Posts Categorized: Energy Distribution
Seaside LNG Acquires LNG Bunker Barge Clean Jacksonville from TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico
February 9, 2023
Polaris and TOTE Services Sign Additional Long-term Service Contracts
Jacksonville, Florida – Seaside LNG announced the acquisition of the liquefied natural gas fueling barge Clean Jacksonville from TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico, LLC, a subsidiary of TOTE Group, LLC.
Seaside LNG’s maritime transportation company, Polaris New Energy, has contracted to continue fueling TOTE’s Marlin Class LNG-powered container ships and other commercial customers with its fleet of LNG bunker barges. The Clean Jacksonville recently reached a significant milestone having successfully completed her 300th bunkering at the Port of Jacksonville. 
Seaside now has the largest fleet of LNG barges operating in the United States. “Seaside continues to expand its ability to bring environmentally-friendly LNG to the shipping industry with our partnership in JAX LNG and our investments in growing the LNG barge fleet,” said Tim Casey, CEO of Seaside LNG. “Use of LNG as a maritime fuel delivers substantial environmental and public health benefits by dramatically lowering emissions of NOx, SOx, CO2 and particulate matter. By purchasing the Clean Jacksonville, our team gains not only a new customer and valuable operating partner, but also the opportunity to expand our fleet operations geographically.”
In addition, Polaris entered a long-term contract with TOTE Services, LLC, a separate subsidiary of TOTE Group, to continue serving as the technical manager of the Clean Jacksonville. The Clean Jacksonville complements the bunkering services of Polaris’ 5,500 m3 Clean Canaveral that operates along the coast of the southeastern U.S. and is the largest bunker barge in the Jones Act market. Polaris also has a second 5,500 m3 barge, the Clean Everglades, under construction which is scheduled for delivery by end of 2023.
“TOTE Services’ experience in bringing LNG to the maritime sector is the most extensive in the industry. By working across every aspect, from vessel construction to ship management and technical expertise, we help our customers achieve their business and environmental objectives,” added Jeff Dixon, President of TOTE Services. “We look forward to continuing to operate the Clean Jacksonville safely and reliably for years to come.”
The LNG for Polaris’ vessels is loaded at the Jacksonville dock of JAX LNG, an LNG production facility and joint venture between Seaside LNG and Pivotal LNG.
Montana-based Fuel Company Joins NorthStar Energy
March 18, 2022
With the addition of CityServiceValcon, NorthStar Energy expands its operational reach into Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Eastern Washington, and beyond.
NorthStar Energy, a business operating unit of the Saltchuk family of companies focused on the energy sector, announced this week that CityServiceValcon, based in Kalispell, Montana, and with operations in multiple states throughout the Plains, Rocky Mountain, and West Coast regions, will be joining its family of companies.
“Throughout the history of our company, it has always been our vision to grow and expand our business through honesty and integrity, maintain a strong capital foundation, provide a great environment for our employees, and give back to our communities,” said Tim O’Neal, president of CityServiceValcon. “Becoming part of the NorthStar Energy family helps us achieve this vision and we look forward to this partnership.”
CityServiceValcon was founded in 1932 and has a 90-year history of exemplary customer service. The company’s mission is to create a safe and healthy environment for its employees while providing innovative and high-quality products to its customers. As one of the major logistics and delivery industry leaders in the United States, CityServiceValcon touches businesses and residents in 20 states and operates in regions where fuel supply remains fragmented, yet fuel consumption is increasing along with population providing attractive growth opportunities.
“We are excited that CityServiceValcon will join the NorthStar Energy family,” said Bert Valdman, president and CEO of NorthStar Energy. “Our two companies are a strong cultural fit. We align well in terms of operating philosophy and customers served.”
CityServiceValcon is a market leader in fuel distribution across multiple product lines offering wholesale ground and aviation fuel programs from top national brands and independent refiners. Commercial products including propane, proprietary card lock, bulk fuel, and lubricants are distributed from its multiple locations across Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. The company serves customer needs in aviation, trucking, agriculture, mining, construction, government, and residential homes. CityServiceValcon’s experienced and long-tenured management team is committed to optimizing the business and has a track record of successful growth.
NorthStar’s current operating companies distribute fuel and lubricants throughout Alaska, Hawaii, and California. Its companies include Delta Western Petroleum, a highly respected petroleum and lubricant distributor in Alaska; Northern Oilfield Solutions, serving the North Slope of Alaska; Inlet Energy, Alaska’s premier lubricants distributor; Alaska Petroleum Distributing, the largest home-heating oil distributor in Fairbanks, Alaska; Hawaii Petroleum, the leading independent fuel marketer on Maui and the Big Island; and The Jankovich Company, a full-service marine and land fuel and lubricants specialist in Los Angeles and San Diego. The Jankovich Company, a family-owned business with a strong local brand, joined NorthStar in early 2021.
“NorthStar is now one step closer to becoming the West Coast’s leading fuel supplier,” Valdman continued. “We are well-positioned to support customers through the energy transition as the industry develops alternate fuels with lower carbon intensity.”
“Our aspiration to be the most respected marketer in the region remains the same,” O’Neal concluded, “Joining the NorthStar Energy family of businesses provides us an opportunity to expand and grow together.”
About CityServiceValcon
Established in 1932, CityServiceValcon is a robust full-service lubricants, fuels, and specialty products distributor that strives to provide high-quality, dependable delivery and superior service. We take care of our people by providing a safe and healthy work environment, and in turn, it allows us to serve customers across multiple industries with goods that keep commerce prospering, people comfortable and provide economic stability. Our customers, employees and vendors are the heart of our operations. For more information, visit cityservicevalcon.com.
In 2020, Saltchuk companies gave $4M to the communities we live and work in
November 15, 2021
Giving of time, talent, and treasure in the communities that support our employees and businesses is a value the founding members of Saltchuk shared, and one that has become a cornerstone of our family business.
We are proud that in 2020, during an extraordinary year of challenge for so many, Saltchuk companies provided almost $4M million in grants, in-kind freight transportation, and employee-matching contributions in our communities.
In 2020, Saltchuk matched employee donations of $187,000 and gave another $1.76 million in cash grants through individual operating companies and Saltchuk Regional Giving Committees in Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, and Florida/the Caribbean. Our Regional Giving Program expanded its usual support of youth development and postsecondary education to include emergent needs such as food security, housing, and healthcare insurance related to the COVID-19 crisis. Our companies provided nearly $2 million in in-kind transportation for emergency supplies, recycling, food bank donations, and other community programs. Whether focused on health, the environment, social services, the arts, youth, and/or education, Saltchuk companies intend for their gifts to build capacity and resiliency in our communities.
As shareholders, we set a minimum target for community giving to ensure consistency and accountability to our value of giving back. As we reflect on the last year, we want to express our appreciation and gratitude to the communities and employees who support our family of companies. We hope this report provides a sense of ownership and pride, reflecting the values we share and the commitment we as shareholders feel to our communities.
– Saltchuk Shareholders
Family-owned California fuel company joins NorthStar Energy
March 8, 2021
With the addition of The Jankovich Company, NorthStar Energy expands its operational reach into California to provide customers with best-in-class fuel solutions
SEATTLE – NorthStar Energy, a business operating unit of the Saltchuk family of companies focused on the energy sector, today announced that The Jankovich Company (TJC CA, LLC) based in San Pedro, California, will be joining its family of companies.
“I am very excited for this next chapter in our company’s story,” said Tom Jankovich, president of TJC CA, LLC. “One of the reasons our family chose to say ‘yes’ to NorthStar was because of its commitment to honoring its operating companies’ histories, their local resources, and their people.”
Thomas B. Jankovich founded The Jankovich Company in 1933. Despite a massive earthquake, adverse economic conditions, and fierce competition in the Los Angeles Harbor, the small business thrived, serving the local fishing fleet for the next 40 years. In 1977, Tom Jankovich, took over the company and continues to grow it today, serving land and marine customers from the Pacific Ocean east to Nevada and from the Mexican border north to the San Francisco Bay. With strategically located facilities throughout Southern California, Jankovich’s family-owned culture was built on the core value of taking responsibility and engaging with its employees, customers, and communities.
“Our companies complement each other in terms of culture and operations” said Bert Valdman, president and CEO of NorthStar Energy. “NorthStar’s values are rooted in safety, environmental compliance, and sustainability, while driven by a service-oriented, entrepreneurial spirit that aligns with the Jankovich Company’s past 88 years of operating on the pillars of safety, sustainability, integrity, and service.”
TJC CA, LLC is a full-service marine products supplier offering bunkering, marine lubricant deliveries via truck or barge, and dock-side fueling of commercial vessels, mega yachts, and pleasure craft. On land, the company offers a full spectrum of fuel and lubricant solutions that anticipate customer needs, prevent emergencies, and eliminate stress on customers’ organizations. TJC CA, LLC also provides a comprehensive line of products, equipment, and related supplies to auto dealerships, car washes, marinas, truck fleets, and more.
NorthStar’s current operating companies distribute fuel and lubricants throughout Alaska and Hawaii. Its companies include Delta Western Petroleum, a highly respected petroleum and lubricant distributor in Alaska; Northern Oilfield Solutions, serving the North Slope of Alaska; Inlet Energy, Alaska’s premier lubricants distributor; Hawaii Petroleum, the leading independent fuel marketer on Maui and the Big Island; and Alaska Petroleum Distributing, the largest home-heating oil distributor in Fairbanks, Alaska. Alaska Petroleum, a family-owned business with a strong local brand, joined NorthStar in late 2019.
“Expanding into California allows us to provide integrated, point-to-point service for many of our marine customers who travel along the west coast,” Valdman continued. “We are looking forward to having The Jankovich Company as part of the NorthStar family of companies and collaborating for future innovation and growth.”
“While change is a natural part of growth and inevitable over time,” Jankovich concluded, “The Jankovich Company remains a family business. Our culture and practices will be strengthened as part of the NorthStar Energy family. This is an opportunity to expand and learn from one another.”
About NorthStar Energy
NorthStar Energy companies operate in some of the most remote communities in Alaska and Hawaii, where traditional fuel is still a critical and vital resource. It is up to us to deliver this commodity safely, ethically, and without harm to the local environment. We believe all businesses must commit to a cleaner future, investing in more efficient operations, products, and services. Our responsibility is to guide our customers to the future of fuel while navigating the complexities of remote geographies and economies. With future generations always front of mind, we repositioned our petroleum distribution line of business into a forward-thinking energy holding company in 2018, rebranding NorthStar Petroleum into NorthStar Energy.
For more information, visit www.nsenergy.com.
About The Jankovich Co.
Established in 1933, The Jankovich Company. is a full-service lubricants, fuels, and specialty products distributor. Family- owned and operated, we combine world-class resources while maintaining adaptability, flexibility, and best-in-class services. We provide products of the highest quality from the world’s leading brands in Land and Marine, Lubricants, Fuels, Equipment, and Supply. And we offer unrivaled experience and proven expertise in Automotive, Industrial, Commercial, Marine, and Aviation industries. With a technical and operating staff available 24/7 and a comprehensive, streamlined delivery process, we can meet your needs quickly and efficiently, all at the highest standards of safety, sustainability and integrity.
For more information, visit thejankovichcompany.com.
CONTACT:
Thien-Di (“Zee”) Do
VP, Marketing & Communications
NorthStar Energy
o: (206) 357-1756
Saltchuk Giving Initiative – Hawai‘i Region Donates $60,000 to Local Food Banks
April 24, 2020
Four food banks across the state will each receive $15,000 amid the COVID-19 pandemic
HONOLULU, HAWAI‘I – In an effort to feed local families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Saltchuk Hawai‘i companies: Aloha Air Cargo, Hawai‘i Petroleum, Minit Stop, and Young Brothers, LLC, donated $60,000 today to support the critical service Hawai‘i’s food banks provide to our island communities. The Hawai‘i Foodbank, Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank, Maui Food Bank, and the Food Basket will each receive $15,000 to support their efforts to feed families in need.
Photo courtesy of the Hawaiʻi Foodbank.
“Food insecurity is one of many challenges local families across the state are facing right now as a result of the coronavirus pandemic,” said Jay Ana, president of Young Brothers, LLC. “In addition to supporting local food banks with in-kind transportation, we are grateful for the opportunity to join our sister companies in helping to support our food banks in this way.”
The Saltchuk Giving Initiative – Hawai‘i Region typically awards funds to nonprofits in the sectors of youth development and post-secondary education programming. However, in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the initiative recognized the current need to support our local food banks that are providing vital services to keep our communities healthy and strong.
“We know there is a huge need for basic necessities such as food and water and we’re here to help the communities that have trusted us for so long,” said Kimo Haynes, president of Hawaiʻi Petroleum. “By focusing our donation to organizations who have established infrastructure, we can quickly help the people who need it the most.”
“Hawaii’s food banks are recognized both nationally and locally for its mission to feed those in need,” said Travis Colbert, Vice President & General Manager of Aloha Air Cargo. “It was a logical choice for a far-reaching effect during this very challenging time.”
Since its inception in 2014, the Saltchuk Giving Initiative – Hawai‘i Region has given over $1.4 million in grants to various non-profit organizations. In 2019, Saltchuk Hawaii companies provided more than $280,000 in grants and in-kind transportation to the community.
About the Saltchuk Giving Initiative – Hawai‘i Region
The Saltchuk Giving Initiative – Hawaii Region, accepts applications from non-profit organizations statewide whose primary purpose is to further post-secondary education and youth development. For more information, visit www.saltchuk.com/about-us/giving.
About Aloha Air Cargo
Headquartered in Honolulu, Aloha Air Cargo, delivers fast, economical and reliable transport of goods between the Hawaiian Islands of Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Island of Hawaii. It became an independent cargo operator after the closure of Aloha Airlines passenger services in May 2008. Aloha Tech Ops is a division of Aloha Air Cargo and provides maintenance and engineering services to airlines in the State of Hawaii. For more information, visit, www.alohaaircargo.com.
About Hawai‘i Petroleum
Hawaii Petroleum is a wholesale and retail marketer of fuel products, convenience retailing and signature island fare operating on the islands of Maui and Hawaii. With a modern fleet of bulk delivery vehicles, 7 commercial HFN cardlocks, 20 Ohana Fuels retail stations, and 16 Minit Stop stores, Hawaii Petroleum’s mission is to be the preferred provider in the markets we serve. For more information, visit https://hawaiipetroleum.com/.
About Young Brothers, LLC
Young Brothers, with approximately 370 employees across the state, has served Hawai‘i since 1900. Young Brothers is a publicly regulated water carrier providing weekly port calls from Honolulu to the state’s neighbor island ports, including Hilo, Kawaihae, Kahului, Kaumalapau, Kaunakakai, and Nāwiliwili. For more information, visit www.youngbrothershawaii.com.