With decades of executive experience in the ship repair and construction industry, Richard McCreary has been appointed as the new president of Gulf Marine Repair, part of the Hendry Marine Industries, Inc. family of companies.
“I am excited to join the Hendry team, which I’ve respected for a long time,” said McCreary. “The firm has a tradition of strong leadership, and I look forward to building on its legacy of success.”
After the retirement announcement of John Gallagher, who had served as President since 2019, the company needed a strong presence to continue his work and expand upon the Gulf Marine Repair mission for 2022. They reached out to McCreary from Vigor Works, LLC, where he was Vice President of Business Development. His reputation and accomplishments at Vigor Works preceded him, and Gulf Marine Repair was excited to work with him to continue Gallagher’s legacy.
Formed by Aaron Hendry in 1988, Gulf Marine Repair’s core business is the repair, conversion and modification of large oceangoing commercial vessels, tugs and barges, dredges, small ships, harbor tugs, and U.S. Coast Guard, MARAD, USACE and NOAA vessels. It serves customers throughout Florida’s Gulf Coast and Eastern United States, growing in prominence as one of the top yards on the Gulf Coast for the repair of articulated tug-barge units engaged in transporting liquid bulk chemical and petroleum products and dry bulk products.
“As a legacy company with a long history of success, Hendry Marine highly values those with a proven track record in the industry,” said Kelly Hendry, President of Hendry Marine Industries. “Richard has the right experience, proving over a long career in shipbuilding and repair that he has what it takes to lead.”
At Vigor Works, McCreary was responsible for cultivating commercial relationships and providing market analysis in the ship repair and fabrication business lines. He has also held executive positions at BAE Systems, Marinette Marine Corporation, VT Halter Marine, and other shipbuilders in a career spanning five decades.
Richard graduated from the University of Michigan College of Engineering with a degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, and completed his Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago while working his first professional job at Lamont Shipbuilding and Repair.