News

Foss Maritime Welcomes New Chief Operating Officer

December 8, 2015

Industry veteran John Parrott to oversee operating divisions, strategic planning and best practices

SEATTLE, WA.–  Foss Maritime is pleased to announce that John Parrott will be joining the Foss executive team as Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Parrott comes to Foss from sister company, TOTE Maritime Alaska, where he has served as President for sixteen years. In his new role as Foss’ COO, Parrott will be responsible for overseeing key operating divisions, developing and delivering on strategic plans, and optimizing day-to-day operations through implementation of best practices throughout the organization.

“We are thrilled to have John join us in our corporate office after the first of the year,” said Paul Stevens, President and CEO of Foss Maritime. “John is a maritime industry veteran who is well known to us at Foss. We look forward to having his expertise and experience on board.”

After ten years sailing aboard a wide range of vessels in trade routes around the world, Parrott began at TOTE Maritime in 1992 as the Chief Mate of the SS Northern Lights. In 1994 he came ashore, and later became the General Manager for Sea Star Stevedore, which manages the loading, discharge and terminal operations for TOTE Maritime. In 2002, Parrott returned to TOTE Maritime as the Alaska General Manager, where he was soon promoted to Vice President/GM, then VP of Commercial before being named President of TOTE Maritime Alaska in 2009.

In 2011 U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood named Parrott a member of the Marine Transportation System National Advisory Council. MTSNAC is a chartered, non-federal body whose purpose is to advise the Secretary of Transportation on MTS issues including the effective use and expansion of America’s Marine Highway, port development and development challenges.

Parrott sits on the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce board of directors and travels to Washington D.C. each year with the WA-to-WA delegation. He serves on the Seaman’s Services board of directors and is the treasurer for the Annie Wright Schools Board of Trustees. A strong believer in communities and education, Parrott is also active with The Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound’s Great Futures scholarship program.

Born in Seattle, Parrott has a BS degree in Marine Transportation from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy; Kings Point, New York, and an MBA from Seattle University. He is a licensed master in the U.S. Merchant Marines and holds a commission in the United States Naval Reserve. Parrott, his wife and three children live in Tacoma.

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ABOUT FOSS MARITIME
Founded in 1889, Seattle-based Foss Maritime offers a complete range of maritime services and project management to customers across the Pacific Rim, Europe, South America and around the globe. Foss has one of the largest fleets of tugs and barges on the American West Coast. The company has harbor services and transportation operations in all major U.S. West Coast ports, including the Columbia and Snake River system, Hawaii and Alaska. Foss operates two shipyards and offers worldwide marine transportation, emphasizing safety, environmental responsibility and high-quality service. See www.foss.com for more information.

Saltchuk’s Alaska-Washington companies contribute more than 45,400 meals to local food banks during 2-week food drive in April

May 15, 2015

Saltchuk and its companies Carlile Transportation, Delta Western/Inlet Petroleum, Foss Maritime, Interstate Distributor, Northern Air Cargo/Northern Air Maintenance & TOTE joined forces April 15-May 1 to raise funds and food donations for Emergency Food Network, Northwest Harvest and Food Bank of Alaska.

Five locations in Alaska and seven locations in Washington, representing more than 1,000 employees in Washington and more than 700 in Alaska, collected foods and funds to support their local food banks.

In just two weeks, Saltchuk companies raised $8,906 and donated 2,220 pounds of food, equaling more than 45,400 meals for families in need!

Totem Ocean honored with Paw of Approval Award for its innovative work in reducing carbon emissions

April 28, 2015

Metro Parks Commission President Tim Reid presents honor to Totem Ocean Trailer Express

TACOMA, Wash. – Totem Ocean Trailer Express is the winner of the third annual Polar Bear Paw of Approval Award presented by Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, the Sustainable Tacoma Commission and the Arctic Action Teams.

The Paw of Approval recognizes outstanding achievement by a Pierce County business in reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

Park Board President Tim Reid presented the award, which was accepted by Hartleigh Caine, senior operations manager for Totem Ocean Trailer Express. She also is a Zoo Society board member. The Paw of Approval spotlights work being done to combat climate change, a key to maintaining habitat for polar bears and other Arctic animals.

“We are fortunate to have a corporate neighbor like Totem Ocean Trailer Express, with a strong commitment to environmental sustainability, operating out of Tacoma,” said John Garner, a passionate conservation specialist who instituted the award during his tenure as the zoo’s education curator. “It’s a pleasure to recognize a company that is leading the nation in addressing global climate change.”

Totem Ocean, which supplies more than one-third of all goods to the state of Alaska, installed shoreside power for its ships in 2010, according to its nomination for the Paw of Approval Award. Shoreside power allows ships to recharge through the electrical grid as they load and unload, instead of burning fuel oil while docked. The shipping company said this allowed it to reduce its greenhouse emissions by 2,600 tons per year.

The company also is working to convert its fleet to liquefied natural gas (LNG), reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 35 percent and other air emissions and particulate matter by at least 90 percent. It expects to begin conversion of one ship this year and another in 2016. “We are honored to receive this award and proud of the work that we are doing to reduce our impact on the environment,” noted John Parrott, President of Totem Ocean Trailer Express. “We care deeply about the communities we serve, and converting our ships to LNG will further reduce our carbon dioxide emissions and improve air quality.”

The Paw of Approval award signifies the power of polar bears, some of the most magnificent mammals on earth, and emphasizes the link between the animals’ health and climate change.
Polar bears rely on sea ice to launch their hunts for the seals that sustain their lives. Unchecked destruction of hunting grounds due to climate change endangers their existence.

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium long has aided polar bear research and conservation efforts. The zoo parking lots and drives are “idle free” zones, in which motorists are asked to turn their engines off while they’re waiting for someone, thus reducing tailpipe emissions.

“The race to save polar bears will not be run in the Arctic, but instead in the cities that produce emissions tied to global warming,” said Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium Education Curator Karen Povey, who made a presentation about the Paw of Approval award before parks commissioners on Monday evening. “We’re proud to acknowledge that Totem Ocean shares the values of the zoo and Metro Parks Tacoma in providing leadership in environmental stewardship within our community,” she added. The zoo is home to three polar bears, Boris, Blizzard and Glacier.
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, the Northwest’s only combined zoo and aquarium, promotes responsible stewardship of the world’s resources through education, conservation, research and recreational opportunities. The zoo, a division of Metro Parks Tacoma, is accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) and the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums (AMMPA).

Totem Ocean recognized by Evergreen Safety Council

April 28, 2015

Federal Way- Totem Ocean Trailer Express (Totem Ocean) was honored to receive the Evergreen Safety Council’s 2014 John D. Spellman Safety Award earlier this month.

Patty Ludden, Safety, Loss Prevention and Quality Director for Totem Ocean Trailer Express, Inc. accepts the John D. Spellman Safety Award

Evergreen Safety Council is a private, non-profit (501(c)(3)), non-governmental organization based in Kirkland, Washington, with a dedicated corps of contract instructors that deliver safety and health information and training to the businesses, governmental entities, and communities of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska.

The award recognizes programs Totem Ocean has implemented in the last two years, resulting in two consecutive years without a recordable or time loss injury at Totem Ocean’s three facilities.

See the full story here

Saltchuk honored as Corporate Partner of the Year

February 26, 2015

SEATTLE – Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound held its annual Big Breakfast this week, celebrating the relationship between its adult volunteer mentors and the young people they help guide to successful adulthood and honoring its top corporate community partner of the year

At the mentoring organization’s annual Big Breakfast in downtown Seattle, BBBSPS shared the story of two matches as shining examples of the organization’s work to provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever.

Brianne King, a financial services director for the Orting School District, was matched with her Little Sister, CyCy, when CyCy was 12. King helped guide CyCy through a difficult time early in her high school years. The two bonded over cooking and King was always there to offer support and guidance as CyCy made a courageous move to a new school that allowed her to succeed. CyCy is now 18 and preparing for nursing school. When Eric Olson and Octavio were matched, Octavio was an extremely shy and retiring 9-year-old. To help draw him out, Olson suggested that the two write a book together. When the book was finished, Olson suggested that they publish it, and that Octavio sell it around his neighborhood for a dollar. Later, Octavio suggested that they write yet another book. Olson also worked successfully with Octavio’s mother and teachers to improve his reading and writing. When he returned from summer break, Octavio had improved his reading by several levels and had become more outgoing.

During the Big Breakfast the agency named Brianne King as the 2014 Big Sister of the Year and Eric Olson as the 2014 Big Brother of the Year. This week King and Olson were also named Big Brother and Big Sister of the State of Washington and nominated for the nationwide Big Brother and Big Sister of the Year competition to be named at the Big Brothers Big Sisters National Conference in Philadelphia in June 2015.

“King and Olson are shining examples of the power of one-to-one mentoring in the lives of our Littles.,” said Amy R. Mack, President and CEO. “Working with parents, teachers and their individual case managers they helped their Little’s set and achieve goals putting them on the path to success.”

The organization also honored Saltchuk as its 2014 Corporate Community Partner of the Year. Saltchuk, a diversified transportation company that owns local companies including Foss Maritime, Interstate Distributor, North Star Petroleum and Totem Ocean Trailer Express, has been a long-time supporter of BBBSPS at every level including board leadership, event sponsorship, and employee involvement.  In 2014 Saltchuk invested more than $170,000 in agency programs through sponsorships and a new multi-year grant.  

“We are incredibly grateful for organizations like Saltchuk that value what we do and want to see our work grow and succeed,” said Mack. Simply put Saltchuk is doing all it can do to make Big Brothers Big Sisters programs available for children facing adversity in the Puget Sound community.”