Weeks Marine, Inc.

Today, we pause in remembrance and gratitude for the brave individuals who made the ultimate sacrifice serving our country. From all of us at Weeks Marine, have a safe Memorial Day.

It’s always important to remember that safety is a team effort and that valuing every voice could ultimately save a life. We hope that #ConstructionSafetyWeek sparked some great discussions on how we can keep ourselves and our colleagues safe every day.

Construction Safety Week kicks off today. Here at Weeks Marine, safety is at the forefront of all of our operations. Our top priority is making sure everyone returns home safely to their families. This week, we continue our commitment to valuing each other’s voices so that everyone feels empowered to speak up. By connecting, encouraging, communicating and listening to our people, we are fostering an environment where every voice matters and feels heard. Most importantly, when we value everyone’s voice, we create a safer work environment. #ConstructionSafetyWeek

For decades, Weeks Marine has played a vital role in protecting and strengthening America’s coastal zones. Our North Ponte Vedra Beach Renourishment Project is just one example of our coastal restoration efforts. We recently kicked off the project in St. Johns County, Florida, where we will work on placing two million cubic yards of sand along nine miles of the Ponte Vedra Beach shoreline. The project will restore storm-damaged dunes and berms and provide storm protection to upland infrastructure. This effort will also add more environmental habitats for wildlife and provide a better experience for visitors. The newest hopper in our dredging fleet, the R.B. Weeks, is currently on the project and will be joined by her sister vessel, the Magdalen, at the end of April. Work is expected to be completed by the end of June 2024.

Last week, Weeks Marine returned the Concorde to the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum following a seven-month restoration project. Weeks was once again trusted to transport the retired supersonic jet, having delivered it initially to the museum in October 2008 and then to the Brooklyn Navy Yard for its restoration in August 2023. The supersonic jet began its journey on March 13, 2024, with a barge trip down the East River and was docked overnight at the Weeks Marine facility in Jersey City, NJ. The next morning, it continued up the Hudson River to Pier 86. With the help of the Weeks 533 crane and our skilled team’s expertise, the iconic aircraft arrived safe and sound at its final destination. Special thanks to the crew for their hard work on this project: Don Benesch Grayson Miller Chris Williams Eddie Hamilton Robinson Lopez Kevin De Los Rios Brian Krempecki Juan Alvarez Patrick Morris

Our #WICWeek24 celebration concludes with a spotlight on Colleen Brazil. Colleen is a project manager on our dredging team and has been with Weeks Marine since 2006. Chief Executive Officer and President at Weeks Marine Eric W. Ellefsen has worked with Colleen over the years and had this to say: “Colleen is an asset to our dredging team. I’m always impressed by how organized and well-run her projects are. She’s a key contributor in our operations meetings and often goes out of her way to acknowledge the efforts of her coworkers.” We asked Colleen what she likes most about working in the industry: “No two projects are ever the same. All our projects are similar in some ways, but they all have unique and different qualities. These differences can bring challenges to my job but also provide exciting opportunities to grow and develop in my career and position at Weeks Marine. I also enjoy the travel and opportunity to see different parts of our country along our coastline.” Her advice to women pursuing a career in dredging? “Work hard and learn as much as you can about your job and the project you are working on. This will not only help you build confidence but also gain the respect of your colleagues and coworkers, regardless of your gender. Always be honest with yourself and those you work with. Understand your strengths, but also be aware of your weaknesses. Learn from those around you, and never hesitate to ask questions when you are unsure of something.” When she’s not managing a project, Colleen loves being on the water, either at the beach or her family’s lake house. She enjoys swimming, boating, fishing, paddleboarding, traveling, hiking and spending time with her nieces.

As we continue celebrating #WICWeek24, we are featuring Weeks Marine Staff Engineer Daniela Liendo and sharing what she likes most about working in the industry. “I love the little moments and conversations I have with the crew. They express how proud they are to see a Hispanic woman in my position. It gives them hope that their kids can one day become an engineer. Being able to inspire the next generation of engineers is everything to me.” Thank you, Daniela, for your contributions to our projects and for being an inspiration to future engineers!

As we kick off Women in Construction Week, we want to thank the women in the Weeks Marine organization for their work on our projects. This week, we will be highlighting just a few of those women making an impact. Weeks Marine Estimator Katie Story has been working with the Weeks Marine dredging team for eight years, focusing on rebuilding America’s coastal zones and waterway infrastructure. Before moving to her recent role, she was a senior project engineer. We asked Katie what her favorite assignment has been so far, and why? “It's hard to narrow down my absolute favorite - every project has presented its own challenges and learning experiences that have helped expand my knowledge and further my career. If I had to pick one, I would probably have to say our Midtown Project in West Palm Beach, Florida. This was a very fast-paced beach renourishment project. The project required constant communication between the entire team, the client, the city and private entities. The project also took place during the height of Covid, which presented challenges with even the simplest of tasks. Three of our hopper dredges worked on this project. Everyone was extremely happy with the end product, and the client let the team know how much they valued our efforts to get the project completed as quickly as possible and to the specifications required.” What advice does she have for women pursuing dredging careers? “Don't let the fact that this is a male-dominated industry detour you or intimidate you. Work hard and always put your best foot forward. Take every experience as a learning opportunity, and don't be afraid to admit if you made a mistake because you will make mistakes. I've made plenty, but I promise you I learned so much from each and every one of them.” What are her interests outside of work? “I absolutely love to travel! As of now, I have been to 41 countries. I love getting to experience new places, and it's very unlikely I will ever say no to trying something new. I've hiked to the summit of Kilimanjaro, went volcano boarding in Nicaragua, bungee-jumped in South Africa, mountain biked in Thailand, ice climbed in Iceland and watched the world rugby championships in Paris.” #WomenInConstruction #WomenInConstructionWeek #WICWeek2024

Exciting project announcement out of New York. Weeks Marine has been awarded the Hudson River Ground Stabilization Project by the Gateway Development Commission. Our scope of work, which is the first heavy construction component of the Hudson Tunnel Project, includes design-build services for modifying and stabilizing the soil in the shallow area of the river near the Manhattan shoreline. This will prepare the ground for the tunnel boring machine that will excavate the new tunnel and ensure the riverbed is protected from disruption. Construction is expected to begin this summer. Read more about the project: https://bit.ly/3OmXPp4

If you live along the East Coast, you may have seen this vessel in action. The R.B. Weeks is our newest trailing suction hopper dredger. At 364 feet long, it has a hopper capacity of 8,550 cubic yards or more than 560 truckloads of material. It can accommodate up to 26 highly skilled professional mariners ranging from captains and chief engineers to assistant engineers, mates and oilers, among others. Read more about our dredging capabilities: https://bit.ly/3SGPFt4