Posts Categorized: International Shipping
Foss Maritime Center provides 24/7 service, enhancing safety and shoreside services to Saltchuk companies’ maritime fleets
June 7, 2016
Foss expands services to Foss Maritime Center in Portland
Portland, OR. – Foss Maritime has expanded services offered at its Portland terminal and dispatch center, now called the Foss Maritime Center (FMC), to include a 24/7 call center with fleet monitoring and weather service capabilities.
On June 1, the FMC opened to support Foss’ international fleet of tugs and marine assets as well as the maritime fleets of sister companies TOTE Services and Tropical Shipping.
The expansion, the result of a collaboration of Saltchuk companies served by the FMC, included a renovation of Foss’ Portland offices located on the shores of the Columbia River and the addition of staff trained to enhance safety and situational awareness of maritime fleets operating around the globe.
While a vessels’ master remains the final authority on all operational decisions, the FMC Staff are specially trained to use multiple information sources to keep Mariners and those who support them well ahead of potential hazards and provide actionable information to support decision making. Emergency calls to the Call Center will be forwarded to designated points of contact within the companies’ shoreside operations.
“The Foss Maritime Center allows us to standardize and enhance support for the Saltchuk family of companies,” said Foss Maritime President & CEO Paul Stevens. “We’re taking state of the art technology and pairing it with our own experienced and dedicated staff – this is a natural extension on Foss’ promise of ‘Always Safe, Always Ready.’”
Features of the Foss Maritime Center include:
- 24/7 Watch Stander – Call Center staffed by professional mariners. The call center will have the ability to immediately see the vessels location, its route, and the prevailing weather conditions.
- Fleet Monitoring to collect information through automated situational alerting and Watch Stander observation.
- Weather Monitoring will be provided by enhanced weather tools for information, monitoring and rerouting support.
Tropical Shipping and CDEMA Sign MOU
December 8, 2015
Tropical Shipping and the Caribbean Disaster Management Agency, CDEMA, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance disaster response in the region. The signing took place at the 9th Caribbean Conference on Comprehensive Disaster Management at Melia Nassau Beach Resort, November 30 to December 4, 2015.
CDEMA and Tropical Shipping established a mutual agreement to coordinate activities to enhance disaster preparedness and response in the region
NASSAU, The Bahamas – A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Tropical Shipping and the Caribbean Disaster Management Agency, CDEMA, to enhance disaster response in the region.
The first of such agreement was entered into at the 9th Caribbean Conference on Comprehensive Disaster Management at the Melia Nassau Beach Resort, November 30 to December 4, 2015.
“Tropical for the last 25 years has been committed to assisting the communities in our service area recover from disasters. The signing of the MOU with CEDEMA confirms Tropical Shipping’s continued commitment to building community resilience to disasters throughout the Caribbean,” said Rick Murrell, Chief Executive Officer.
Tropical Shipping and CDEMA have collaborated informally in disaster response for ensuring the transportation of relief supplies to affected countries.
On December 3, through the signing of this MOU, CDEMA and Tropical Shipping established a mutual agreement to coordinate activities wherever possible, to enhance disaster preparedness and response in the region.
“I am pleased that we have with us today Mr. Rick Murrell, Chief Executive Officer of Tropical Shipping for the signing ceremony of the first Memorandum of Understanding between CDEMA and Tropical Shipping,” said Ronald Jackson, Executive Director of CDEMA.
Tropical Shipping considers itself to be a Caribbean company, as it has been providing freighting services throughout The Bahamas and the region for many years. This company has shown its commitment to disaster management through its support for disaster preparedness and response.
“As we know, the Caribbean countries are vulnerable to a wide range of hazards, particularly those of hydro meteorological origin,” Mr. Jackson said.
He noted that CDEMA, though mandate was officially expanded in 2009 from disaster response to promoting loss reduction in the region, and is responsible for providing an immediate and coordinated response by means of emergency relief to any affected Participating State that requests such assistance after being affected by an emergency.
Tropical Shipping and CDEMA have collaborated informally in disaster response for ensuring the transportation of relief supplies to affected countries.
“CDEMA is pleased to formalize this relationship with Tropical Shipping and we look forward to a long and fruitful partnership for the benefit of our region,” Mr. Jackson said.
By Lindsay Thompson
Bahamas Information Services
(BIS Photo/Lindsay Thompson)
Employee celebrations mark Tropical Shipping joining Saltchuk family of companies
September 19, 2014
Palm Beach, Florida – Steel drums and a traditional Bahamian Junkanoo dance troop entertained a crowd of more than 325 Tropical Shipping employees as they celebrated the 51-year old company and its subsidiaries officially joining the Saltchuk family of companies, the sale was finalized September 2.
Tropical Shipping employees celebrated the closing of the sale of the 51-year old company and its subsidiaries to Saltchuk Resources.
Three gatherings were held last week in Palm Beach and Miami, bringing together more than 550 of the company’s 1,000 employees. “It was important that this be about our employees. It was an opportunity for them to meet our new owners and to celebrate this next chapter in our company’s story,” said Mark Chapman, Tropical’s Vice President of Organizational Support .
Tropical Shipping CEO Rick Murrell, who has been with the company more than 40 years, shared enthusiasm for the transaction that brought Tropical and Saltchuk together.
“We have known about the Saltchuk organization for many years and have always believed we would make a great team. Now it is a reality,” wrote Murrell in an email to employees. “I believe this is a historical moment for Tropical Shipping. Furthermore, I can’t express enough gratitude to the AGL leadership and organization for their stewardship and thoughtfulness in positioning Tropical and its employees for a long and successful future.”
Saltchuk, a family of nationally recognized transportation and distribution companies, welcomed Tropical as its sixth business unit. Tropical, along with its sister companies TOTE, Foss, North Star Petroleum, Northern Aviation Services and Interstate Distributor, brings Saltchuk’s portfolio to nearly $3 billion in annual sales and more than 7,500 employees nationwide.
Tropical CEO Rick Murrell presents a scale model of the company’s flagship, the Tropic Unity, to Saltchuk primary shareholders Nicole Engle and Denise Tabbutt, Saltchuk Chairman Mark Tabbutt and President Tim Engle (not pictured).
Denise Tabbutt, one of the three sisters who are primary shareholders of Saltchuk welcomed employees. “My sisters and I are so proud to welcome you to the Saltchuk family. I have never met more enthusiastic and happy people. You are an inspiration to us,” she said. “Thank you for everything you do to make Tropical such an amazing company.”
While the ownership transition is a significant event, the company doesn’t expect any change in day-to-day operations of the Caribbean Shipping Line.
“Today we celebrate, and tomorrow it’s business as usual,” said Murrell. “We will continue to serve our customers with the best service possible and will begin planning for a future supported by a parent company which brings a broader scope of opportunity to serve our customers. We are excited to learn from our sister companies who are implementing LNG (liquefied natural gas) as a transportation fuel. We believe there’s great things ahead for Tropical.”
AGL Resources Closes Sale of Tropical Shipping to Saltchuk
September 2, 2014
ATLANTA- AGL Resources Inc. (NYSE: GAS) today announced it has closed the sale of its Tropical Shipping and Seven Seas Insurance businesses to a subsidiary of Seattle-based Saltchuk Resources, Inc.. As a result of the sale, AGL Resources received approximately $220 million in after-tax net proceeds and repatriated cash, subject to certain post-closing adjustments.
“We are excited to close this important transaction, and to further simplify our business to focus on our core competencies,” said Andrew W. Evans, executive vice president and chief financial officer of AGL Resources. “We have worked to be good stewards of the Tropical Shipping business, and have significant confidence in the management team in place. Further, we believe that Saltchuk represents the best ultimate owner to ensure that Tropical’s markets are served responsibly. We will greatly miss our interaction with all individuals involved but believe that we have served all constituents well.”
Saltchuk Announces Acquisition of Tropical Shipping
April 7, 2014
A subsidiary of Saltchuk Resources, one of the nation’s leading transportation and petroleum distribution companies, has entered into a binding purchase & sale agreement to acquire Tropical Shipping and its related companies.
The acquisition includes the premier shipping and logistics company for the Bahamas and Caribbean, Tropical Shipping and all of its related transportation, consolidation and cargo insurance companies. As an international foreign flagged shipping and logistics operation, Tropical and its related companies will become Saltchuk’s sixth line of business. Tropical will continue to operate as a standalone operation.
The addition of Tropical Shipping to the Saltchuk family of companies furthers the company’s commitment to the Caribbean market. For fifteen years Saltchuk has been serving the people of Puerto Rico through Sea Star Line, its U.S. flag operation. Tropical’s foreign flag fleet provides service to the balance of the region.
With the addition of Tropical, Saltchuk will employ 7,500 people nationwide. The company was recently named one of the 2014 World’s Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute.
“Most importantly, Tropical shares our values. The Company has a strong safety culture, has the best on time service in its region, and is committed to giving back to the communities which it serves,” said Saltchuk Chairman Mark Tabbutt and President Tim Engle in an announcement to employees. “All of the traits that make our other companies so strong can be found also at Tropical.”
The sale is expected to close within the next 90 days.