Natural Resources >> CEO Interviews >> September 14, 1999
JOHN L. Holloway is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Friede
Goldman International, Inc., a leading provider of offshore drilling
services including designing, engineering, building, repairing and
equipping. A native of Prentiss, Miss., Mr. Holloway studied accounting
at the University of Mississippi before beginning his business career.
Formerly involved in the cattle business, he founded and later sold
SteelPlex, Inc., in Pascagoula, Miss., which designed and constructed
modular prison system units. He serves as President and Chief Executive
Officer of State Street Properties, Inc., which develops industrial and
commercial properties in Jackson. However, his entrepreneurial spirit
was never better than when he founded HAM Marine, Inc., in Pascagoula in
1982. HAM Marine became the cornerstone of the company that is now
Friede Goldman International. HAM Marine earned a reputation as a
premier shipyard, specializing in offshore repair, modification, and
retrofitting. In 1996, Mr. Holloway purchased Friede & Goldman, Ltd., an
innovator in offshore design and engineering for more than 50 years. The
two companies became subsidiaries of Friede Goldman International in
1997. Under Mr. Holloway's leadership, the company then constructed
Friede Goldman Offshore East, a $50 million state-of-the-art facility
built specifically for the construction of new offshore drilling rigs.
Together with Friede Goldman Offshore West (formerly HAM Marine), they
formed Friede Goldman Offshore, Inc. FGI's company roster also includes
Friede Goldman Newfoundland (FGN), the largest fabricator in
Newfoundland with two modern shipyard facilities in Marystown, Canada.
The 1998 acquisition of FGN was followed by the purchase of an
internationally known marine and offshore equipment manufacturer,
Brissonneau & Lotz Marine, based on the Atlantic coast of France. As a
result of its strategic plan, managed change and targeted growth, FGI is
achieving its goal of being able to integrate totally designing,
building, retrofitting, and equipping vessels in the offshore drilling
industry. The company recently received the largest contract in its
history to design and build an offshore oil rig for a drilling company
in Brazil. Friede Goldman went public in 1997 and is now listed on the
New York Stock Exchange. Mr. Holloway was inducted into the Mississippi
Business Hall of Fame in April 1999. He currently serves as a member or
director of the following boards: Institute for Technology Development,
BancorpSouth, MS Department of Economic and Community Development
Advisory Council, Metro Jackson Salvation Army, Hillcrest Christian
School, and Mississippi College. Profile
Goldman International, the company's history, services, activities,
customers and the forthcoming purchase.
Mr. Holloway:
