CROUNSE

Ingram and Crounse: Towing History into the Present

By Raina Clark, from MarineNews July 2010 If towboats and barges hurtled passed the average American on their way to work every morning, the industry would be better known. If commuters had to deal with failed locks the way they have to deal with congested freeways, political support for the river industry’s infrastructure would be easier to come by. Instead, towing vessels and their crews go about their work in relative obscurity. The general public sees towboats and barges as historic relics from Sam Clemens’ time and less so an integral part of the modern American economy. But towing vessels are far more than living history, as Craig Philip of Ingram Barge Company and Steve Little of Crounse Corporation can attest. Their companies’ histories may span more than half a century, but both men are involved in bringing the industry to the attention of modern day America. The Ingram’s: Business Acumen & Acquisition Ingram Barge Company (IBCO), today the largest carrier on the river by barge count, traces its heritage back to the 1800s, to Orrin H. Ingram who started with logging. In 1938, Orrin’s grandson, Hank Ingram, started a petroleum refining company when demand shot up due to the war. The Wood River Barge Company was created on the Illinois River, near St. Louis, to transport the product. 1946 is seen as the official beginning of IBCO, when the company split and Hank Ingram took the barge business

Waterways Council Names Officers & Directors

At Waterways Council, Inc.’s (WCI) Annual Meeting and Board of Directors Meeting held October 12, 2009 in New Orleans, the following officers and Executive Committee members were elected to serve or continue service for 2009-20010:  Richard R. (Rick) Calhoun, Cargo Carriers, Chairman; Cornel Martin, President & CEO; Merritt Lane, Canal Barge Line, Vice Chairman; Rodney Weinzierl, Illinois Corn Growers Association, Vice Chairman;  Matt Woodruff, Kirby Corporation

SCI Exceeds Fundraising Expectations, Awards Industry Leaders

SCI awarded three honorees at the River Bell Awards Luncheon on December 9, 2010. Stephen Little of Crounse Corporation (River Bell Award), Buck Lay (River Legend Award), and the Rev. James Wilkinson formerly of SCI (Distinguished Service Award). Fundraising for Ministry on the River In December, the inland waterways industry impressed SCI fundraisers with sponsorship dollars surpassing the budget aim for the Seamen’s Church Institute’s (SCI) River Bell Awards Luncheon

WCI Names New Officers and Directors

Waterways Council, Inc. names new officers; Matt Woodruff Names Chairman   At its Annual Meeting on October 19 in Pittsburgh, the Board of Directors of Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) elected the following new officers for 2011-2013: Chairman, Matt Woodruff, (Director, Government Affairs, Kirby Corporation); Vice Chairman, Steve Little, (President, Crounse Corporation); General Counsel, Dan Mecklenborg, (Senior Vice President, HR & Chief Legal Officer

Commissioner Khouri Joins the FMC

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) announced that Michael A. Khouri of Louisville, Ky., has been sworn in as a Commissioner for a term to expire on June 30, 2011. Commissioner Khouri was nominated by President Barack Obama on December 3, 2009, and confirmed by the Senate on December 24, 2009. Commissioner Khouri comes to the FMC as a 35-year veteran in the maritime industry from positions held in vessel operations, legal and executive positions

Waterways Council, Inc. Names New Officers and Directors

At its Annual Meeting held October 18 in Nashville, the Board of Directors of Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) elected the following officers and Executive Committee members for 2006-2007: Mark Knoy, President, AEP MEMCO LLC, Chairman; R. Barry Palmer, WCI, President and CEO; Dan Mecklenborg, Senior Vice President, HR & Chief Legal Officer, Ingram Barge Company, First Vice Chairman and General Counsel; Kevin Sparks, Manager, Petrochemicals Marketing, Marathon Petroleum Co

Waterways Councinl Names New Officers, Directors

At its Annual Meeting held October 1 in Houston, the Board of Directors of Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) elected the following officers and Executive Committee members for 2007-2008: Dan Mecklenborg, Senior Vice President, HR & Chief Legal Officer, Ingram Barge Company, Chairman; R. Barry Palmer, WCI, President and CEO; Steve Little, President and CEO, Crounse Corporation, General Counsel; Peter Stephaich, Chairman, Campbell Transportation Co

Waterways Council - Officers & Directors

At the Annual Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) Membership Meeting and Board of Directors Meeting held October 29 in St. Louis, the following officers and Executive Committee members were elected to serve or continue service for 2008-2009:  Dan Mecklenborg, Senior Vice President, HR & Chief Legal Officer, Ingram Barge Company, remains as Chairman of the Board; Cornel Martin, was elected President and CEO; Steve Little, President and CEO, Crounse Corporation

SCI Develops Premiere Fire Training Dedicated to Inland Mariners

Inland mariners are suppressing staged fires on a towboat superstructure in a new "hands-on" safety course developed by Seamen's Church Institute's Center for Maritime Education Paducah, Ky. SCI's creative initiative brought together the City of Paducah, a local college, and the maritime industry to create the first-ever fire safety course designed specifically for those who work the rivers. Developed in response to updated U.S

A Day in the Life of a Towboater: Part II

Part II: Captain Rusty & the Upper Mississippi Story & Photos by Raina Clark, From MarineNews September 2010 In early July, Raina Clark, Managing Editor for MarineNews, spent eight days on the Upper Mississippi and the Illinois Rivers on towboats — the Theresa Wood and the Thomas E. Erickson. Both vessels are chartered by AEP River Operations and owned and operated by Marquette Transportation. Raina traveled first aboard the Theresa Wood on the Mississippi River from Winfield