Existing Industry Growing Strong – Seemann Composites
Hailed by Fortune magazine in 1998 as one of the “Heroes of U.S. Manufacturing” whose SCRIMP technology “saved an industry… whose survival was threatened by environmental regulations,” William “Bill” Seemann continues innovative shipbuilding at his growing facility in the Bernard Bayou Industrial District in Gulfport, Mississippi.
Ted Lillestolen, Deputy Director of Facilities, Safety, Vessels and Aircraft for NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries; Johnny Atherton, President of HCDC & VP External Affairs, Mississippi Power Company; Bill Seemann, President, Seemann Composites; U.S. Senator Thad Cochran; U.S. Congressman Gene Taylor; Brent Warr, Mayor City of Gulfport.
On June 30, 2008, Seemann Composites held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its 50,000 square foot facility expansion at their current location at 12461 Glascock Drive. In his introductory speech, Seemann praised his workforce of over 80 for their dedication and quality work. Keynote speakers for the event were U.S. Congressman Gene Taylor and U.S. Senator Thad Cochran.
The ceremony also introduced two newly completed catamarans that were custom designed for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Marine Sanctuaries. Senator Thad Cochran spoke on behalf of Mississippi when he said, “The vessels built by Seemann Composites for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association are a testament to the quality of work done by small businesses in Mississippi. I am proud of the work being done by Seemann Composites. It reflects great credit on our state.”
Seemann has been in the shipbuilding business since he built his first fiberglass boat in the 1950s. After studying at the Webb Institute of Naval Architecture in New York, and then Tulane, he spent four years at sea before opening his first boat repair business in 1967. He has built Seemann Composites into a world-renowned company known for its innovation in the shipbuilding and defense industries.
In 1990, Bill Seemann patented the SCRIMP process – Seemann Composites Resin Infusion Molding Process. This process replaced a large portion of the risk associated with the manual labor that goes into composite boat building and created a stronger, environmentally-friendly product that was recognized by Fortune magazine in the late 1990s. Bill Seemann eventually sold the intellectual rights of the SCRIMP process to TPI, Inc. and built a 42,000 square foot facility from the proceeds, which has continued to grow ever since. For more information on Seemann Composites, visit www.seemanncomposites.com.
