Steiner Construction Relocates To Larger Yard

Bayou La Batre, an active waterway just west of Alabama’s Mobile Bay, has been home to Steiner Construction Company since 2003. Founded by Russell T. “Bubba” Steiner, the shipyard, over the past 19 years, has delivered new barges, towboats and fishing vessels, refurbished car ferries and passenger vessels, and more.

And now the shipyard has moved to a new site just down the bayou that’s three times the size of its original location.

“We’ve got a new 24-acre facility,” Steiner said. “It was a shipyard before, originally John E. Graham & Sons’ yard.”

The yard offers 1,300 linear feet of water frontage, two production buildings (each with 10-ton overhead cranes), and a third building for painting and interior work. Horizon had the yard after Graham & Sons, and then it was part of MetalShark’s Alabama operation. Steiner said he worked out an agreement to acquire the yard about a year ago in exchange for some property he owned that adjoins MetalShark’s facility.

Steiner said the new space has a lot of advantages, compared to his shipyard’s original location.

“It has a lot more water frontage,” he said. “There are several buildings on it. You won’t have to go underneath the bridge to get to the yard, and it’s on a much wider part of the bayou. We’ll have more capacity to build modules and boats under buildings.”

The new site, located at 9195 Little River Road in Bayou La Batre, Ala., also has a slip, boosting space for dockside work.

“We’re putting in a 660-ton travelift, going through the process for permitting,” Steiner said. “The travelift is 54 –feet wide, and I’d say one of the largest travelifts in the area. We’ll use it for new and repair work.”

Steiner Construction has already moved all shipyard activities to the new site, with the exception of its office. Steiner said a new office will be built on-site.

The move comes at a busy time for Steiner Construction.

“We’re finishing up a 4,000 hp. Tier 4 boat for Canal Barge,” Steiner said. “We’re also doing four boats for Maritime Partners—two 2,600 retractables, a 3,400 hp. 120- by 34-foot towboat, and a 100-foot diesel-electric retractable—and an 85- by 34-foot diesel-electric retractable on spec.”

For Steiner Construction, it’s the second boat for Canal, with a total of 11 boats for Maritime Partners.

To learn more, visit www.steinermarine.com.

Caption for top photo: New Steiner Construction Company location at 9195 Little River Road in Bayou La Batre, Ala.