Domestic public companies are too scared to pick up the phone for Harvey Gulf, pushing the company to look abroad for merger and acquisition opportunities, chief executive Shane Guidry told TradeWinds Tuesday.

“[I] just came back from visiting several companies abroad,” said Guidry, who aims to do multiple combinations. “I still believe M&A needs to happen.

“What happens is, public companies like Tidewater, Hornbeck, they fear a guy like me,” he continued.