By Michael C. Zari

As promised, the Margaritaville Casino and Restaurant is taking shape on Biloxi’s Back Bay.  Construction is progressing on the new Buffett venture and the casino is still scheduled to open by Memorial Day 2012.

The company owns 26 acres in east Biloxi. The total footprint of the casino is around 82,000 s.f. with ~ 26,000 s.f. dedicated to gaming space.  In addition to the casino and Margaritaville-themed restaurant, the plans call for retail, an events center and also a marina.

The Margaritaville Casino and Restaurant is being built on the Back Bay of Biloxi (off of 5th Street at old East Harrison County Industrial Park); right next to St. Michael’s Fuel and Ice House. Total project is nearly $60 M.

Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII) announced recently that the company’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division has been awarded a $13 million contract modification for continued work on the U.S. Navy’s Zumwalt (DDG 1000) class of destroyers.

According to Karrie Trauth, the Program Manager of the DDG 1000, “This contract modification provides additional funding for the composite work we’re doing on the deckhouse for this shipbuilding program.” She went on to say that “This is a significant program for our composite shipbuilders in Gulfport, and this award ensures the valuable expertise and technological advancements in composites continue through the detail design and construction of these ships.”

The work for this contract will provide technical and industrial engineering in the interpretation and application of the detail design to support construction and the maintenance of the ship design. Ingalls is building the deckhouse, hangar and peripheral vertical launch systems for DDG 1000 and DDG 1001, with plans to build a third.  According to the company, the deckhouse for DDG 1000 is expected to be delivered in the second quarter of 2012.

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) designs, builds and maintains nuclear and non-nuclear ships for the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard and provides after-market services for military ships around the globe. For more than a century, HII has built more ships in more ship classes than any other U.S. naval shipbuilder. Employing nearly 38,000 in Virginia, Mississippi, Louisiana and California, its primary business divisions are Newport News Shipbuilding and Ingalls Shipbuilding.

For more information, please visit www.huntingtoningalls.com.

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By Michael C. Zari

VT Halter Marine, Inc., a subsidiary of VT Systems, Inc. recently held a dedication ceremony for the first of four Fast Missile Craft (FMC) being built for the Egyptian Navy at its Pascagoula shipyard.  The vessel, the S. Ezzat, was named after Admiral Soliman Ezzat and is planned to be used by the Egyptian navy to patrol and defend its coastal waterways of the Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea and, in particular, the Suez Canal.

The four vessels are being built under a foreign military sales contract awarded by the United States Navy. In April last year it was announced that VT Halter Marine had been awarded a contract to build a fourth FMC, taking the value of the four 600-ton craft to $807 Million.

The vessels will allow the Republic of Egypt to maintain security of its coastal regions for both itself and friendly countries, while denying access to the areas by any potential adversaries. Each FMC will be approximately 62-m in length and will incorporate ship signature control technology. High speed and maneuverability are two of the ship’s primary assets to fulfill these roles. The vessels will also incorporate numerous combat system assets and electronic sensors, equipping the vessels with capabilities in anti-aircraft, anti-surface and electronic warfare.

VT Halter officials say the ship is on track for a late 2012 delivery.

VT Halter Marine is the marine operations of VT Systems. Based in Pascagoula, Miss., it is a leader in the design and construction of medium-sized ships in the United States. VT Halter Marine designs, builds and repairs a wide variety of ocean-going vessels such as patrol vessels, oil recovery vessels, oil cargo vessels, ferries, logistic support vessels and survey vessels.

Chevron Corp was set to begin construction of a $1.4B base oil plant at its 330,000 barrel per day (bpd) Pascagoula, MS, refinery last week, according to a local media report.

The long-planned project will provide 1,000 jobs during the planned two years of construction that will boost motor oil output from the refinery, according to a report posted on the website of the Mississippi Press.  The plant, once finished, will produce base oil, which is the main ingredient in just about all lubricants.  

Chevron’s Sean Comey said it just goes to show this project is not just helping build the company; it’s also bringing badly needed jobs to the community. “There is going to be about 1,000 construction jobs generated from the beginning through the estimated completion in 2013, and 20 permanent jobs to run the facility once it’s done,” Comey said. Chevron hopes by stimulating job growth, more money could be pumped into the local economy during these tough financial times.

Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2013.

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By Michael C. Zari

Boyd Gaming Corporation (NYSE: BYD) recently announced that it has completed its acquisition of the IP Casino Resort Spa in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Boyd Gaming now owns and operates 17 properties in Nevada, New Jersey, Mississippi, Illinois, Indiana and Louisiana.

“With the purchase of the IP, Boyd Gaming is expanding into one of the most important gaming markets in the country, further diversifying our operations,” said Keith Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer of Boyd Gaming.  “We believe the acquisition of this market-leading property is a substantial growth opportunity, and we are confident it will deliver attractive returns for our shareholders.”

Boyd Gaming welcomed the IP Biloxi to their family the following details about the facility:

“Located in Biloxi, Mississippi, the AAA Four Diamond-recognized IP Casino Resort Spa is the Mississippi Gulf Coast’s premier casino resort.

A true entertainment destination, the IP features nearly 1,100 elegantly appointed hotel rooms and suites; a 70,000-square-foot casino offers 1,900 slot machines and 60 table games; a 1,400-seat theater offering regular headline entertainment; 73,000 square feet of meeting and convention space; and a spa and salon. Eight restaurants offer a range of dining experiences sure to delight any palate, including two AAA Four Diamond offerings: Thirty-Two, out steak and seafood restaurant, and Tien, an upscale Asian restaurant. If you’re looking for non-smoking gaming options, the IP offers a completely smoke-free, 14-table poker room, as well as a dedicated non-smoking slot section.”

For additional information on Boyd Gaming, go to www.boydgaming.com

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Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. (NYSE:HII), the parent company of the 10,500-employee Ingalls Shipbuilding yard in Pascagoula, Mississippi, announced that the US Navy awarded a $697.6 million fixed-price incentive construction contract to Ingalls for a new Arleigh Burke-class (DDG 51) destroyer, DDG 114. According to Huntinton, it will be the 30th Aegis guided missile destroyer Ingalls has built for the U.S. Navy.

“This is an exciting opportunity for us to continue our outstanding quality of work in building DDG 51s,” said Bob Merchent, Ingalls’ vice president, surface combatants and U.S. Coast Guard program. “Every day our shipbuilders set out to build quality ships safely, and we’ve accomplished this for more than 20 years in this surface combatant program. We are proud of this legacy and will continue to build and deliver the best surface combatants in the world to the U.S. Navy.”

Ingalls has delivered 28 DDG 51 ships to the U.S. Navy. The company’s 28th ship, William P. Lawrence (DDG 110), was commissioned on June 4 in Mobile, Ala. The ship was the most complete at time of sea trials in the history of the DDG 51 program at Ingalls. Also, lessons learned from previous DDGs allowed Ingalls to deliver William P. Lawrence with a reduction in schedule and man-hours compared to previous ships in the class.

In April 2010 Ingalls was awarded a long-lead material contract on DDG 114 and on June 15 was awarded a construction contract to build DDG 113. The recent announcement also included contract amount information on the award of DDG 113, which is $783.5 million.

This highly capable, multi-mission ship can conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection, all in support of the United States’ military strategy. DDG 114 will be capable of simultaneously fighting air, surface and subsurface battles. The ship contains myriad offensive and defensive weapons designed to support maritime defense needs well into the 21st century.

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) designs, builds and maintains nuclear and non-nuclear ships for the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard and provides after-market services for military ships around the globe. For more than a century, HII has built more ships in more ship classes than any other U.S. naval shipbuilder. Employing nearly 38,000 in Virginia, Mississippi, Louisiana and California, its primary business divisions are Newport News Shipbuilding and Ingalls Shipbuilding.

For more information, please visit www.huntingtoningalls.com.

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Boyd Gaming Corporation (NYSE: BYD) recently announced that the Mississippi Gaming Commission has approved the Company’s proposed acquisition of the IP Casino Resort Spa in Biloxi, Mississippi.

With this latest approval, Boyd Gaming has received all of the required regulatory approvals to proceed with the planned acquisition.  The final transaction is expected to close within 2 weeks with the deal scheduled to close on October 4th..

“We look forward to joining the Mississippi Gulf Coast with this market-leading property,” said Keith Smith, President and CEO of Boyd Gaming.  “The IP’s employees enjoy a strong reputation for delivering first-rate customer service, and we are excited to welcome them to the Boyd Gaming team.”

In June of this year, Boyd Gaming initially announced the plans to purchase the IP Casino Resort and Spa in Biloxi, Mississippi for $278 million in cash, with an additional $10 million being donated to the Engelstad Family Foundation for charitable work in the Biloxi area.  The IP Casino Resort and Spa in Biloxi, Mississippi, with 1,100 rooms and a 70,000-square-foot casino, will also receive a planned $44 million upgrade (capital improvement projects) after the acquisition is completed.

Additional news and information on Boyd Gaming can be found at www.boydgaming.com.

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By Michael C. Zari

Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. (NYSE:HII), the parent company of the 10,500-employee Ingalls Shipbuilding yard in Pascagoula, Mississippi, announced recently that its Ingalls Shipbuilding division has received a $482.8 million contract from the U.S. Coast Guard for the construction of a fifth National Security Cutter (NSC). Construction and delivery of the yet-to-be-named WMSL 754 will be performed at the company’s Pascagoula, MS facility.

According to Ingalls Shipbuilding President Irwin. F. Edenzon, “Ingalls has continued ship-to-ship performance improvements on the National Security Cutter program, and this contract affirms the Coast Guard’s confidence in our shipbuilders.”  Edenzon went on to say, “We focus every day on meeting our safety, quality, cost and schedule goals. We’re doing it right and doing it better, and we intend to keep meeting our commitments to our U.S. Coast Guard customer.”

Ingalls has delivered the first three NSCs, which are the flagship of the Coast Guard’s cutter fleet.  Stratton (WMSL 752), , was delivered to the Coast Guard on Sept. 2 2011. Bertholf (WMSL 750) and Waesche (WMSL 751) have been commissioned and are successfully executing Coast Guard missions.  The start-of-fabrication milestone, signifying 100 tons of steel have been cut, took place for the fourth cutter, Hamilton (WMSL 753), on Aug. 29. This same milestone for WMSL 754 is scheduled for second quarter 2012, with delivery expected in mid-2015.

Ingalls builds the NSC hulls and mechanical and electrical systems, while Lockheed Martin builds and integrates the command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities.

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) designs, builds and maintains nuclear and non-nuclear ships for the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard and provides after-market services for military ships around the globe. For more than a century, HII has built more ships in more ship classes than any other U.S. naval shipbuilder. Employing nearly 38,000 in Virginia, Mississippi, Louisiana and California, its primary business divisions are Newport News Shipbuilding and Ingalls Shipbuilding.

For more information, please visit www.huntingtoningalls.com.

By Michael C. Zari

Recently, we reported that the GO Zone’s Margaritaville Casino and Restaurant filled and named key positions in the new casino. Specifically, Thomas Brosig is the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Karen Sock was announced as General Manager (GM) and Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Other key positions for Biloxi’s Margaritaville Casino and Restaurant are being marketed both on line and in print (i.e. local newspapers such as the Sun Herald),

According to the Herald, some of the positions that are being reviewed and filled include directors of food and beverage, marketing, human relations, gaming operations and surveillance, along with manager of information systems

Key positions already filled include:

• Huntley Biggs Jr., (Director of Special Projects);
• Leon Walker (Logistics Manager);
• Heather Nowell (Project Administrator);
• Barbara Donald (Director of Finance); and
• Kelli Bell (Director of Regulatory Compliance).

Thomas Brosig and Karen Sock plan to hire as many as 1000 people to run the new GO Zone Margaritaville.

“This project is the culmination of years of intense planning and coordination,” Brosig told WLOX (Biloxi). “It is very satisfying to see all of the hard work result in successfully bringing Margaritaville to the Gulf Coast. Particularly when I know that the Gulf Coast will benefit from the addition of this exciting gaming and hospitality venue and the very substantial number of new jobs that will be created.”

The Margaritaville Casino and Restaurant is being built on the Back Bay of Biloxi (off of 5th Street at old East Harrison County Industrial Park); right next to St. Michael’s Fuel and Ice House.

Plans for the new Margaritaville Casino & Restaurant include a 68,000 square-foot casino and Margaritaville-themed restaurant, retail, events center and also a marina.

By Michael C. Zari

Plans for D’Iberville’s first casino is now one step closer to reality.  The planned Oyster Bay Casino is a $150 M casino/resort that would recreate an 1850’s fishing village in the Old Town area in D’Iberville, MS.  First announced in April 2010, the 24-acre site plans to include a 65,000 square-foot casino with 1,000 slot machines and 25 table games. In addition, plans call for a 350-roon hotel on site.  The project would also include shops, restaurants, and also an artists’ village.

The Mississippi Gaming Commission gave site approval to the $150 million project back in April 2010. According to on line sources, Tom Moore, who is building the casino resort with developer Malcolm Duane Lewis and The Brosig Group, said the idea to recreate a 1920s-era fishing village has not changed much since it was presented to the Gaming Commission.

The Oyster Bay Casino site is on Racetrack Rd., east of the I-110 bridge.  Three Back Bay waterfront acres of the 24-acre site will be leased from the city.

City officials have worked for more than 10-years to bring a casino to D’Iberville. Four sites have approval and representatives of other proposed casinos are working through their due diligence. The Oyster Bay project appears to be the most active.  

Oyster Bay Casino will tie into a future French Market attraction the city wants to build in that area, Moore said, and to the proposed CanCan Casino to create a synergy that will draw visitors to D’Iberville.

The CanCan Casino Resort & Spa and French Village is a $450 million D’Iberville-based complex planned to  include French - themed casino and entertainment components. The CanCan Casino Resort and Spa will feature a 250-room hotel, a full-service spa and rooftop pool, a 60.000 square-foot casino with 1800 slot machines and 46 table games, and a live poker room. In addition, multiple restaurants, a nightclub and an entertainment lounge are also planned.

The French Village portion of the project will consist of 95,000 square-feet of space available for lease to accommodate retail tenants, dining and nightlife venues and will also feature a wedding chapel and outdoor vendor space for a farmers market, street peddlers, roaming entertainers and kiosks.

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