Travis Randall Short, Founder, Owner, and President of Horizon shipbuilding, Inc., Bayou La Batre, Alabama graduated with a Business Management Degree from the University of South Alabama, Mobile in 1988. His entire career history, before and after graduation, was accrued in the marine industry.
Mr. Short, the son of a career U.S. Navy officer, grew up, learning of ships, boats, and marine equipment. He began an apprenticeship, working in his father’s shipyard at age fourteen and advanced through various shipyard trades. After graduating from the University of South Alabama, he managed the family small-boat manufacturing facility, responsible for manufacturing methods and production control of products in steel, aluminum and fiberglass. Contracts with the U.S. Government and various commercial entities included an aluminum submarine tender for a Cayman Islands company and several high-speed fiberglass river patrol boats for the U.S. Navy. The construction of several 65-Ft. steel Coast Guard Buoy Tenders followed.
In 1997, Mr. Short and his father founded Horizon Shipbuilding Inc., located on the extant Steiner Marine site. As President of the company, Travis was responsible for day-to-day operations. He introduced the company into international markets and constructed the largest steel vessel ever launched in Bayou La Batre at the time. He designed and adapted a vessel haul-out system utilizing an existing marine launch-way and constructed a side-launch capable of handling vessels to 250-Ft. in length and 1200 tons displacement. In 2002, he assumed complete ownership of the company and began expanding manufacturing capabilities, including the acquisition of additional adjacent facilities, which eventually quadrupled the shipyard land holdings, equipment, annual sales, and employment.
During the past ten years, Mr. Short has continued to expand domestic and international markets and the grade of manufacturing methods of Horizon. He redesigned the launching systems and acquired a TravelLift™ for launching vessels up to 700 Tons displacement. In 2007, he constructed and launched a 100 by 200 Ft. crane barge for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Launching of this barge required consultation and cooperation with a renowned salvage and floating crane company. The week-long operation was featured on the History Channel.
For the past three years, Mr. Short, redesigned the buildings and manufacturing facility and made major changes to the shipyard waterfront. Horizon recently purchased the 22-Acre Graham shipyard directly across the Bayou, from Horizon and established a modern fiberglass and aluminum construction facility with upgraded and enclosed manufacturing buildings. These upgrades and those made at its main facility have made Horizon the most versatile and modern shipyard in Bayou La Batre.
Mr. Short and Horizon have received local and state-wide recognition for its contributions to the city of Bayou La Batre and the Mobile County area. In 2010, Horizon received the Governor’s Trade Excellence award for Exporter of the Year as well as recognition from the Alabama International Trade Center for Exporter of the Year as well as numerous Certificates of recognition for supporting community/city/civic organizations.
Travis has lent is expertise and support to numerous activities whose purposes are to improve educational and economic opportunities in Mobile County and the cities of Mobile and Bayou La Batre. He currently serves as President Bayou La Batre Port Authority, Advisory Council Chairman of the Maritime Training Center and Advisory Board Member of Booth Elementary Advisory Board. His participation in other boards and organizations are as follows:
• Board member Mobile Works, Inc. since 2012
• Council Member of Southwest Alabama Workforce Development Council (SAWDC) since 2013
• Bayou La Batre Area Chamber of Commerce Member since 2002 and member of the Board of Directors since 2005
• Member Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce since 2009 and member of the Board of Directors and Partners for Growth since 2012. He has served as Vice Chair Workforce Development since 2013 and Vice Chair Small Business Development since 2014
• Member of Oil and Gas Task Force
• Member Gulf Coast Shipbuilders Consortium
• Board Member of South Mobile County Community Development Corporation
Phone: 251 824 1660 Ext. 222
Email: trshort@horizonshipbuilding.com