ST Engineering North America Names New President and CEO for Halter Marine

Alexandria, VA., Va., June 15, 2020 – ST Engineering North America, Inc. announces that Robert (Bob) L. Merchent is named President and CEO of VT Halter Marine, Inc. (Halter Marine) effective today.  Merchent joins Halter Marine with extensive ship building and major program management experience.

“We welcome Bob and look forward to his leadership of Halter Marine during this time of growth,” said Tom Vecchiolla, President and CEO of ST Engineering North America.  “Bob’s expertise as a shipbuilder and proven program leader makes him the right choice to lead Halter Marine during this critical period.”

Much of his career was spent at Ingalls Shipbuilding, where he advanced through multiple positions of ever-increasing responsibility, leading programs critical to both the business and the U.S. Navy, culminating his career there as the Vice President, Surface Combatants, Fleet Services and U.S. Coast Guard Programs.

Merchent has a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Management from the University of Southern Mississippi, as well as certificates on Executive Leadership from the Harvard Business School; Executive Finance from the Wharton School of Business; Executive Marketing from the University of Maryland.

We thank outgoing President and CEO, Ron Baczkowski for his contributions to, and leadership of Halter Marine. 

VT Halter Marine, the marine operations of ST Engineering North America, is based in Pascagoula, Miss., and is a leader in the design and construction of medium-sized ships in the United States. 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, auxiliaries, and research and survey vessels. Please visit www.vthaltermarine.com.

ST Engineering North America is the U.S. headquarters of ST Engineering, a global technology and engineering group, providing integrated solutions to the commercial and government markets in the aerospace, electronics, land systems, and marine sectors. Within the US, we have major operations in 17 cities across 13 states and more than 6,000 employees, providing innovative products and services across these diverse market segments.

Media contacts:

Liz Johnson
Marketing and Communications Manager
Halter Marine
Phone: (1) 228.696.6821
Email: corporatecommunications@vthaltermarine.com

Guy Shields
Director, Corporate Communications
ST Engineering North America
Phone: (1) 703.399.2769
Email: guy.shields@stengg.us