In 1992, Richard Merhige founded Advanced Maintenance Engineering and later in 2002 Advanced Mechanical Enterprises. He attended the State University of New York Maritime College, earning a Bachelor Degree in Marine Engineering, continuing his education in Systems and Ocean Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic, and George Washington Universities. He furthered his specialized training, earning a USCG License as a Second Assistant Engineer Steam & Motor, Unlimited Horsepower and a certification as a Vibration Analyst. Guided by his knowledge and expertise, AME is recognized as an external specialist for condition monitoring by the American Bureau of Shipping.

Before starting his own companies, Merhige worked for such prominent organizations as American Transport Lines, Westinghouse, David Taylor Naval Research Center and Booz Allen & Hamilton as an Engineer. His career saw him traveling throughout the United States and abroad conducting sea trials, performing major equipment overhauls and installations.

Rich has spoken at numerous popular industry events like the International Workboat Show/IWBS and IYBA’s Yacht Engineering Seminar, where he has discussed a range of topics including condition monitoring, predictive maintenance, and much more.