Quarterlytics / Energy / Oil & Gas Equipment & Services / Tidewater

Tidewater

tdw · NYSE Energy
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Ticker tdw
Exchange NYSE
Sector Energy
Industry Oil & Gas Equipment & Services
Employees 5001-10,000
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FY2018 Annual Report · Tidewater
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A N N U A L 

R E P O R T

Tidewater owns and operates the largest  

fleet of Offshore Support Vessels in the world, with 

over 60 years of experience supporting offshore energy 

exploration and production activities worldwide. 

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Dear Fellow Tidewater Shareholders,

The  year  2018  marked  another  milestone  for 

Tidewater with the merger of Tidewater and GulfMark. 

The combination created the global offshore support 

vessel  leader  and  positions  Tidewater  as  a  top-three 

operator in every major market in the world, enabling 

us  to  capitalize  on  growth  opportunities  as  the  OSV 

sector  recovery  gains  traction.  While  we  continue  to 

navigate volatility and limited activity in many of our 

markets,  we  are  proud  of  our  differentiated  position  

as  the  strongest  and  most  nimble  player  in  the 

OSV  sector.  I  am  confident  that  our  competitive 

advantages—including  our  broad  global  presence, 

advanced  fleet,  talented  team  and  strong  balance 

sheet—enable  us  to  take  advantage  of  opportunities 

regardless of market conditions. 

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2 0 1 8   A N N U A L   R E P O R T

The all-equity merger with GulfMark that we successfully 
closed in November creates the largest OSV operator in the 
world, significantly expanding our presence in key markets 
such  as  the  North  Sea  and  the  U.S.  Gulf  of  Mexico,  while 
maintaining  Tidewater’s  strong  balance  sheet.  We  have 
identified  substantial  cost  synergies  and  we  will  continue 
to  leverage  the  best  of  both  companies  to  create  the  most 
scalable OSV globally.  This combination of size, scalability 
and  balance  sheet  strength  enables  us  to  deliver  strong 
margin expansion as the market recovers, a key reason for 
the overwhelming shareholder support for the merger.

Since  the  deal  closed  in  the  fourth  quarter,  we  have  been 
diligently  working  towards  smoothly  integrating  the 
best  systems,  practices  and  teams  of  both  companies  as 
effectively  as  possible.  This  includes  welcoming  many  of  
the  talented  GulfMark  employees  to  Tidewater  as  we 
assemble the best and the brightest team to help us prepare 
for the industry recovery. 

I am very confident that we will deliver, if not exceed, our 
promised  cost  synergies  this  year.  At  the  time  of  writing 
this,  we  are  already  in  the  final  stages  of  streamlining 
our footprint in several markets since the merger became 
official  on  November  15,  2018.  As  is  typical  with  such  a 
process,  we  will  incur  some  related  one-time  costs,  which 
will be appropriately noted in our future financial results. 

Throughout 2018, we maintained our presence and activity 
in  key  regions,  including  West  Africa,  the  Middle  East, 
Mexico  and  the  North  Sea.  Although  the  year  started  off 
slowly,  we  experienced  a  reasonable  increase  in  activity 
in the second quarter. Following this uptick in activity, in 
the  third  quarter  we  witnessed  other  owners  reactivating 
additional  vessels  in  the  North  Sea  and  returning  them 
to  the  region,  illustrating  the  continuing  challenge  of 
overcapacity  in  our  sector  that  has  to  date  limited  the 
opportunity  for  rate  improvements.  While  this  somewhat 
constrained the full potential of an upside resulting from 
better  utilization,  it  was  an  encouraging  indicator  that 

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2 0 1 8   A N N U A L   R E P O R T

the demand growth was significant enough to absorb this 
extra tonnage reintroduced to the region. 

Few  in  the  industry  expected  the  commodity  price  
volatility we saw in the fourth quarter. However, despite 
this  volatility,  our  customers  have  not  indicated  any 
changes  to  their  exploration  and  development  plans  for 
2019.  We,  along  with  several  of  our  peers  in  the  offshore 
drilling contractor sector, have a constructive view of the 
offshore  market  in  the  second  half  of  the  year,  with  the 
potential  for  slight  improvements  in  deep  water  drilling 
activity—particularly  for  the  high-specification  rigs  that 
we support. 

The  volatility  in  the  fourth  quarter  illustrates  the  value 
of our financial strength, and the agility and competitive 
edge  that  financial  strength  has  afforded  us  by  easily 
overcoming  challenging  market  conditions  and  customer 
requirements.  Tidewater  has  the  financial  flexibility  to 
quickly relocate our vessels to areas of higher demand as 
our customers change their geographic focus. Many of our 
capital-constrained competitors, in contrast, are limited in 
their ability to invest money to relocate vessels, maintain 
class certifications and otherwise adapt to these frequent 
changes required by our customers.

Tidewater once again led the OSV sector in vessel recycling 
and  selling  underperforming  assets  into  noncompetitive 
markets in 2018. We will remain committed to right-sizing 
our  fleet  to  maximize  suitability  for  our  customers  and 
future  earnings  potential  in  2019  and  beyond.  With  our 
enduring commitment to a strong balance sheet, Tidewater 
can  take  advantage  of  depressed  prices  during  industry 
downturns to pursue prudent acquisition opportunities. In 
fact,  we  acquired  two  modern,  high-specification  vessels 
at  distressed  prices  in  December.  While  corporate  M&A 
opportunities  are  limited  until  more  potential  partners 
undertake financial restructuring to eliminate their debt, 
we  will  continue  to  conduct  disciplined  evaluations  of 
potential asset acquisitions. 

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2 0 1 8   A N N U A L   R E P O R T

Tidewater  is  the  best-positioned  company  in  the  sector, 
both strategically and financially. We are the best prepared 
to  weather  a  softer  market  and  best  positioned  to  lead 
in  a  fuller  market  recovery.  Our  strong  balance  sheet, 
substantial  cash  position,  geographical  diversity  and  our 
large,  modern,  high-specification  fleet  allow  us  to  act 
swiftly  to  meet  customer  needs  anywhere  in  the  world, 
anytime in the cycle.

In conclusion, our focus remains on maintaining safe and 
high-quality  operations,  while  achieving  cost-efficiencies 
that increase shareholder value even in the current industry 
trough.  Although  the  timing  of  a  full  market  recovery 
remains uncertain, we have the right elements in place to 
create long-term sustainable value for our shareholders.

We appreciate the dedication of all of our employees, both 
offshore and shore side, for their continued commitment to 
maximizing value for our shareholders. Thank you.

Sincerely,

John T. Rynd

President 
and Chief Executive Officer

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Vision

Tidewater will be the global leader in the offshore industry  

by providing, in the most cost-efficient manner possible, unmatched 

support and exceptional local service to our customers, utilizing the 

safest, most highly skilled workforce.

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Mission

Tidewater is dedicated to supporting our customers globally with the 
highest level of service using our best assets: our people and our vessels.

We will deliver these services with the highest level of operational 
performance to include safety for our people, compliance with all laws and 
regulations, and respect for the environment and local communities in 
which we work.

We are committed to providing these services in an honest, cost-efficient, 
profitable and transparent manner for all stakeholders, including employees, 
customers, capital sources, vendors and local communities.

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS

CORPORATE OFFICERS

THOMAS ROBERT BATES, JR. 

ALAN J. CARR 

RANDEE E. DAY 

 Chairman of the Board, Member  
of the Compensation Committee  
and Member of Nominating and  
Corporate Governance Committee

 Chairman of Nominating and  
Corporate Governance Committee  
and Member of the Compensation 
Committee

 Member of Audit Committee and 
Nominating and Corporate  
Governance Committee

DICK FAGERSTAL 

 Chairman of Audit Committee

STEVEN L. NEWMAN 

 Chairman of Compensation 
Committee

LOUIS RASPINO 

 Member of Audit Committee

LARRY T. RIGDON 

JOHN T. RYND 

 Former Interim President, Chief 
Executive Officer and Director and 
Member of Audit Committee

 President, Chief Executive Officer  
and Director

ROBERT P. TAMBURRINO 

 Director

KENNETH TRAUB 

 Director and Member Nominating 
and Corporate Governance 
Committee

JOHN T. RYND 

 President, Chief Executive Officer 
and Director

DAVID E. DARLING 

 Vice President and Chief Human  
Resources Officer

JEFFREY A. GORSKI 

Executive Vice President and 
Chief Operating Officer

LEE JOHNSON 

Vice President and Chief  
Information Officer

QUINTIN V. KNEEN 

 Executive Vice President and  
Chief Financial Officer

BRUCE D. LUNDSTROM 

Executive Vice President,
General Counsel and Secretary

SAM R. RUBIO 

 Vice President, Chief Accounting 
Officer and Controller

MARK A. HANDIN 

Vice President

MATTHEW A. MANCHESKI  Vice President

MARK D. PARKER 

Vice President, Corporate Taxation

DARREN J. VORST 

Vice President and Treasurer

INVESTOR RELATIONS

Requests for information concerning  
the Company should be directed to the 
Investor Relations Department using the 
address or phone numbers listed below. 
Requests for information can also be 
submitted at the Company’s website,  
www.tdw.com.

Tidewater Inc. 
6002 Rogerdale Road, Suite 600 
Houston, TX 77072 
Toll Free: +1 800-678-8433 
Phone: +1 713-470-5300
www.tdw.com

CORPORATE INFORMATION

Information about stockholder accounts may be 
obtained by contacting the Transfer Agent and 
Registrar for Tidewater’s common stock: 
Computershare Investor Services 
P. O. Box 505000 
Louisville, KY 40233-5000

Overnight correspondence should be sent to: 
Computershare Investor Services 
462 South 4th Street 
Suite 1600 
Louisville, KY 40202 
Phone: +1 781-575-2879 or +1 800-730-4001

General stockholder information is  
available on the Computershare website,
www.computershare.com/investor.

DUPLICATE MAILINGS

If you receive duplicate mailings of shareholder 
materials, you can help eliminate the added  
expense by requesting that only one copy be  
sent. To eliminate duplicate mailings, contact the 
Company’s Stock Transfer Agent and Registrar  
listed above.

STOCK EXCHANGE

Tidewater’s common stock is traded on 
the New York Stock Exchange under the 
symbol TDW.

FORM 10-K REPORT

Tidewater’s 2018 Annual Report on Form 
10-K may be obtained without charge 
by contacting the Company’s Investor 
Relations Department at corporate 
headquarters. Tidewater’s SEC filings 
can also be viewed online at the 
Company’s website, www.tdw.com.

WEBSITE AND E-MAIL ALERTS

Information concerning the Company, 
including quarterly financial results 
and news releases, is available on the 
Company’s website at www.tdw.com. 
E-mail alerts about the Company’s news 
releases, SEC filings and presentations 
are available by registering at the 
Company’s website.

 
 
 
 
Tidewater Inc.

6002 Rogerdale Road, Suite 600

Houston, TX  77072

Toll Free:  +1 800-678-8433

Phone:  +1 713-470-5300

www.tdw.com

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