Posts Categorized: Caribbean News
TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico receives top honors in Quest for Quality Awards
August 7, 2018
TOTE received the best score in both the Value and IT categories
Jacksonville, FL – Last week it was announced that TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico was ranked number one in the value and IT categories for Ocean Carriers in this year’s Quest for Quality awards. These awards are a reflection of the long term investments being made by TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico – including the world’s first LNG powered containerships, terminal upgrades and custom equipment for customers – to ensure best in class service for the Puerto Rico market.
Logistics Management’s annual Quest for Quality awards ranks Ocean carriers. This annual award is driven by feedback from customers.
“TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico is excited to receive top honors in both of these categories” noted Tim Nolan, President and CEO of TOTE.
“Over the last few years, we have implemented new programs and secured new equipment to support diverse customer needs and ensure customer are receiving a best in class customer experience and great value when working with TOTE Maritime.”
Value and information technology, the categories where TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico scored highest in the industry, were ranked as the second and third most important attributes of a successful ocean carrier, preceded only by on-time performance.
Over the last five years, TOTE Maritime Puerto has invested in all aspects of operations to provide a competitive, best in class service for the Puerto Rico trade. These investments include new equipment, new vessels, updated operating systems, and new terminal systems to increase efficiency.
In the last six months, TOTE Maritime has launched a series of new and updated customer tools to improve the customer experience and increase the value of doing business with TOTE Maritime. These investments include additional new equipment such as 53’ and 40’ chassis as well as:
- an additional 300 x 40’ chassis delivered to Puerto Rico in June.
- an additional 220 x 53’ newly built containers, distributed in the last two months.
- an additional 200 x 53’ chassis are being delivered this week (week of August 6).
Most recently, TOTE Maritime launched a new mobile application allowing customers access to cargo and sailing information at any time of day from any device.
In addition to these equipment and IT updates, TOTE continues to adjust service offerings in line with customers’ needs. Specifically, TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico will continue to maintain Saturday gate hours in San Juan, as they have done since the beginning of 2018, to support customer cargo needs on the island.
“These updates are critical to providing customers with access to cargo and vessel information at any time of day from any device in the world” commented Bill Taylor, Vice President of Sales. “We know our customers expect best in class service and we are committed to providing the best customer experience possible.”
View the select list of Ocean Carrier Winners.
Leadership Transitions Announced for TOTE Maritime Companies
June 12, 2018
Michael Noone will become President of TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico and Grace Greene will assume the role of President at TOTE Maritime Alaska
Today TOTE announced leadership changes within its TOTE Maritime division. 
Michael Noone, currently President of TOTE Maritime Alaska will transition and become President at TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico. Grace Greene, currently Vice President and General Manager at TOTE Maritime Alaska has been promoted to President and will take over for Noone.
These transitions are the first changes within the TOTE organization following the announcement that Tim Nolan will step into the role of President and CEO following the retirement of Anthony Chiarello later this summer.
“I am excited for the opportunity to work with another TOTE company and I look forward to working closer with my colleagues in Jacksonville and San Juan in serving our customers in the Puerto Rico trade” commented Mike Noone. “It has been wonderful to work with my colleagues and the customers in the Alaska trade for the last five years – they have been like a family. Their commitment to Alaska is reflected in TOTE Maritime Alaska’s recent Quest for Quality Award as the Top Ocean Carrier. I am grateful for their support and dedication and I look forward to becoming a part of the Puerto Rico team.”
Noone has more than 30 years of experience in the maritime industry and has been with TOTE Maritime Alaska since 2013. He will officially step into his role on September 4, immediately following the Labor Day holiday. Greene will assume the role of President for TOTE Maritime Alaska on August 6.
“Having lived in Alaska for nearly 10 years, I have personally experienced the critical support that TOTE Maritime Alaska provides to the people and communities of this state” noted Grace Greene. “I look forward to serving as President of TOTE Maritime Alaska and working with the entire team to build on our 40 year success.”
Greene has worked for TOTE Maritime since 2014 and served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a helicopter pilot and Aircraft Commander.
“This is an exciting time for the TOTE family of companies” noted Nolan. “I am confident that we have the best people leading the TOTE Maritime organization into the future. Their leadership will build on TOTE’s 40+ year commitment to providing the best maritime shipping services to the communities of Alaska and Puerto Rico.”
About TOTE
TOTE is a leading transportation and logistics company, overseeing some of the most trusted companies in the U.S. domestic trade. TOTE Maritime Alaska and TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico bring a focus on reliability and service to their respective markets. TOTE Services offers crewing and technical services to meet the needs of commercial, privately owned and U.S. Government vessels. TOTE owns and operates the most environmentally friendly cargo fleet in U.S., including the world’s first LNG powered containerships that serve the Puerto Rico trade.
TOTE is part of the Saltchuk family of companies. For more information on TOTE please visit www.toteinc.com.
Tim Nolan named new President and CEO of TOTE
May 18, 2018
Tim Nolan, President & CEO, TOTE
Seattle, WA – Saltchuk has announced that Tim Nolan has been named the next President and CEO of TOTE Inc., the parent company to TOTE Maritime and TOTE Services.
Nolan, who currently serves as the President of TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico, has been with the TOTE family of companies since 2013. He will take over the helm July 16 from Anthony Chiarello who announced his retirement earlier this year.
Tim Engle, President of Saltchuk noted “We are pleased that Tim has accepted the role of President and CEO for TOTE. His strong leadership at TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico and more than 20 years in the transportation and logistics industry made him a natural choice to lead Saltchuk’s largest line of business.”
“I am honored and excited to step into this new leadership role with TOTE” commented Nolan. “The TOTE team is an exemplary group of people and I am confident that together we will make this a successful transition. I look forward to working closely with customers, vendors and key stakeholders as well as all of the TOTE companies.”
Nolan and his family will remain in Jacksonville, FL shifting TOTE’s corporate headquarters to Jacksonville where both TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico and TOTE Services are currently based.
Over the coming months, Nolan will work closely with Chiarello to ensure a smooth transition for the entire TOTE organization. One of Nolan’s first responsibilities will be to identify his successor – the next president for TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico.
Foss Maritime Arrives in Puerto Rico with Hundreds of Utility Trucks to Help Restore Power Grid
January 29, 2018
The shipment, from a coalition of 19 U.S. electric companies, included bucket trucks, line trucks, pickups, aerial lifts, CAT skid-steer loaders, digger derricks, and pull trailers. More than 1,000 line workers and other personnel from participating electric companies have flown in to meet the trucks and start work supporting the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to restore power.
Foss made the voyage from the Port of Virginia in Norfolk and the Port of Lake Charles in Louisiana to Ponce, Puerto Rico safely, in under two weeks, with five barges and two ocean-going tugs.
“It’s been an amazing collaboration between Foss and the utility companies to help restore the power grid in Puerto Rico,” said Capt. Peter Roney, Project Manager for Foss, “A lot of people are still without power, so we’re glad that we have the crews and vessels at the ready to help deliver these much needed resources to the island.”
In addition to the company’s latest project shipping utility trucks, Foss has been working in conjunction with Government agencies in support of relief and rebuilding efforts in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands for several months.
Under contract with FEMA, Foss arrived at the island on October 19, 2017 with three accommodation vessels, an ocean-going tug and more than 100 personnel, to provide warm meals and “floating hotels” for hundreds of first responders, including workers from the U.S. Department of Defense, FEMA and AmeriCorps. The company has also been contracted shipped a load of power equipment and three loads of water to the island.
Foss vessels remain in the region to assist as needed through continuing recovery efforts.
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Photos by Alvin Toro.
Foss Maritime Ships Hundreds of Utility Trucks to Help Restore Power in Puerto Rico
January 4, 2018
5 Barges Head Out This Weekend on 10-Day Voyage
SEATTLE, Wash. – At the Port of Virginia in Norfolk and the Port of Lake Charles in Louisiana, Foss Maritime is loading hundreds of utility trucks onto barges bound for Puerto Rico this week. It’s all part of the on-going effort to restore power to nearly half of the population who are without electricity.
Last Friday, Ricardo Rosselló, governor of Puerto Rico, announced that 1.5 million Puerto Ricans are still without power 100 days after Hurricane Maria hit Sept. 20. As part of the on-going power restoration effort, Foss is working with a coalition of 19 U.S. electric companies to deliver between 500 and 600 utility trucks, including bucket trucks, line trucks, pickups, aerial lifts, CAT skid-steer loaders, digger derricks, and pull trailers.
The electric companies are members of the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) that have pledged mutual assistance to support the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to restore power throughout the island.
The voyage from the U.S. mainland to Port of Ponce in Puerto Rico will take roughly ten days, with the trucks scheduled to arrive between January 16 and January 18. Hundreds of line workers and other personnel from participating electric companies will fly to meet the trucks and work on restoring power.
“This movement of hundreds of utility trucks is part of a comprehensive mobilization effort to get needed equipment to the island so utility crews can begin restoring power for the people of Puerto Rico,” said Will Roberts, Foss Chief Commercial Officer. “Foss is proud to be part of those efforts and continues to be at the ready as needs arise.”
In addition to the company’s current project shipping utility trucks, Foss has been helping support relief and rebuilding efforts in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands for several months.
Under contract with FEMA, Foss arrived at the island on October 19, 2017 with three accommodation vessels, an ocean-going tug and more than 100 personnel to provide warm meals and “floating hotels” for hundreds of first responders, including workers from the U.S. Department of Defense, FEMA and AmeriCorps. The company has also shipped a load of power equipment and three loads of water to the island.
Foss vessels remain in the region to assist as needed through continuing recovery efforts.