 The first liftboat was designed in 1955 by brothers Lynn and Orin Dean in Violet, Louisiana.In 1950 the Dean brothers owned a repair service for automobiles, marine, and farm equipment called Universal Repair Service which is now known as EBI, Elevating Boats LLC.EBI, Elevating Boats LLC, operates 30 liftboats that service the shallow water Oil & Gas industry in the Gulf of Mexico from their liftboat dock in Houma, Louisiana.