Sponsored by Grand Isle Shipyard
Valuing people over profits has guided Grand Isle Shipyard (GIS) into its fourth generation of ownership and 76th year in business. CEO Mark Pregeant II grew up on the seven-mile island of Grand Isle and started working in the family business at age 13. He learned under his grandfather and father, helping to grow the business through industry dynamics, technological advances and international expansions, before taking over himself in 2019.
“We have grown to a company of over 3,000 employees now, but still treat each individual as a unique person and a family member at end of the day,” he says. Each person in a leadership position at GIS is instilled with keeping people at the forefront of every decision that’s made. “Putting our people first is what’s kept us in business for this long and will carry us into the future,” Pregeant II adds.
In addition to people, GIS’s other core values include service, performance, integrity and safety. The key to service at GIS is diversification. You don’t stay in business for 76 years without changing things up from time to time.
“Our overarching strategy and vision are to be able to leverage our company’s core skill sets that we have utilized within oil and gas for over 76 years in other markets, because the foundational competencies are quite similar,” explains Vice President of Business Development Adam Beatty.
“While we may need to adjust processes slightly for compliance and success within each market, the overall concept remains consistent, enabling us to continuously diversify and stand out among others.”
Utilizing a client-centric approach, GIS can handle any aspect of a project no matter where it is in its life cycle and carry it through to completion. Another big selling point is a single point of contact, which allows for a cohesive project execution plan.
“We are one of a few companies that offer a true turnkey experience,” says Chief of Execution Services Andy Bruzdzinski. “You have one contact with GIS, and we can provide support, design, maintenance, installation and fabrication—every bit of it.”
GIS’s foray into the industrial market as an engineering, procurement and construction provider (EPC) is a more recent venture for the company. Serving 30-plus clients largely in the Gulf Coast area, this division emphasizes both
quality and safety.
Looking toward the future, GIS is moving into the renewable energy sector. “We take pride in the protection of the environment, and we are actively seeking new projects and clients in that renewable and low-carbon space,” says Beatty.
Being a world-class solution provider in the energy and power market sectors will serve to ensure GIS stays around for decades to come. Coupled with international expansion plans in the Brazilian and African markets and visionary leadership, the company can boast both great people and profits.
“We are excited about what we have historically done for energy and are equally as excited about the new markets as well, both in terms of diversity and geography,” concludes Chief Development Officer Todd Berthelot.
