June 29, 2023

Titan

Titan, the parent company of Vigor, MHI Holdings, and Continental Maritime of San Diego, announced Frank Collins will join as senior vice president, government and public affairs. Vigor operates in the Pacific Northwest, Hawaii and Alaska, and MHI Holdings, is based in Norfolk, Virginia. Collins will replace Jill Mackie, who is retiring. Additionally, Benton Strong was recently named director of public affairs, responsible for all communications, as well as state and local government affairs across all Titan companies. Collins joins Titan from the Shipbuilders Council of America, where he served as senior defense advisor. He has over 37 years of public and private sector experience in the ship repair industry. Collins was chief of staff for a member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee and district director for a member who later chaired the House Armed Services Committee. He served as chief executive officer of United States Marine Preservation, as a principal government relations representative for BAE Systems Ship Repair, and was senior vice president at United States Marine Repair. Strong joined Vigor in October 2020. He previously spent seven years as a political advocacy communications professional in Washington, D.C., as well as serving as communications director for the mayor of Seattle. Mackie joined Vigor in 2015, after 17 years as head of government relations and strategic communications at the Seattle Times. Mackie led Vigor's government affairs support for the next generation of the Washington State Ferries, as well as federal appropriations and defense policy efforts in ship repair, marine and heavy complex fabrication. Titan Acquisition Holdings was formed in 2019, and its family of companies provide ship repair, ship modernization, marine and complex fabrication services.