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SAN DIEGO (June 9, 2025) – Marine Group Boat Works (MGBW), a superyacht refit facility and the last specialty commercial boatbuilder on the West Coast, has won its fourth AEU Safety Award within the past seven years. This recognition illustrates the California shipyard’s commitment to creating a safe work environment through rigorous processes and detailed programs in place to ensure incident prevention and avoidance of loss. MGBW accepted this award at the annual AEU award ceremony and national forum on May 6 in Charlotte, NC and will host its own celebration with the team by way of a yard-wide lunch serving home-cooked rib-eye steaks to 300 of its employees, customers and subcontractors.

“We have a robust safety program that’s ingrained in everything we do—how we operate, the way we move, how we interact with each other,” said President Todd Roberts. “After this fourth win, I’m confident enough to say safety now runs in our blood.”

The American Equity Underwriters provide services to members of the American Longshore Mutual Association (ALMA), offering insurance coverage of liabilities under the United States Longshore & Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act. Each year, AEU surveys the safety programs and performance of all 1900+ members, measuring how often employees miss work due to injuries and illness and the cumulative cost of all claims during payroll of a calendar year. Members are ranked on frequency and severity of claims, with the highest-ranking members representing the safest organizations. MGBW ranked in the top 30 out of all 1900 members for the fourth time since 2018.

MGBW takes a proactive approach to safety, purchasing the highest-quality materials and equipment and frequently replacing worn items to ensure employees are properly protected. Continuous improvements to safety protocols and practices have shown proven success in creating a workplace for customers and employees to ensure everyone goes home happy and healthy at the end of each day. Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Specialist Colin Keeney works diligently to ensure everyone is upheld to the highest standards, beginning with each mandatory new hire safety orientation.  Keeney and Facilities Manager Thomas Oman represented MGBW to accept this award at the annual AEU National Forum.

“We gained great insight into a variety of important topics and have brought this knowledge back to the yard to be implemented immediately,” said Keeney. “Topics were strategically selected to assist safety leaders in their organizations, providing insight into field-tested methods and solutions into common safety claims and issues.”

Just as MGBW is at the forefront of technological innovation, its leaders value staying on top of the latest safety updates and protocols to ensure each employee is guarded from on-the-job hazards. This organization is comprised of a wide range of skillsets, but an intimately woven team of individuals looking after the big picture and those individuals that make the big picture successful.

For more information on the American Equity Underwriters Award winners, please visit AEU 2024 Safety Award Winners Page.

About Marine Group Boat Works

Marine Group Boat Works is a family-owned, full-service maritime vessel construction and repair company with two waterfront facilities, on San Diego Bay and in Los Cabos, Mexico. Its largest shipyard in Chula Vista, Calif., encompasses one million square feet, with over 2,000 feet of dockage and a new 820-ton lift, rough terrain cranes, a machine shop, metal working equipment and a propeller shop. Its sister boatyard in San Jose del Cabo features over 300,000 square feet of land and water, with a 150-ton and 75-ton Travelift. Between the two facilities, MGBW employs over 200 ABS-certified welders, shipfitters, pipefitters, mechanics, electricians, painters and other boatbuilding and repair specialists. For more information, visit www.marinegroupboatworks.com.