Gunderson books big barge order

The Greenbrier Companies (NYSE: GBX) announced today that its Gunderson Marine division in Portland, Oregon has signed contracts with Vessel Management Services, a subsidiary of Crowley Maritime Corporation, to build 10 heavy lift series deck cargo barges.

Greenbrier's marine backlog now exceeds a record $200 million, with production extending well into 2012.

The orders continue a long relationship that has seen Gunderson Marine build 40 vessels for Crowley.

The deck cargo barges measure 400 feet in length and 105 feet wide, larger than a football field. They are equipped with a massive deck loading capability and can be used in a variety of services including construction, salvage, oil and gas development, and container transportation. Crowley will deploy the barges to handle project work for the offshore energy industry in the Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere.