We’re back from the Ports '25 Conference and still energized by the exchange of ideas, meaningful conversations, and shared passion for the future of our nation’s infrastructure.

Hosted by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the PORTS Conference is a leading technical forum bringing together professionals from across the maritime, port, and coastal infrastructure sectors. It's an invaluable opportunity for us to discuss the latest research, innovations, and challenges shaping our waterways and working waterfronts.

Marine Solutions had the honor to present on numerous topics this year, ranging from advances in marine engineering technology to practical real world applications. We’re proud of the expertise our team shared and the thoughtful discussions they helped lead.

Ports has always been and continues to be a highlight for our team, not only for its professional development value but also for the chance to connect with peers, build relationships, and engage with the broader marine infrastructure community.
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Scroll down to see some highlights from this year’s conference.

21st Annual Best Places to Work in Kentucky Award Winners Announced

FRANKFORT, Ky. – The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, the Kentucky Society for Human Resource Management (KYSHRM) and CHI Saint Joseph Health announce the 100 companies (in alphabetical order) that made the 21st Annual Best Places to Work in Kentucky list.

The winner rankings will be announced at the awards dinner Thursday, May 22, 2025, at the Central Bank Center in Lexington.

Winners from across the state have been selected in three categories: small companies of 15-149 employees, medium companies of 150-499 employees and large companies consisting of more than 500 employees (categories based on number of U.S. employees, only Kentucky employees surveyed). The selection process, managed by Workforce Research Group, is based on an assessment of the company’s employee policies and procedures and the results of an internal employee survey.

The competition is a multi-year initiative designed to motivate companies in the Commonwealth to focus, measure and move their workplace environments toward excellence. Numerous studies show a strong correlation between profitability and creating a good place to work.

For over 75 years, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce has represented the interests of member businesses throughout Kentucky – from family-owned shops to Fortune 500 companies. As the state’s premier business advocate, the Kentucky Chamber is a recognized and respected voice across the Commonwealth, working every day to unite business and advance Kentucky.

Kentucky SHRM consists of 12 local chapters that provide ongoing education and leadership opportunities for over 3,000 human resource professionals throughout the Commonwealth.

For more details about Best Places to Work in Kentucky, visit bestplacestoworkkentucky.com​.

​This week, we celebrated becoming an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) company! This milestone means that every team member has a stake in our success. We couldn’t be prouder to work alongside such dedicated individuals who are now not just employees, but owners! Here’s to building a brighter future together!

Marine Solutions recently teamed up with AECOM and Commercial Divers Panama to complete an exciting project at the Panama Canal. We were brought in to perform rapid underwater inspections on six critical structures: Gatun Locks, Pedro Miguel Locks, Miraflores Locks, Gatun Spillway, Madden Dam, and Miraflores Spillway, as part of AECOM’s seismic analysis for the client.

The main goal of the project was to gather important data for seismic analysis to help ensure the long-term safety of these structures, many of which are over 100 years old. Since these were designed when seismic data wasn't as advanced, the seismic analysis is crucial for understanding how they’ll hold up in the future.

Our team used the CODA Octopus Underwater Inspection System to complete the sonar scanning, and when needed, our ADCI-certified divers stepped in to get a closer look. With this approach, we provided models to assist in the seismic analysis.
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A big shout-out to AECOM and Commercial Divers Panama for their support on this project!

We recently opened a new office in beautiful Virginia Beach! To celebrate, we hosted an open house that turned out to be a fantastic event filled with fun, food, and great company. It was the perfect way to introduce our new space to the community.

Our guests had the opportunity to win a Yeti cooler and other fun prizes by spinning the wheel. We also enjoyed some great food from Pungo Bros BBQ, which was a huge hit.

It was wonderful to see so many of our clients, friends, family, and industry colleagues come out to see our new space. The event was a perfect mix of catching up with old friends and making new connections. Our new office is something we’re really proud of, and hearing the positive feedback from our guests about the space was incredibly rewarding.
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This open house was just the beginning. We’re looking forward to making lots of great memories in our Virginia Beach office. A big thank you to everyone who came out and made it such a special event. Here’s to new beginnings and continued success together!

20th Annual Best Places to Work in Kentucky Award Winners Announced​

FRANKFORT, Ky. – The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, the Kentucky Society for Human Resource Management (KYSHRM) and CHI Saint Joseph Health announce the 100 companies (in alphabetical order) that made the 20th Annual Best Places to Work in Kentucky list.

The winner rankings will be announced at the awards dinner Thursday, June 13, 2024, at the Central Bank Center in Lexington.

Winners from across the state have been selected in three categories: small companies of 15-149 employees, medium companies of 150-499 employees and large companies consisting of more than 500 employees (categories based on number of U.S. employees, only Kentucky employees surveyed). The selection process, managed by Workforce Research Group, is based on an assessment of the company’s employee policies and procedures and the results of an internal employee survey.

The competition is a multi-year initiative designed to motivate companies in the Commonwealth to focus, measure and move their workplace environments toward excellence. Numerous studies show a strong correlation between profitability and creating a good place to work.

For over 75 years, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce has represented the interests of member businesses throughout Kentucky – from family-owned shops to Fortune 500 companies. As the state’s premier business advocate, the Kentucky Chamber is a recognized and respected voice across the Commonwealth, working every day to unite business and advance Kentucky.

Kentucky SHRM consists of 12 local chapters that provide ongoing education and leadership opportunities for over 3,000 human resource professionals throughout the Commonwealth.

For more details about Best Places to Work in Kentucky, visit bestplacestoworkkentucky.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Marine Solutions, Inc. Receives 2023 Best of Nicholasville Award

Nicholasville Award Program Honors the Achievement

NICHOLASVILLE November 14, 2023 -- Marine Solutions, Inc. has been selected for the 2023 Best of Nicholasville Award in the Civil Engineer category by the Nicholasville Award Program.

Each year, the Nicholasville Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Nicholasville area a great place to live, work and play.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2023 Nicholasville Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Nicholasville Award Program and data provided by third parties.

About Nicholasville Award Program
The Nicholasville Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Nicholasville area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value.

The Nicholasville Award Program was established to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to recognize the small business community's contributions to the U.S. economy.
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SOURCE: Nicholasville Award Program

CONTACT:
Nicholasville Award Program
Email: [email protected]
URL: http://www.accolade-enterprise.com
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Through our sustainability initiative, Making Waves, Marine Solutions is proud to join The Backpack Project, a philanthropy project by Sunrise Children's Services. Our goal is to provide underprivileged children in foster care with the essential tools they need to succeed in education. By filling 100 backpacks with school supplies, we are dedicated to empowering the younger generation and fostering a brighter future.

This project embodies our commitment to philanthropy and our belief in the transformative power of education. We aim to break barriers, instill hope, and equip children with the resources they need to excel academically and pursue their dreams. Beyond this project, we strive to continue making a difference in the community and invest in a better future for all.

As a socially responsible company, Marine Solutions believes that giving back to the community is not only a responsibility, but also a privilege. The Backpack Project embodies the company's core values and serves as a testament to our commitment to philanthropy.

To learn more about Making Waves, visit MSImarinesolutions.com/sustainability.

Retirement is a significant milestone that marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. We are excited to celebrate the retirement of our colleague and friend, Anita Brubeck.

Anita has been with Marine Solutions for 5 years and has been responsible for the development of proposals across all offices and service areas, making it her mission to streamline the process.

With a passion for giving back, Anita created Making Waves. Making Waves is Marine Solutions’ Corporate Social Responsibility platform that has donated over $100,000 since its creation in 2020.

Anita’s influence extends far beyond her professional accomplishments. She has been a constant source of inspiration, motivating her colleagues with her positive attitude, perseverance, and unwavering dedication.
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Anita has left a lasting mark on our organization, and her positive influence will be felt for years to come. We wish her an incredibly fulfilling retirement and thank her for being such a wonderful employee and friend.

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our friend and colleague Bob Hendricks, 66, who worked out of our Paducah, KY office. Bob passed in his sleep on Saturday, May 6, 2023. Mourning his passing is his wife of 27 years, Kathy, his family, colleagues, and countless friends. He was very involved with Masonic Lodge #369 in Mayfield, KY, and he loved camping in the wilderness with his beloved dog Buddy.

Bob was a pioneer in the diving world. He served with the U.S. Navy as a diver and a rescue swimmer, achieving the rank of Aviation Anti-Submarine Warfare Operator (AW1) Petty Officer 1st Class, attached to the USS Barry. Bob started his own diving company in 1990. In 2016, Bob joined Marine Solutions as a Business Development Manager. He was very instrumental in building our client base in the northern Kentucky and Four Rivers area around western Kentucky.

During his career, Bob served on the board of the Association of Diving Contractors International (ADCI) and as the Midwest Chapter Chairperson. He held ADCI dive card Number 8 which he was always very proud to pass along. Bob said his career was not always pleasant, but it was always rewarding. “I’ve seen a lot of things, been a lot of places, met a lot of good people. It’s exciting to see the younger divers thriving and making the industry better.”
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For those who knew and loved Bob, you know he never met a stranger. He always had a story - most of them unfiltered! Thank you, Bob, for sharing your stories, and for helping pave the way to make the diving world safer and better for all divers, you will be missed. 

Marine Solutions' latest project is worth celebrating, as it was conducted by an all-female dive inspection team. The team's mission was to conduct dive inspections of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC) waterfront, as part of their Capital Project Scope Development (CPSD) study.

The BNYDC is a non-profit organization that manages the 300-acre Brooklyn Navy Yard on behalf of the City of New York. The CPSD study aims to develop an updated plan that addresses the Brooklyn Navy Yard's needs over the next decade.

The Marine Solutions team assigned to this unique project included Amy Wilkins, P.E., Amanda Schindhelm, P.E., Marianna Fleming, E.I.T., MacKenzie Baeszler, and Olivia Warren. Having an all-women, ADCI-certified dive inspection team is a significant milestone for Marine Solutions, as the commercial diving industry is traditionally male-dominated. While there are certainly women working in commercial diving and as dive inspectors, having an entire team made up of women is a rare occurrence.
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Today, women are increasingly joining the commercial diving workforce, creating more opportunities for women to pursue a career in this field. Many women have become successful in various areas of the industry, including underwater welding, salvage operations, and underwater construction. By having a team of women dive inspectors, a fresh perspective is brought to the table, paving the way for more creative and effective solutions. The crew’s work is an inspiration to women, and we are proud to be a part of history!

Don Wilkins, Senior Vice President and Director of Diving Services at Marine Solutions, was nominated and elected as the new Association of Diving Contractors International (ADCI) President. ADCI promotes best industry practice with respect to the health and safety of commercial divers and underwater operations. Don has served on the board of ADCI for over ten years.
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From 2013 to 2021, Don was the Midwest Chapter Chair and board member. From 2022 to 2023, he was on the Board of Directors, and he most recently served as 1st Vice President. Don has devoted his career to safety for underwater operations and is honored to promote ADCI's mission to promote safe practices, training, communication, and accountability in the industry.