Great Lakes Announces Receipt of $88 Million Award

OAK BROOK, Ill., Jan. 23, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation (“Great Lakes”) (NASDAQ: GLDD ), the largest provider of dredging services in the United States and a major provider of environmental and remediation services, announced today the receipt of an $88 million award for Phase I of the Mississippi Coastal Improvements Program (MsCIP) Comprehensive Barrier Island Restoration.   

MsCIP was initiated in 2005 in the aftermath of the damage and destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina, and addresses hurricane and storm damage reduction, salt water intrusion, shoreline erosion and fish and wildlife preservation.  Ship Island is part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore and currently exists as two island segments, East Ship and West Ship, separated by Camille Cut. In 1969, Hurricane Camille substantially breached a part of Ship Island that had been historically vulnerable to breaching, and the breach remains today as a 3.5-mile-wide shallow sandbar between the two small islands.  Great Lakes’ award involves dredging nearly 7 million cubic yards of sand from distant borrow sources and placing the material to close Camille Cut and restore Ship Island to a single elongated barrier island.  Work is expected to commence this summer and is expected to be completed in 2018. 

President of Dredging Operations David Simonelli stated, “Great Lakes is pleased to have the opportunity to restore Ship Island, a national treasure with a rich history off the coast of Mississippi which was breached during a hurricane.  It is a critical piece of infrastructure that helps mitigate the damage caused by storms, thereby helping to protect communities.  We look forward to working with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District and the National Park Service as we execute this important project.”

The Company

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation (“Great Lakes” or the “Company”) is the largest provider of dredging services in the United States and the only U.S. dredging company with significant international operations. The Company is also a significant provider of environmental and remediation services on land and water.  The Company employs civil, ocean and mechanical engineering staff in its estimating, production and project management functions.  In its over 126-year history, the Company has never failed to complete a marine project. Great Lakes has a disciplined training program for engineers that ensures experienced-based performance as they advance through Company operations. Great Lakes also owns and operates the largest and most diverse fleet in the U.S. dredging industry, comprised of over 200 specialized vessels.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release may constitute "forward-looking" statements as defined in Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"), the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "PSLRA") or in releases made by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), all as may be amended from time to time. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Great Lakes and its subsidiaries, or industry results, to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Statements that are not historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by, among other things, the use of forward-looking language, such as the words "plan," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "project," "may," "would," "could," "should," "seeks," or "scheduled to," or other similar words, or the negative of these terms or other variations of these terms or comparable language, or by discussion of strategy or intentions. These cautionary statements are being made pursuant to the Exchange Act and the PSLRA with the intention of obtaining the benefits of the "safe harbor" provisions of such laws. Great Lakes cautions investors that any forward-looking statements made by Great Lakes are not guarantees or indicative of future performance. Important assumptions and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those forward-looking statements with respect to Great Lakes, include, but are not limited to: our ability to obtain federal government dredging and other contracts; our ability to qualify as an eligible bidder under government contract criteria and to compete successfully against other qualified bidders; risks associated with cost over-runs, operating cost inflation and potential claims for liquidated damages, particularly with respect to our fixed cost contracts; the timing of our performance on contracts; significant liabilities that could be imposed were we to fail to comply with government contracting regulations; risks related to international dredging operations, including instability in the Middle East; a significant negative change to large, single customer contracts from which a significant portion of our international revenue is derived; changes in previously-recorded revenue and profit due to our use of the percentage-of-completion method of accounting; consequences of any lapse in disclosure controls and procedures or internal control over financial reporting; changes in the amount of our estimated backlog; our ability to obtain bonding or letters of credit; increasing costs to operate and maintain aging vessels; equipment or mechanical failures; acquisition integration and consolidation risks; liabilities related to our historical demolition business; impacts of legal and regulatory proceedings; unforeseen delays and cost overruns related to the construction of new vessels; our becoming liable for the obligations of joint ventures, partners and subcontractors; capital and operational costs due to environmental regulations; unionized labor force work stoppages; maintaining an adequate level of insurance coverage; information technology security breaches; our substantial amount of indebtedness; restrictions imposed by financing covenants; the impact of adverse capital and credit market conditions; limitations on our hedging strategy imposed by new statutory and regulatory requirements for derivative transactions; foreign exchange risks; changes in macroeconomic indicators and the overall business climate; and losses attributable to our investments in privately financed projects. For additional information on these and other risks and uncertainties, please see Item 1A. "Risk Factors" of Great Lakes' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, and in other securities filings by Great Lakes with the SEC.

Although Great Lakes believes that its plans, intentions and expectations reflected in or suggested by such forward-looking statements are reasonable, actual results could differ materially from a projection or assumption in any forward-looking statements. Great Lakes' future financial condition and results of operations, as well as any forward-looking statements, are subject to change and inherent risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made only as of the date hereof and Great Lakes does not have or undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, subsequent events or otherwise, unless otherwise required by law.

Source: Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation

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For further information contact: Mary Morrissey, Investor Relations 630-574-3467