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News Home > News Latest News and Press Releases   THRUSTMASTER - From 85 hp to Infinity By Greg Trauthwein, editor   Maritime Reporter Talk to Joe Bekker for five minutes and you know he’s living the “American Dream.” Bekker, the founder, owner and president of Thrustmaster of Texas, came to Houston from The Netherlands in 1979 and has never looked back. An innovator and entrepreneur, Bekker has helped Thrustmaster of Texas evolve from its initial contract – a single 85 hp outboard propulsion unit for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the early 1980s – to a $150 million company today: here’s how. www.marinelink.com Click Picture to the left for the article.  Click here for the entire magazine (article begins on page 12) In this climate, ‘learn to do more with less’ By Rebecca Ferrier (rebecca@tugandosv.com) Joe Bekker, President, Thrustmaster of Texas, Inc. spoke to IT&O. He said: “All markets have been affected by this recession, but the greater impact seems to be on those operators who feel the crunch of restrictive government regulations and permitting issues.” Click Picture to the left for the article. www.tugandosv.com Visit Thrustmaster and Tug&OSV at; International WorkBoat Show - 5th-7th December 2012 Morial Convention Center, New Orleans Thrustmaster Texas, booth 1335 THRUSTMASTER to DP McDermott Heavy-Lift and Pipelay Vessel DB 30 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Houston, TX - March 2012   McDermott has awarded a major contract to Thrustmaster of Texas to upgrade its Derrick Barge DB30 with dynamic positioning capabilities (DP-2). Thrustmaster of Texas will provide McDermott with a turnkey DP solution for its heavy-lift and pipelay vessel which will include eight 2,000hp retractable hydraulic thrusters combined with a comprehensive suite of Kongsberg Dynamic Positioning DP-2 electronic control systems. Once the upgrades are completed, the 420-foot vessel will operate in Asia Pacific waters conducting deepwater and subsea installations where DP operations provide differentiating installation solutions. "Winning this important contract illustrates Thrustmaster of Texas' world leadership in providing large-scale, turnkey dynamic positioning solutions to major international marine operators," said Joe Bekker, President of Thrustmaster of Texas.   Contact: Bert Ault, International Sales Manager - bert@thrustmastertexas.com Future USS Coronado Launches with Thrustmaster Mobile, Alabama- January 14, 2012- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE In a time-honored ceremony, amid much pomp and tradition, the majestic 418-foot (128m) trimaran built by Austal in Mobile, Alabama officially became the future USS CORONADO (LCS 4).   With a Thrustmaster hydraulic retractable azimuthing thruster under her bow, the U.S. Navy's newest ship was christened today before hundreds of distinguished guests and navy brass.   The CORONADO is the second Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) that Thrustmaster of Texas has provided with secondary propulsion equipment. The first, USS INDEPENDENCE (LCS 2), was commissioned in January of 2010 and is now fully operational.   On the heels of this momentous event, Thrustmaster of Texas is also announcing the receipt of an additional order from Austal for two retractable hydraulic thrusters for LCS 6 and LCS 8. LCS 6 will be named USS JACKSON, and LCS 8 will be named USS MONTGOMERY. The retractable azimuthing thruster gives the ship's captain more maneuverability at low speeds and provides a second-chance propulsion system during combat.   "The U.S. Navy's vote of confidence for Thrustmaster's advanced marine propulsion systems is something we are very proud of here in Houston," said Kendall Baudoin, Sales Manager of Military and Government Accounts at Thrustmaster of Texas. "Not only is Thrustmaster of Texas a world leader in design and manufacture of retractable thrusters, but we are also the only U.S. based manufacturer of such equipment. Our partnership with the U.S. Navy seems only natural."   Contact: Kendall Baudoin, Government and Military Accounts - kendall.baudoin@thrustmastertexas.com President of EX-IM Bank Visits Thrustmaster Houston - November 23, 2011 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   On Friday, December 2, 2011, Thrustmaster of Texas, Inc. hosted a visit by Mr. Fred Hochberg, Chairman of EX-IM Bank of Washington, DC.   As a significant exporter of capital goods for the marine industry Thrustmaster enters 2012 with $200M in export sales on the books from contracts with shipyards in China, Korea, Brazil, and Singapore.   Working with companies like Thrustmaster, EX-IM Bank strives to meet the goal of the President's National Export Initiative (NEI) to double exports by 2015. EX-IM Bank recently reported a record breaking year approving over $32 billion in financing supporting approximately 300,000 US jobs. Thrustmaster employs approximately 300 in Houston, TX.   During this visit Mr. Hochberg met with Thrustmaster President Joe Bekker to discuss expanding credit options that will open more doors for new credit facility with Amegy Bank (NASDAQ-ABNK) which is backed, in part, by EX-IM Bank. Mr. Bekker and Jim Jennings, General Manager for Thrustmaster then led a tour of Thrustmaster's 200,000 sq ft brand new thruster factory, the largest of its kind in the world. Attending were   Ex-Im Bank Fred P. Hochberg, Chairman Patrick Crilley, Director-Southwest Regional Export Finance Center Thrustmaster Joe Bekker, President Jim Jennings, General Manager Greg Ault, Controller Rob Watson, Marketing Manager Amegy Bank Scott J. McLean, CEO T.J. Raguso, Senior Vice President & International Division Mgr. Michael Adams, Senior Vice President (Domestic Relationship Mgr.) Juan Acevedo, Vice President (International Relationship Mgr.) Leigh Akin, Senior Vice President & Communications Manager Thrustmaster Hosts Marine Technology Society Bar-B-Que Fund Raiser Houston - Thursday, October 20, 2011 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The 2011 Annual Barbecue Fundraising Social was held on Thursday, October 20, 2011 and host Thrustmaster contributed to the largest turnout ever. The assembly floor of the factory was converted to a mini exhibition hall where 70 vendors set up.   Melissa Wood, chair of the B-B-Q commitee said, "What a great event and what an impressive turnout of generous sponsors, enthusiastic exhibitors and a record-breaking attendance of 568 - 86 of which were students! Who said that the oil and gas industry was only made up of greying heads? Thank you to our hosts Thrustmaster of Texas and volunteers Melissa Wood (Fugro Geoservices), Chief barbecue chef - Terry Dailey, (Schlumberger), Barbecue cooks Chuck Richards and Rick Cisneros (C.A. Richards and Associates), Silent Auction Chair Wendy Post (Seatronics) and a host of other volunteers. Profits raised from the barbecue will help fund our growing scholarship program. More details here. Top Trade Diplomat Visits Thrustmaster Delegation London- September 14, 2011 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE During a recent defense exposition in London, England, Thrustmaster executives were honored by a visit from Barbara Stephenson, Deputy Chief of Mission from the U.S. Trade Commission attached to the U.S. Embassy in London. “Thrustmaster of Texas is truly a U.S. business success story as exports account for over 80% of our sales,” explained Kendall Baudoin, Thrustmaster’s sales manager of military and government accounts. “This clearly demonstrates that the world has embraced the quality and craftsmanship of Thrustmaster marine propulsion equipment.”   Kendall Baudoin; Barbara Stephenson, Deputy Chief of Mission from the U.S. Trade Commission Thrustmaster President Joe Bekker Interview at Offshore Brasil 2011 Exclusive 6/11/2011 (Select International Destination and Showing It Off On The Sidebar) Following the pre-salt exploration market Brasil is dedicated toward finding partners and investors with emphasis in the area of offshore semisubmersible rigs and support vessels. These are areas where Thrustmaster excel. By providing both, full engineering services and the entire manufacturing process of dynamic positioning thrusters and systems, vessel and rig owners .   Thrustmaster President Joe Bekker attended the Brasil Offshore Show in Macae, Rio de Janerio in June of 2011. It is well pointed out in some of these interviews from Upstream Online.com that there is a strong connection between Brasil and the Houston energy sector. This exhibition brought in 45% more visitors leading the show organizers to commit the venue for the next 10 years. Thrustmaster has already started planning for the next show.   Thrustmaster's stand was managed out of the Houston office under the guidance of Wim LaMaitre, General Manager and Regina Brito of our Thrustmaster do Brasil, Ltda. office. Thrustmaster of Texas, Inc. Visits Hyundai Heavy Industries Thu 5/26/2011 Thrustmaster President Joe Bekker visits Hyundai Heavy Industries following the signing of a contract for the supply and installation of multiple sets of 5MW azimuth thrusters. The thrusters will be installed in the next generation deep water drill ships being built at Hyundai's shipyard in Ulsan, Korea. This agreement marks a milestone as one of the first of many to follow with the industry giant. See more information at Marine Log by clicking the link.   From left to right are Mr. Young-Beom Sohn, General Manager Material Purchasing Dept, Shipbuilding Division, Mr. S. I. Han, Executive Vice President - Corporate Procurement Center, Mr. Joe Bekker, President of Thrustmaster, Mr. David B. Yoo, Deputy General Manager - Shipbuilding Purchasing Dept, Shipbuilding Division, Mr. Chang Sung Kun, Senior Vice President, and Mr. Yeong Jin, Hong, Korean Special Projects Manager for Thrustmaster. OTC Open House at Thrustmaster's Houston Factory Sunday May 1, 2011   Thrustmaster of Texas, Inc. held its annual OTC party on Sunday, May 1, 2011. We were honored to invite our customers to cocktails, Tex-Mex dinner, and tours of our facility.   Visitors welcomed a tour of the factory and products in various stages of process and spoke with engineers and managers about many of the facets of Thrustmaster operations. Of course, the evening was about taking a moment to relax before the busy OTC show begins so guesses enjoyed a Mariachi Band, evening drinks, and the handing out of door prizes as they mingled with industry leaders from around the world having similar interests. Thrustmaster of Texas, Inc. Receives Contract From Hyundai Heavy Industries  Monday March 21, 2011 Thrustmaster of Texas, Inc. received a contract from Hyundai Heavy Industries for the supply and installation of multiple sets of 5MW azimuth thrusters for the next generation deep water drill ships being built at Hyundai’s shipyard in Ulsan, Korea. The vessels are of the Gusto P10,000 design and are capable of drilling in water depths of up to 10,000ft. Each vessel uses six underwater mountable thrusters for dynamic positioning per ABS DPS-3 specifications. The units are manufactured at Thrustmaster’s ultra modern facilities in Houston, Texas, claimed by Thrustmaster to be the largest thruster factory in the world. The vessels will be owned and operated by Diamond Offshore, one of the worlds leading offshore drilling contractors.   Each thruster is driven by a 5,000 kW variable speed electric motor and can generate about 90 metric tons of open water thrust in any horizontal direction. With their 97 degree angle gears, the thruster wake is angled downward, away from the vessel bottom, substantially eliminating thrust losses due to hull interaction and thruster-to-thruster interaction. The thrusters are capable of holding the vessel on station during drilling operations in waters with up to 1.5 knots current, 20 feet wave height and 50 knots wind speed. The thrusters also serve as the sole means for main propulsion of the vessel.   Thrustmaster of Texas, Inc. is a leading supplier of tunnel thrusters and azimuth thrusters in a range from 75 to 8,000 kW. For further information, go to www.ThrustmasterTexas.com.   For high quality print images and/or text document versions please do not hesitate to contact Rob Watson (See PDF Press Release) New Products Video - Thrustmaster of Texas, Inc. Thursday February 03, 2011 Updated video includes new products and vessels with Thrustmaster Products. Thrustmaster of Texas, Inc. is a privately-owned corporation based in Houston, Texas with offices in Europe, Singapore, and Dubai. Thrustmaster manufactures heavy duty commercial marine propulsion equipment including deck-mounted propulsion units, thru-hull azimuthing thrusters, retractable thrusters, tunnel thrusters, Z-drives and portable dynamic positioning systems.   All products are developed in-house by a complete engineering department for mechanical, hydraulic, electrical and electronic design. Tooling includes state-of-the-art computer equipment with software packages for Computer-Aided-Design (CAD), vessel resistance and propulsion, 3-D mathematical modeling and ANSYS Finite Element Analysis (FEA). The application of modal analysis, stress and strain analysis as well as rotor dynamic analysis of drive trains and transmissions are major fundamentals towards the reliability and quality of Thrustmaster’s products. Euronaval Interview -Thrustmaster Thursday Oct 28, 2010 (TMOT Press Release)   Making his first appearance at Euronaval 2010 in Paris Thrustmaster President Joe Bekker is interviewed by a tivipro.tv business tv reporter. Hear more by clicking the link to the left. (If you cannot watch the video - Flash Player Required) Holland Shipbuilding Magazine Features Thrustmaster Thursday July 8, 2010 (TMOT Press Release)   Holland Shipbuilding Magazine features Thrustmaster's International Sales and Marketing Manager. Excerpt: "The sales departments, captained by Mr. Bert Ault, are now working on tenders for almost all the major oil companies in the world, impressive names can be considered as a valued relation to Thrustmaster, like: BP, Chevron, Exxon Mobile, Gazprom, Gulf Oil, Petrobras, Shell, Sonangol, Stratoil, Texaco & Total. At this moment a lot of orders come from upgrading ‘well stimulation vessels’ and tankers to DP 2 shuttle tankers. A number of Thrustmaster’s portable DP-systems are dedicated to simply bringing barges to a drill location; these barges will sink down onto a well (of course after removal of the portable propulsion systems) and will be cemented in at a depth of approximately 1,500 meters. These cemented in barges will function as base stations to which DP shuttle tanker can be connected."   Read more by clicking the PDF link to the left. Lean Manufacturing Training At Thrustmaster Thursday April 15, 2010 (TMOT Press Release) Jesse Cañas, Manufacturing Manager for Thrustmaster gives the second of two classes on Lean Manufacturing Methods in Thrustmaster’s new training room. Employees attending this class represent all facets of the manufacturing process from senior engineers to assembly personnel. Thrustmaster is focusing on the relentless pursuit for the elimination of waste throughout the entire business structure. Holland Shipbuilding - Hybrid Technology at Thrustmaster Thursday April 08, 2010 (TMOT Press Release) Holland Shipbuilding has taken special interest in Thrustmaster's investment direction for Hybrid Technology. As more countries demand the reduction of a vessels carbon output while loitering, Thrustmaster has taken steps to embrace future involvement in providing such value added systems.   American Bureau of Shipping Features Thrustmaster  Monday, March 29, 2010 (TMOT Press Release) “Thrustmaster of Texas is featured in the Surveyor, a quarterly magazine from ABS and includes the cover image with the comment, “The world of offshore energy turn on craftsmanship. Here, two workers bring a giant thruster towards completion in Thrustmaster of Texas’ new plant. Dynamic positioning, offshore oil and gas and offshore wind power – and their areas of intersection - are the subject of this issue of Surveyor.” New Cruise Ship 3 Months Ahead of Schedule Tuesday, December 22, 2009 - (TMOT Press Release) The brand new American Cruise Lines ship, Independence, being built at Chesapeake Shipbuilding, was taken on its first underway trials yesterday. This important milestone trial occurred three months ahead of schedule. Maneuvering and equipment tests were performed successfully while the ship was underway in the Wicomico River. American Cruise Lines will run the Independence on 7-14 night cruises beginning on June 12, 2009 with 102 passengers on the East Coast. The ship has a number of important differences from other ships that Chesapeake has built for American Cruise Lines, including a wider beam and active wing stabilizers. The wider beam will allow for larger staterooms, public spaces and private balconies. The Independence is equipped with twin Caterpillar C-32 main engines putting out nearly 1,500 horsepower each, and bow and stern thrusters from Thrustmaster of Texas. The ship also has three 250kw Caterpillar C-9 generators, a 100kw Cummins generator and Rolls Royce Aquarius 50 active wing stabilizers. Thrustmaster of Texas, Inc. posts outlook for 2010 In an article regarding the outlook for 2010 for the marine industry from Holland Ship Building Magazine, Thrustmaster president Joe Bekker is interviewed regarding Thrustmaster's outlook for 2010. Amid the doom and gloom articles that seem to be dominating our industry Mr. Bekker puts a positive note into the article as we prepare to enter 2010. In addition to the positive outlook Mr. Bekker also announces the addition of an investment in Hybrid Propulsion Systems and strong alliances in Ice Class applications for Arctic and other Ice Class vessels. Thrustmaster Trains Napro Service Employees Personnel from Napro (Brazil) attended training on hydraulic and other thruster issues at the Thrustmaster Factory Training Center in Houston. Sessions included time in the classroom as well as hands-on sessions in the factory. Holland Shipbuilding Magazine Features Thrustmaster In conjunction with two trade shows these past few months (one in Scotland and the other in Rotterdam) Holland Shipbuilding Magazine featured Thrustmaster in several well written articles. Special focus was given on Dutch native Joe (Jos) Bekker, President of the company and the new factory. Setting up the articles Thrustmaster Europe, B.V.'s manager, Hans Hoek took special pride in the fact that Joe hails from Holland. Hans played a pivotal role in setting up the European shows which helped increase Thrustmaster's visibility to the North Sea market. With over 800 exhibitors and the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Jan Peter Balkenende appearing at the AHOY ROTTERDAM 09 show, it was still no surprise that Joe Bekker was the only Thruster Manufacturer to be interviewed for the shows hallmark video that played to arriving visitors. His optimism shows in this interview with film makers as the Rotterdam show proved to be one of the busiest in years. Graham Gulf: Bigger is Better Earlier this year C&G Boat Works Inc. launched the Gulf Princess for owner Graham Gulf.   Originally conceived as a 175 by 34-foot vessel the decision was made during construction to add a ten foot extension bringing the vessel length to 185-feet.   The original power package was retained. This included four 1800-horsepower Cummins KTA50-M main engines turning 48-inch propellers through ZF 4650 gears with 2.5:1 reduction.   A Cummins 6CTA8.3DM engine powers the Thrustmaster TH250RT retractable bow thruster. Two Cummins 85 KW 6BTA5.9DM/Newage generator sets supply the vessels electrical requirements.   The Gulf Princess is DP-1 rated. A sister vessel, to be named the Sybil Graham, is currently in build for delivery in the third quarter of 2009. The Sybil Graham will be classed DP-2. IEEE Egyptian Engineering Day Features Thrustmaster OD150 Units ADG-EG.COM (Arab Development Group) sent us this picture from an Egyptian news paper highlighting Egyptian Engineering Day in Al-Azhar Conference Center, Nasr City, Cairo, on 26th, 27th& 28th July 2008. In the foreground is one of hundreds of self contained hydraulic thrusters (shown right) produced by Thrustmaster for the Egyptian Government. ***"The IEEE Egyptian Engineering Day is the annual nexus for IEEE engineers in Egypt, organized by the IEEE Egypt GOLD Affinity Group in conjunction with the Arab Academy for Science & Technology. This event is an opportunity for electrical, electronic, computer, biomedical, chemical & mechanical engineering professionals to meet new associates in the field, share ideas, collaborate on their graduation projects and learn something new. It is the place where industry and university enter a win to win situation." ***Source: ieeegoldegypt.org Chesapeake Shipbuilding Corp delivers the “Woodland” Car Ferry to the State of Delaware Web Site It is the third ferry that Chesapeake Shipbuilding has designed and built at its Salisbury facility. The Ferry is the only car ferry operated by the Delaware Department of Transportation and has operated at the Woodside site for over 200 years.     • Length o.a. 94 ft     • Beam 31 ft     • Draft 2.5 ft     • Hull 4 ft     • Powered by Thrustmaster hydraulic tunnel drives and ramps Chesapeake Shipbuilding has over 30 years of industry experience and designs and builds commercial ships up to 300 feet in length, with specialization in the design and construction of passenger vessels, tugboats, ferry boats, etc. Chesapeake Shipbuilding’s construction yard is located on 13 acres of level land, with nearly 2000 feet of deepwater bulkhead, along the protected waters of Maryland’s Wicomico River. It has 2 construction basins, 3 level construction/side launch systems, plus a ground transfer system and various hull fabrication buildings and shops. Chesapeake Shipbuilding offers long-term career opportunities with room for growth. Thrustmaster Named Fastest Growing Manufacturing Company Highlighting this years Fastest-Growing Private Companies, Inc. Magazine has named Thrustmaster of Texas, Inc. as the fastest growing privately owned manufacturing company in the USA. "How He Did It" feature in Inc.com Magazine. The rating is derived by comparing revenues between 2004 and 2007 where Thrustmaster saw an increase of 1,456.7%. Contracts and forecasts in 2008 have already exceeded the 2007 record year. "Now we're experiencing our fastest growth yet. Increased oil prices have helped in that they have given the oil companies the profit, and the incentive to start looking for new locations for oil and gas, and that has dramatically increased the demand for our product," says founder and president, Joe Bekker. With an order backlog in excess of 250 million dollars, primarily for thrusters used in dynamic positioning applications, Thrustmaster is building a brand new 200,000 square foot manufacturing plant for production of thrusters in sizes up to 6,000kW (8,000hp) each. This new factory, which will be completely climate controlled, will be the largest of its kind in the world. A large test basin, holding 15 million gallons of water, is set up for full load testing before shipment of all products. Thrustmaster designs and builds tunnel thrusters, azimuth thrusters, and retractable thrusters for commercial ships, platforms, and barges. The company quickly developed into one of the world's leading suppliers of thrusters for drill ships, semi-submersibles, harbor tugs, OSV's, and accommodation barges. Thrustmaster is headquartered in Houston, Texas and has its own service centers in Singapore, Dubai, Rotterdam, and China. Thrustmaster of Texas, Inc. Signs 10 Million USD Contract Official Press Release From the floor of the 2007 New Orleans Workboat Show, Thrustmaster of Texas, Inc. signed a 10 Million USD contract to deliver 18 azimuth Z-drives for pusher tugs operating in South American river transportation. Houston based Thrustmaster of Texas, Inc. is a global leader in development of propulsion systems and azimuth thrusters for dynamic positioning. Thrustmaster of Texas, Inc. Supplies Outboard Propulsion to British Military Unit Official Press Release Thrustmaster of Texas, Inc. is currently working with the British Navy to deliver 33-150 HP Skid Pack outboard propulsion units for special modular barge operations.   The freely azimuthing self contained outdrive propulsion systems can be moved from module to module as needed for transporting troops, tanks, and tactical military vehicles and can be tilted up to 180 degrees allowing the operator to quickly clear obstructions. Frontier Drilling Orders DNV Class Propulsion Units from Thrustmaster of Texas, Inc. Official Press Release Thrustmaster of Texas, Inc. (www.thrustmastertexas.com) has contracted with Frontier Drilling to deliver six TH6000ML DNV class mechanical azimuthing thrusters.   The 6000hp (4500kW) units are also part of Thrustmaster of Texas, Inc. growth into supplying primary Dynamic Positioning propulsion and station keeping capabilities to the offshore semi- submersible market. Engineering and components will be started in the current facility and completed in the new 200,000 square foot facility in mid-2009. Thrustmaster of Texas, Inc. to Build New Houston, TX Facility Video Thrustmaster of Texas, Inc. is the largest U.S. based manufacturer of bow thrusters and Z-drives for the marine industry, is breaking ground on a new 60 acre, 200,000 square foot factory near it’s current location in Houston, Texas. The new factory is scheduled for opening by year end 2008.   With overhead cranes up to 100 ton capacity, the new facility will produce thrusters in the range of 100 to 6,000 HP (75 to 4,500 kW) for marine transportation, offshore industries, and military craft applications. Thrustmaster received new orders well in excess of 100 million USD in 2007 of which 75 million USD is for export outside the USA.