CGB Acquires JB Marine Shipyard
Consolidated Grain & Barge Company (CGB) has announced that it has acquired JB Shipyards in St. Louis, Mo.
Renamed CGB St. Louis Shipyard, the facility will employ 35 people, with an additional 25 people working with Osage Marine partners for mobile barge cleaning and repair. The CGB operation will include a machine shop, fabrication shop and four drydocks.
“We are excited for the opportunity to diversify our business in St. Louis and provide new accommodations for our customers,” said Matt Akins, director of CGB Marine. “Having major shipyard operations in Cairo, and now in St. Louis, adds value for the industry and positions CGB Marine well for the future.”
The four drydocks’ capacities and sizes are:
• 600-ton capacity, 90 by 45 feet;
• 900-ton capacity, 100 by 45 feet;
• 1,326-ton capacity, 160 by 54 feet; and
• 2,000-ton capacity, 200 by 70 feet.
Services offered include barge drydocking, barge repair, boat repairs, hull blasting and painting, ultrasonic gauging, ABS-certified welders, 24-hour emergency services, cargo transfers and fiberglass repair.
“The marine industry is in a situation that has never presented itself before,” said Lance Rase, senior vice president-marine and transportation of Consolidated Terminals & Logistics Company, a CGB affiliate. “Of the approximately 12,000 covered hopper barges in the U.S. inland waterway system, about 2,000 of those barges will be 30 years of age as we get to 2027. New barge construction prices are historically high, so barge owners will continue to spend money on repairing their older equipment. CGB is very bullish in the barge repair business, and we are excited about this acquisition as it fits perfectly into CGB’s 2030 Strategy. We are excited to have our new team members join us at the St. Louis Shipyard. The future is bright for this operation.”
Caption for photo: Part of the CGB St. Louis Shipyard south of St. Louis on the Mississippi River. CGB purchased the yard from JB Marine. (Photo courtesy of CGB)
