Lasco News

The Portland, Oregon based Lasco Shipping Co. enters into major agreement with Clipper Group of the Bahamas. Torben G. Jensen, Chairman of Clipper Group of the Bahamas and Kenneth M. Novack, Chairman of Lasco Shipping Co. of Portland, Oregon are very pleased to announce that Lasco has entered into an agreement pursuant to which it is to be acquired by Clipper Group. Lasco Shipping Co. owns and operates a 23 vessel fleet. In addition Lasco operates the Lasco Logger Pool. Clipper Group is the well known and dynamic Shipowner and time-charter operator domiciled in Nassau, Bahamas, with representation offices in the US, Europe and Far East. The Lasco fleet consists of Handysize, Handymax and Panamax bulk carriers - segments which are all among the strategic core activities of Clipper Group.

Lasco Shipping Co. and V. Ships, announced their agreement covering V. Ships assumption of technical management of the Lasco fleet previously provided in-house. The agreement expands on the previously announced agreement last summer for technical services provided by V. Ships to Lasco involving three panamax bulkers acquired by American Bulkers KS and bareboat chartered back to Lasco. The new agreement will cover 17 additional dry bulk carriers that are part of the Lasco fleet. Technical management services will be provided by V. Ships' Glasgow and Limassol offices, with transfer of technical management of the vessels set to begin in early January and completed within four to six weeks.

The Lasco Logger Pool, already one of the world’s largest logger fleets, just got bigger, with the announcement that two of SINCERE STEAMSHIP CORP.’s newly built logger ships, the Alpha Venture and the East Tender, have been placed in the Lasco Logger Pool. SINCERE, a management company in Taipei, TAIWAN, operates thirteen ships in its fleet, including seven newbuildings, committed two new “Kanda 28’s” to the Pool, which is commercially managed by Lasco. SINCERE will perform its own technical management of its vessels. In commenting on the announcement, Mr. Kenneth M. Novack went on to call attention to Lasco’s constant efforts to improve its capabilities to make forward fixtures and reduce ballast legs, aggressively positioning cargo opportunities.

Lasco Shipping Co. (LASCO), announced that the Board of Directors has appointed Anton U. Pardini as President and Chief Operating Officer. In making the announcement, Novack stated the Board’s strong support for Pardini was based in part on Pardini’s clear vision for the company’s future direction, his skill in forging strong strategic business alliances with global partners, and commitment to enhancing the company’s core value through vessel and asset acquisitions, partnerships, pooling arrangements and continuing development of LASCO’s reputation as a provider of efficient, reliable vessel services for customers world-wide. Industry…

At a recent meeting of their board of Directors in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Maritime Information Services of North America (MISNA) elected a new slate of officers for 2001. Stepping down as president after three consecutive terms is Capt. Manny Aschemeyer, executive director for the Marine Exchange of Los Angeles-Long Beach Harbor. Aschemeyer is a founding director for MISNA and has been responsible for bringing the organization through a new period of growth and industry outreach. Aschemeyer, a graduate of the California Maritime Academy, has had a long career within the maritime industry and holds an active Master Mariners License (unlimited). Before joining the Marine Exchange, Aschemeyer was vice president of customer service and marketing with Stevedoring Services of America.

Two of Evalend Shipping Co. S.A. newly purchased logger ships, the Ambassador and the Senator, have been placed in the Lasco Logger Pool. Evalend, a private management company in Athens, Greece, operates ten ships in its fleet, committed two Hakodate built loggers to the Pool, which is commercially managed by Lasco. Evalend will perform its own technical management of its vessels. In commenting on the announcement, Anton U. Pardini, President/COO of Lasco, said that EVALEND’S participation in the Pool “…reflects Lasco’s ongoing efforts to establish strategic partnerships with other maritime ventures who share a common vision and philosophy…

Northrop Grumman Corporation has received orders to supply a complete package of electronic navigation equipment for ten new tankers being built for the Latvian Shipping Company (LASCO). The orders were awarded to Northrop Grumman’s Sperry Marine business unit. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The 51,800-dwt, double-hull tankers, which will be equipped to carry either oil products or chemicals, are being built for LASCO’s Crown Navigation subsidiary at the 3.Maj shipyard in Rijeka, Croatia. Deliveries are scheduled for 2006-2008. Each ship is being fitted with a complete integrated bridge system (IBS), featuring Sperry Marine’s multi-station Voyage Management System, which incorporates an electronic chart display and information system.

Northrop Grumman Corporation received orders to supply a complete package of electronic navigation equipment for 10 new tankers being built for the Latvian Shipping Company (LASCO). The orders were awarded to Northrop Grumman’s Sperry Marine business unit. The 51,800-dwt, double-hull tankers, which will be equipped to carry either oil products or chemicals, are being built for LASCO’s Crown Navigation subsidiary at the 3.Maj shipyard in Rijeka, Croatia. Deliveries are scheduled for 2006-2008. Each ship is being fitted with a complete integrated bridge system (IBS), featuring Sperry Marine’s multi-station Voyage Management System, which incorporates an electronic chart display and information system.

Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) and Norcontrol IT entered into a three-year maintenance contract that covers the offshore VTMIS system at the Bay of Campeche oilfield located in the Gulf of Mexico off the Yucatan Peninsula. The Bay of Campeche is the largest oilfield in Mexico and the world's largest offshore oil development project. The VTMIS system installed by Norcontrol IT consists of two control centers and seven radar sites, all of which are covered by the maintenance contract. A large capacity, flexible and reliable VTMIS system is required at the Bay of Campeche for several reasons. The coverage area contains between 200-300 vessels per day, all of which have to be monitored to protect the pipelines: Especially important as the bay is only 40-50 m deep in most areas.

The U. S. Coast Guard continues to coordinate the response to the grounding of the 645-ft. cargo ship Clipper Lasco just west of the designated anchorage area off Fort Lauderdale Beach, Fla. The vessel remains aground this evening as members of the unified command work to ensure that planned salvage operations do not cause further disruption to the ocean floor, are conducted as safely as possible, provide adequate resources for any contingencies that could arise and mitigate the risk of damaging the ship. Divers from Resolve Marine Group, the salvor contracted by representatives for the Clipper Lasco, surveyed the ship's hull and the ocean bottom. The survey revealed that the vessel did impact the reef and some coral.

Coast Guard inspectors on board the Clipper Lasco have confirmed the 645-ft. cargo vessel has run aground just west of the designated anchorage area off Fort Lauderdale Beach, Fla. The Clipper Lasco is carrying more than 30,000 tons of bauxite and 323 metric tons of fuel. Coast Guard inspection and investigation teams on board continue to gather information to determine the cause of the grounding. It has not been determined on what type of bottom (sand, coral, mud, rocks) the vessel grounded and the extent, if any, of environmental damage. The Coast Guard is in close communications with the vessel owners, state and local partners and technical experts, and is establishing a unified command to coordinate salvage efforts.

With a twin-masted sterling silver replica of an Imabari sailing ship in front of them to commemorate the event, officials of Lasco Shipping Co. (LASCO) and Imabari Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., (Imabari) signed contracts for two 28,200 dwt logger/bulk carriers to be built at the Imabari shipyard. Imabari will deliver the first of the two vessels in February 2004 and the second in April 2004. "We're building on a well established good business relationship with Imabari", noted Anton U. Pardini, Lasco's President, calling attention to vessels in the LASCO fleet that were previously built by Imabari. Pardini went on to comment that "these vessels are designed, sized and built to provide economical service to the bulk commodity trades.

Lasco Shipping Co.’s Chief Executive Officer Kenneth M. Novack announced that Steven T. Ho has joined the Lasco Board of Directors. Ho, President of Fairmont Shipping (Canada) Limited, headquartered in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, joins George Wood and Anthony Gurnee as outside directors of Lasco. “We’re extremely pleased that Steven Ho has joined our Board,” commented Novack, calling attention to Ho’s over twenty-five years of global shipping experience, including senior management positions in New York, Tokyo and Hong Kong. Over the years Ho has been involved in many aspects of shipping, from sales to brokering, technical management to operations, project development to financial management.