GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY

Burger Elects Cleveringa as VP

Burger Boat Company announced the appointment of Ron Cleveringa to the newly created position of Vice President Sales and Marketing. Joining Burger Boat Company in April 2000, as a Naval Architect, Ron was promoted to the Project Engineering Team in January 2007. Ron received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering from the University of Michigan in 1984. He also completed a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Grand Valley State University in 1994. Having been actively engaged in the marine industry since graduating from the University of Michigan, Ron had been employed by other yacht building companies in the United States and internationally, before joining Burger more than seven years ago. Reporting directly to Jim Ruffolo, President of Burger Boat Company, Ron will begin in his new position immediately.

Transportation Savings of St. Lawrence Seaway Minimal

John Taylor has spent months analyzing traffic flows on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway to measure the economic benefits. The associate professor of marketing at Grand Valley State University said he was surprised by what he found. "The transportation savings associated with the Seaway's overseas trade are about $55 million annually," said Taylor. "It's not a very big number; I thought it would be a bit more than this."

Illinois River Locks Out Vessels From Valley City To Havana

The U.S. Coast Guard said on Friday it had closed the Illinois River from Valley City to Havana, Illinois, due to rapid changes in river stages, current flow and ice movement. The river is a major channel for grain flowing to the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and into export markets. The changes in water flow were a result from an emergency closure of the LaGrange Lock and Dam, which was filled with ice, they said. As of Friday morning, river officials were unsure how long the river would be closed

ACL Names SVP and COO

American Commercial Lines Inc. (ACL), one of the largest and most diversified inland marine transportation and service companies in the United States, announced today the appointment of Paul A. Tobin as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.   An industry veteran, Mr. Tobin's most recent role was Senior Vice President Administration for AEP River Operations. He joined AEP in 2001 with the company's purchase of Memco Barge Line

JLG and Penn State Form JLG University

JLG Industries, Inc. has formed a corporate university called JLG University. Additionally, an alliance with Penn State University has been created to help accomplish the University's goals. The new University represents the company's proactive approach to providing the skills needed to maintain leadership in world markets. While many aerial work platform companies provide short-term proprietary courses, JLG University is the industry's first training alliance between a major university and a

Kalmar's Proposal Received a Commendation Award

Cargotec's Kalmar,  as part of a consortium, received a commendation award of $100,000 (USD)  in the Next Generation Container Port (NGCP) Challenge at the Singapore International Maritime Awards on April 11.     The NGCP Challenge sought to identify innovative ideas on how to plan, design and operate the next generation of container ports that exemplify performance, productivity and sustainability.  

Cummings Supports Coast Guard’s Educational Partnership

Congressman Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and former Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, will join Coast Guard senior leaders and the President of Morgan State University, Dr. David Wilson, on Tuesday, November 1st, aboard the newly delivered Coast Guard National Security Cutter STRATTON to sign a partnership agreement that will provide new academic opportunities to Morgan State

Arctic Offshore Oil Drilling – Rosneft Plans Expansion

New CEO, Igor Sechin, of Russian Oil giant Rosneft highlights Arctic projects According to a report in 'Barents Observer' Rosneft will be the main partner of Statoil and Eni in the Barents Sea, where the new CEO has highlighted the importance of three grand projects in the Russian Arctic. Sechin, who was recently appointed new CEO of the state-owned oil giant, stresses that big projects like the one in the Barents Sea and the Kara Sea will be given special attention under his leadership.

Search Suspended for Missing GofM Rig-fire Victims

The Coast Guard suspends the search for two missing crewmembers, following the Black Elk platform explosion and fire. US Coast Guard crews searched a 1,400 square-mile area in the Gulf of Mexico around Grand Isle for more than 32 hours in an effort to locate the two missing crewmembers. Coast Guard resources used in the search effort:     •    The 87-foot Coast Guard Cutters Pelican and Razorbill;

Sherman Elected New Assistant Chief Of Corps

Jim H. Sherman was appointed as the new assistant chief of Planning, Programs and Project Management Division for the New Orleans District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Sherman, who previously served as chief of program development and lead program analyst at the Corps' Mississippi Valley Division, has been with the Corps for more than 33 years. He will oversee the district's range of planning studies, and manage all ongoing and new project development.