Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corp. engages in the provision of dredging services. The company is headquartered in Houston, Texas and currently employs 366 full-time employees. The company went IPO on 2006-12-27. The firm is also engaged in developing offshore wind energy. The company operates three types of dredging equipment: hopper dredges, hydraulic dredges, and mechanical dredges. Its dredging generally involves the enhancement or preservation of the navigability of waterways or the protection of shorelines through the removal or replenishment of soil, sand, or rock. Domestically, its work is generally performed in coastal waterways and deep-water ports. The United States dredging market consists of four primary types of work: capital, coastal protection, maintenance, and rivers and lakes. The firm's capital dredging consists primarily of port expansion projects. Its domestic dredging fleet is positioned on the East and Gulf Coasts, with a smaller number of vessels positioned on the West Coast, and with the rivers and lakes dredges on inland rivers and lakes. The company comprises approximately 200 specialized vessels.