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At Saltchuk we’re proud of the positive impact our companies are making in their respective industries and communities. Regular updates will be posted here. Media Inquiries? Contact Emily Reiter at .Young Brothers Invests $80 Million to Improve Service, Reliability and Efficiency
June 27, 2016
Conrad Shipyard Contracted to Construct Four New Tugs
HONOLULU, HI. –Young Brothers, Limited, Hawai‘i’s largest inter-island cargo service provider, and Conrad Shipyard, a Louisiana-based company, have signed a contract to construct four new tugs. The nearly $80 million investment will support Young Brothers’on-time service, reliability, and efficiency. The first tug will be delivered in the first quarter of 2018, and the fourth by the first quarter of 2019.
Committed to Customer Service and Hawai‘i’s Future. 
Young Brothers, and its investors, are committed to investing in this critical component of Young Brothers’ service. The new tugs will improve Young Brothers’ ability to provide regular cargo service to island communities and enhance service through lower maintenance, less down time, better tow speeds, greater operating efficiencies, and lower environmental impacts.
“Our investment in these new tugs will directly support and further our commitment to frequent, reliable, affordable and universal service for decades into the future,” said Young Brothers President Glenn Hong.
New Tugs Designed for Young Brothers and Matched with High Capacity Barges.
The powerful 6,000 horsepower, 123 foot by 36.5 foot vessels are designed to match with Young Brothers’ fleet of modern high capacity barges (delivered from 2007 to 2010).
“The new contract is a tribute to the extraordinary skills and coordination of the parties as well as our joint commitment to quality, craftsmanship and developing a vessel suited to the needs and demands of the Hawai‘i service,” said Conrad Shipyard President and CEO Johnny Conrad.
The four new tugs will constitute the core of the company’s towing capacity for their 35-year life expectancy. Young Brothers worked in conjunction with its parent company, Foss Maritime, and the Naval Architects in Foss’ Technical Services Department to research various tug hull designs, engines, and towing equipment options. It was through this collaboration that Young Brothers was able to ensure that the latest advances in safety, environmental protection and crew habitability were incorporated into the tug design.
The Damen designed vessels will be powered by General Electric, 8L250MDC, state-of-the-art EPA Tier IV emissions compliant exhaust gas recirculation engines.
New Tugs Dedicated to Skills and Towing Innovations of Hawaiian Navigators.
These new American built tugs will be known as the Kāpena Class of ocean towing vessels. “The Kāpena Class, or captain class, celebrates the incredible seamanship of Hawaiian navigators,” said Hong. “Young Brothers will honor their skills and innovations by naming each of the four new tugs after their former captains.” The tugs will be ‘homeported’ on the neighbor island ports, underscoring the company’s service commitments to Hawai‘i’s communities.
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About Young Brothers
Young Brothers, Limited, with approximately 360 employees across the state, has served Hawaiʻi since 1900. Young Brothers is a publicly regulated water carrier providing 12 weekly port calls from Honolulu to the state’s neighbor island ports, including Hilo, Kawaihae, Kahului, Kaumalapau, Kaunakakai and Nāwiliwili. For more information and a new website that includes “today’s barge arrivals” visit www.youngbrothershawaii.com.
About Conrad Shipyard
Conrad Shipyard was established in 1948 and is headquartered in Morgan City, Louisiana. The company designs, builds and overhauls tugboats, ferries, liftboats, barges, offshore supply vessels and other steel and aluminum products for both commercial and government markets. The company provides both repair and new construction services at its five Gulf Coast shipyards located in southern Louisiana and Texas.
Foss Maritime Vessels Receive Safety Award
June 22, 2016
Seventy-three Vessels Recognized for Years of Safe Operations
SEATTLE, Wash. – The Chamber of Shipping of America (CSA) has recognized 73 vessels of Foss Maritime and their subsidiary companies with the 2015 Jones F. Devlin award for outstanding safety records.
The Jones F. Devlin Award is one of two award programs CSA has sponsored since 1968. The award is given to self-propelled merchant vessels that have operated for two full years or more without a crew member involved in a lost-time incident. It publicly recognizes the skill and dedication of the men and women who are responsible for safe vessel operations. 
The 73 Foss vessels were recognized at the CSA Annual Safety Awards Luncheon held this year on June 8 in New Orleans. Altogether, the Foss and subsidiary company vessels achieved the equivalent of 562 years of incident-free operation. Sixty-one vessels had five or more years, and eighteen vessels boasted 10 to 22 years without a lost-time injury.
“This year, awards were conferred on 1522 vessels that operated 10,084 years without a lost-time incident,” said Kathy Metcalf, CSA President. “This extraordinary record is directly attributable to the professionalism of our seafarers and the dedication of shore-based company personnel to safe operation. These mariners are the front line in ensuring the safe and environmentally responsible operation of the vessels on which they serve.”
“Foss does not take safety lightly,” said Paul Stevens, Foss president and CEO. “We carry a deep obligation to the safety of our people and the environment, and this is evident in everything we do. We’re constantly improving and adding to our safety programs, training, resources and operations. We want every one of our valuable people to return home safely, and we do all that we can to make sure that happens.”
A list of the vessels receiving the award is posted on CSA’s website www.knowships.org. Click on “Press Releases”.
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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.
ABOUT CSA
The Chamber of Shipping of America represents 31 U.S. based companies that own, operate or charter oceangoing tankers, container ships, dry bulk vessels engaged in both the domestic and international trades and companies that maintain a commercial interest in the operation of such oceangoing vessels. Current members include companies that own or operate U.S. flag or foreign-flag ships. A company owning or operating only foreign-flag tonnage must have an office in the United States to qualify for membership.
John Parrott to Assume Role of President of Foss Maritime
June 17, 2016
Paul Stevens to transition to executive role at parent company
SEATTLE, Wash., – Foss Maritime Company Chief Operating Officer John Parrott will take over the role of President of Foss Maritime, assuming responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the company as of August 1, 2016. Current President and CEO, Paul Stevens, will remain CEO of Foss until the end of 2016. He will then move to Foss’ parent company, Saltchuk, where he will serve as Senior Vice President and Managing Director.
Parrott, who came to Foss as COO in January of this year from sister company TOTE Maritime, takes the helm with over 28 years of maritime experience, both at sea and ashore. “Foss is an incredibly dynamic company,” said Parrott. “We are building on more than 125 years of safe, innovative service, and we have an exciting road ahead. I’m honored to be part of this iconic company.”
Paul Stevens to transition to Saltchuk.
Paul Stevens has had a distinguished maritime career for more than 40 years. “I’m happy to turn over the company to someone with an extensive maritime background and who has earned the respect of our owner group at Saltchuk through his contributions at TOTE Maritime,” said Stevens.
“Paul has led Foss through an incredible period of growth and has served as an adept leader within our company for more than 13 years,” said Tim Engle, President of Saltchuk. “We are grateful that we will continue to have Paul’s leadership and expertise serving the entire Saltchuk family of companies.”
In his new role at Saltchuk, Stevens will support various strategic initiatives currently underway and will help support Saltchuk’s growth activities.
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.
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.
Second Foss Arctic Class Ocean Tug Christened
June 7, 2016
Powerful Denise Foss ready to join the fleet in the Arctic far North
SEATTLE, Wash., – The second of three state-of-the-art Arctic Class tugs, the Denise Foss, was christened June 1, 2016 at the Foss Waterway Seaport in Tacoma, Wash. Built at the Foss Rainier, OR. Shipyard, the Denise is designed to operate in the extreme conditions of the far north, and will enter service this summer.
John Parrott introducing Denise Tabbutt.
Foss COO John Parrott conducted opening remarks. Parrott applauded the hard work and dedication of the people, designers, and customers that made this project possible. He also introduced Denise Tabbutt, the vessel’s namesake and one of the three sisters who are primary shareholders of Saltchuk, the parent company of Foss Maritime.
Tabbutt spoke at the event and had the honor of breaking the ceremonial bottle of champagne across the hull of the Denise Foss. “It’s a proud moment for the people whose vision and leadership inspired the creation of this tugboat class to support our commitment to Alaska and the Arctic,” said Tabbutt. “In order to stay relevant in a fast and ever changing world, it’s important we remain committed to our shared values and continue looking for opportunities to better serve our customers. The Arctic Class tugs are the perfect example of this commitment.”
Mike Magill, Vice President of Foss’ Technical Services, praised the team at the Rainier Shipyard–many who were present for the christening–for their commitment to safety, quality, and the obvious pride they take in their work.
“The Rainier shipyard is now gone 879 days without a Lost Time Incident,” said Magill. “In an industry where far too often injuries and accidents are answered with excuses, the Rainier team has taken responsibility to embrace our safety culture and the results bear this out.”
The Denise Foss is ice class D0, meaning the hulls are designed specifically for polar waters and are reinforced to maneuver in ice. The first of the three Arctic tugs, the Michele Foss debut in 2015 and has performed above and beyond expectations. The Michele lead the way in safely pioneering a new route across the North Slope, while operating in extreme conditions of first year ice a meter thick.
Like the Michele, the Denise complies with the requirements in the ABS Guide for Building and Classing Vessels
The Denise Foss, ready for the Arctic far North.
Intended to Operate in Polar Waters, including ABS A1 standards, SOLAS and Green Passport. She includes a Caterpillar C280-8 main engine, which complies with the highest federal environmental standards; a Nautican propulsion system; and Reintjes reduction gears. Markey Machinery supplied the tow winch.
The tug has a bollard pull of 221,000 pounds.
The vessel incorporates several environmentally focused designs and structural and technological upgrades, including:
- Elimination of ballast tanks, so there is no chance of transporting invasive species;
- Holding tanks for black and gray water to permit operations in no-discharge zones (such as parts of Alaska and California);
- Hydraulic oil systems compatible with biodegradable oil; Energy efficient LED lighting;
- and High-energy absorption Schuyler fendering.
The Denise Foss has been designed to withstand the rigors of Arctic operations and is suited to work across the globe as Foss competes for opportunities in the oil and gas industry.
“The christening ceremony is our way of honoring our history,” said Parrott. “The boat sitting behind me represents our future.”
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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.