Jill Hogaboone, Government Program Manager for W&O Supply, the leading maritime fittings supplier, sheds light on the unique demands of working in government shipbuilding and repairs.
Describe the main points of your job – what do you do and how do you see your role in the W&O business?
The main aspects of my job are related to government shipbuilding or repair work. This mainly involves working with government newbuilds, but we can also help our customers to maintain vessel serviceability for older ships. In my 15 years of experience, I’ve accrued knowledge of the different requirements for our line of marine distributors, which is key to supporting government customers responsible for building vessels that play an important role in our economic and government infrastructure.
As a project manager, I do a lot of preparatory work with our customers, as they are preparing estimates to win government contracts. When the contract is secured, and the valve and pipe-related work come into focus, we can help find solutions to provide more cost-effective products, or products more suitable for the application. We can also update the material list, depending on the material lead times, and make any adjustments to meet the project schedule.
The work can take time and it requires an experienced team as it’s too big a task for one person. Ultimately, we're supporting the Department of Homeland Security, as well as the commercial maritime industry.
Tell us about your day-to-day experience as part of the W&O team. How does it start, what is typical, what are you most important activities, what do you enjoy most?
One of the reasons I love my job is that there is no such thing as a ‘normal’ day – each day is unique! You might start the day thinking you will be doing one thing and then suddenly end up having to do something else entirely. The most important thing for me is knowing what my priorities are and focusing on them as much as possible.
I usually split my time about 50/50 between my home office in New Orleans and on-site work, usually in Mobile, Alabama. What I enjoy most is visiting our shipbuilders and getting to know what they need. The more interaction you have, the more you can assist them, because they're more willing to share information with you face-to-face. But it’s always better when I don’t have to go on board a vessel – that usually only happens when something has gone wrong!
Are there any requirements that are unique to government shipbuilding projects?
Government work is entirely different to all the other work we do. There are many different and unique requirements and specifications that projects must adhere to, and there is a huge amount of upfront work that needs to be done to ensure we meet the requirements of the contract.
Why did you join W&O and what particular skills or attributes are needed to do your job effectively?
I came to W&O almost 15 years ago, after leaving the oil and gas industry. I was looking for a job that gave me the flexibility to balance my family life and work life, which W&O is wonderful for. When my daughters were young, I was never held back from being part of their lives by my work.
I started as a receptionist, where I handled work for Austal USA. I had a great mentor who taught me all about valves, pipes and fittings and that’s when I realized I was really interested in the technical side of the business.
I would say the most important requirement for my job is having an open mind when learning about our products, as they are ever-changing. Each project we handle is a little bit different and every ship builder or class vessel has a different set of requirements. It is also essential to be hardworking and ethical about what we're delivering and how we're communicating with our shipbuilders.
What is different about W&O compared to other companies in the sector?
The distinguishing thing about W&O is that we only supply equipment to the marine industry. Other suppliers will often cross over into other markets to grow their business but by staying true to just the shipbuilding base, we continue to grow our level of expertise in this area. Giving shipbuilders a shopping list of applications is simple; real value comes from providing customers a detailed analysis of the materials and plenty of sector specific knowledge – which W&O is best placed to deliver.