Clark Todd News

The members of the American Waterways Operators, the national tugboat, towboat and barge industry association, elected a new slate of leaders during the association's Spring Convention and Annual Membership Meeting.Rick Iuliucci, Vice President, The Vane Brothers Company, was elected Chairman; Kelly Teichman, Chairman of the Board, T&T Marine, was elected Vice Chair; and Brian Hughes, Vice President Operations & Sales, Hughes Bros., Inc., was re-elected Treasurer. Iuliucci succeeds outgoing Chairman Clark Todd…

Clark Todd, president and chief operating officer of Blessey Marine Services, was elected chairman of the American Waterways Operators (AWO) as members of the national tugboat, towboat and barge industry association elected new leaders during a group meeting last week. Todd succeeds outgoing chairman Del Wilkins, president, Illinois Marine Towing, Inc.Rick Iuliucci, vice president of The Vane Brothers Company, was elected vice chairman; and Brian Hughes, vice president operations and sales, Hughes Bros., Inc., was re-elected treasurer.

Waterway traffic is coming back. November 2021 saw 52.1 million tons moving on the U.S. inland waterway system, the highest monthly tonnage since October 2019, a few months before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the shutdowns and stoppages of early 2020. Flows estimated by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, based on data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) show a 25% rise from June 2020. Data in a presentation by The Waterways Council Inc (WCI)…

The members of the American Waterways Operators, the national tugboat, towboat and barge industry association, elected a new slate of leaders last week during the association's Spring Board of Directors / Annual Membership Meeting.Del Wilkins, President of Illinois Marine Towing, Inc., was elected Chairman; Clark Todd, President & Chief Operating Officer of Blessey Marine Services, was elected Vice Chairman; and Brian Hughes, Vice President Operations & Sales, Hughes Bros., Inc. was elected Treasurer. Wilkins succeeds outgoing Chairman Arthur F.

Arthur F. Mead, Vice President and Chief Counsel at Crowley Maritime Corporation, has been elected Chairman of the American Waterways Operators (AWO), succeeding outgoing Chairman Scott Merritt, former Chief Operating Officer with Foss Maritime Company, LLC.Members of the national tugboat, towboat and barge industry association elected a new slate of leaders this week during the association's Spring Board of Directors / Annual Membership Meeting, which was held virtually due to COVID-19 precautionary measures that resulted in the meeting not taking place in Washington…

ABS said it has been awarded a Third Party Organization contract by Blessey Marine Services, Inc., owner and operator of a fleet of inland towing vessels and tank barges, to support compliance with U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Subchapter M requirements. “Owners and operators are evaluating multiple options for Subchapter M compliance, and they are looking for guidance in understanding the requirements in relation to the unique needs of their vessels,” says ABS Americas Division President Jamie Smith.

Drought and ensuing low river levels continue to affect the inland industry. Low water between St. Louis and Cairo, Illinois has threatened traffic on the Mississippi River since December. For months, dredging operations have slowed vessels at points along the river's course. Since December, a stretch at Thebes, Illinois, has been shut for much of each day as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers removes rock pinnacles. A panel of five executives weighed in on a host of topics regarding inland transportation as part of a round table discussion published in the February print edition of Marine News.