his wife of 56 years, Betty, have three children, including Matt, the current general manager of Bollinger Quik Repair, and four grandchildren.
Bollinger Quick Repair is located off the Mississippi River on the Harvey Canal and provides service to both the inland and offshore marine transportation markets with [five (5)] dry-docks ranging from 900 to 3,400 ton capacity. The propeller, machine, and armature shops located adjacent to the wet dock and floating dry docks are known worldwide for the first-class services performed in our facilities for other shipyards and for our customers around the world.
About Bollinger Shipyards LLC
Bollinger Shipyards LLC (www.bollingershipyards.com) has a 78-year legacy as a leading designer and builder of high-performance military patrol boats and salvage vessels, research vessels, ocean-going double hull barges, offshore oil field support vessels, tugboats, rigs, lift boats, inland waterways push boats, barges, and other steel and aluminum products from its new construction shipyards as part of the U. S. industrial base. Bollinger has 13 shipyards, all strategically located throughout Louisiana and Mississippi with direct access to the Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi River and the Intracoastal Waterway. Bollinger is the largest vessel repair company in the Gulf of Mexico region.