Former President Bill Clinton, who in 1993 signed into law the National Shipbuilding Initiative (NSI), will deliver the keynote address at a special ceremony saluting the workers at the Kvaerner Philadelphia Shipyard (KPSI) and all those who have contributed to the revitalization of the once shuttered military facility.

President Clinton will be joined by Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, who as Mayor of Philadelphia, was at the forefront of efforts to transform America's first Navy Yard into a successful commercial shipbuilder, Mayor John F. Street, and numerous other regional, state, and federal officials. Kjell Inge Rokke, main owner of KPSI's parent company since December 2001 -- and who rebuked his predecessor's planned closure of the facility- will address the expected audience of more than 1,000 (including the shipyard workers) and announce the next major step for Kvaerner Philadelphia. The theme for the celebration is, "Building the Future".

When: 9:15 a.m., Thursday, April 14, 2005

Where: Kvaerner Philadelphia Shipyard, In the shadow of the Goliath Crane -- 2100 Kitty Hawk Ave., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania U.S.A.

The event will be held in the heart of the shipyard, in the shadow of the Goliath Crane next to the football-field-size docks where Kvaerner's third new container ship is being readied for a May 21 christening, and its sister ship is being assembled. They are part of the shipyard's first domestic order (four container vessels) from Matson Navigation Company. Also invited to attend are a host of local, state, and federal officials, labor leaders, and shipyard suppliers. A special media briefing with Rokke will follow the shipyard ceremony.

Editor's note:

Entry to the shipyard requires a photo ID. For security purposes, please notify a media representative within 24 hours of the event if you are planning to attend. For electronic journalists, a camera platform will be made available and a multi- plex box will be used to obtain a clean audio feed from the podium. Crew setup may begin at 7:30 a.m. For logistical reasons, the podium will not be able to accommodate individual media microphones.

http://www.usnewswire.com/