Caddell names new president as 36-year leader becomes CEO

Caddell Dry Dock & Repair Co., Inc. will promote Salvatore Molino to president and move Steven Kalil to chief executive officer on January 1, 2027, after Kalil’s 36 years as president.

The privately owned Staten Island shipyard said the planned transition preserves ownership continuity and strategic direction. John B. Caddell II will remain chairman, maintaining stewardship of the company and its commitment to investment in employees, facilities and repair capability.

The company describes the succession as a deliberate evolution after years of investment and long-term planning, intended to support continued growth while preserving Caddell’s independence, workforce and operating principles.

Effective January 1, 2027, Caddell’s five-person executive leadership structure will comprise:

• John B. Caddell II, chairman of the board
• Steven Kalil, chief executive officer
• Salvatore Molino, president
• William Chapman, vice president and general manager
• Ciro Galeno, Jr., secretary and treasurer

What changes for customers on January 1, 2027?

Molino will assume responsibility for day-to-day executive leadership, operations and organizational performance. He will also work with Kalil and the management team to execute the company’s long-term strategy.

Kalil will remain active in strategic direction, business development, major customer and industry relationships, long-term planning and corporate initiatives. His 36-year tenure covered major changes across commercial maritime, government vessels and ship repair, during which he built relationships with customers, employees and industry partners.

Kalil said his proudest legacy was not simply the assets built over those years, but the people who built them. He linked Caddell’s reputation to generations of skilled workers and their pride in the vessels they repaired.

He also said a sound succession should preserve institutional experience while making room for new leadership. Caddell’s chairman provides stability, while Molino understands the company’s operations, customers and industry direction, Kalil said.

For ship operators, government vessel owners and other repair customers, the immediate commercial effect appears limited to continuity in management and customer relationships. The announcement gives no repair rates, dock-slot availability, turnaround times, project backlog or capacity additions.

It also announces no change to service scope, contract terms or staffing. Shippers and carriers therefore have no disclosed cost or operating change to incorporate into tenders, repair planning or vessel schedules.

Freight forwarders using vessels that call at the Port of New York and New Jersey likewise receive no stated change to routing, procurement or service arrangements. Any claim that the succession itself will improve repair availability would exceed the announcement: the evidence supports management continuity, not a quantified capacity gain.

What has Caddell committed to on capacity?

Caddell continues evaluating investments to expand its repair and dry-dock capabilities and strengthen its ability to support commercial and government vessels operating in New York Harbor and beyond. The company has not attached a dollar value, construction schedule or capacity target to that evaluation.

“Our responsibility is to build a company that is prepared not only for the work in front of us today, but for the opportunities and challenges that will come decades from now,” John B. Caddell II said.

Caddell said the philosophy behind his investment in people, facilities and repair capabilities also underpins the succession plan. He also said Kalil built the company over decades, Molino demonstrated the leadership and vision required to continue that work, and the new structure would protect Caddell’s legacy while preparing it for the future.

Molino joined Caddell’s executive leadership team as executive vice president in 2022. He has worked alongside Kalil on operational performance, strategic growth, customer relationships, competitive positioning, facility development and long-term corporate initiatives.

“Ship repair remains a people-and-infrastructure business,” Molino said. “You need the waterfront assets and equipment to handle the vessel, but ultimately, it is experienced people who deliver the project. Our future depends on investing in both.”

Molino also described Caddell’s task as building on its foundation through continued investment in its workforce, infrastructure and capabilities while finding new ways to serve commercial and government customers. He said growth should not compromise the craftsmanship, responsiveness and accountability that underpin the company’s reputation.

He called New York Harbor one of the country’s most important maritime gateways and saw an opportunity for a shipyard combining experience with investment and modernization. That remains an ambition rather than a booked expansion: Caddell has disclosed no added berth capacity, dock occupancy, staffing levels or project awards.

Until those measures appear, ship owners cannot translate the investment plans into repair availability, scheduling or rates. The leadership announcement establishes who will make operating and investment decisions, but not the scale or timetable of the resulting commercial change.

What is Caddell’s operating base?

Caddell operates from Staten Island, New York, serving commercial and government customers in the Port of New York and New Jersey and the wider maritime industry. Its services include dry docking, vessel repair and maintenance, fabrication, mechanical work, electrical work, piping and related marine services.

The January 1, 2027 transition therefore places daily operating control with Molino while retaining Kalil in customer relationships and long-term development, with no change announced to Caddell’s private ownership. The commercial test will be whether planned investment in people, waterfront assets and modernized repair capability produces measurable capacity, faster schedules or improved service terms.