Lone Star Maritime operates as part of a global survey group while continuing to provide:

• Marine Warranty Surveying

• Marine & Transportation Engineering

• Project Management

• Structural & Mechanical Analysis

• Technical Design and Independent Review

Services are delivered worldwide on technically demanding and high-risk marine operations.

Duncan Shoemaker & Associates, Lone Star Maritime, and DP Survey Group formally join forces.

This combination creates the largest marine survey firm in the United States, featuring:

• Nearly 60 staff across all U.S. coasts

• Over 200 surveyors worldwide

The organization delivers unmatched scale while preserving specialized expertise in marine warranty surveying, engineering, and marine operations.

Lone Star Maritime is partially acquired by DP Surveys, a global marine surveying and inspection firm.

The investment expands Lone Star Maritime’s international platform and resources while maintaining independent technical authority and operational leadership.

Lone Star Maritime is founded in Houston, Texas as a joint venture between XL Marine and HLM Marine.

The firm is established to deliver Marine Warranty Survey (MWS) services supported by in-house marine engineering, combining technical design capability with real-world operational expertise. From inception, the focus is on complex, high-risk, and insurer-critical marine operations worldwide.

HLM Marine is established in Houston, Texas by Tommy Hayes, JD Lively, and Ryan McCreary.

HLM Marine is built on deep port captain and marine operations experience, providing cargo surveys, heavy-lift oversight, port captain services, and marine operational support on a global basis.

XL Marine LLC is founded in Houston, Texas by David van der Laan.

XL Marine operates as a naval architecture and transportation engineering consultancy specializing in complex land, air, and sea transportation projects worldwide.

Core focus areas include heavy-lift cargo transportation, barges, tugs, offshore structures, and high-risk marine operations, combining rigorous engineering with hands-on field execution.