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Higman News

18 Nov 2020

US Inland Waterways: High Waters & Swirling Currents

(Photo: Ingram Barge)

The inland waterway system, flowing through the United States heartland, is a microcosm of all that has been happening in 2020: trade tensions, infrastructure issues, shifting trends in fuel consumption and the pandemic that has gripped us since the winter months. Shortly after the initial coronavirus outbreak here in the U.S., maritime workers were deemed to be “essential”, paving the way for cargo flows to recover from their springtime nadir. As COVID-19 infections turned up on U.S. shores, the boats continued plying the waterways, albeit with reduced volumes in some cases.

10 Jun 2019

Workboat Report: The U.S. Workboat ($33.8B) Market

Inland pushboat and barge. Source Kirby Corporation

The U.S. towing and tug business is 5,500 boats, more than 31,000 barges with an estimated total impact on U.S. GDP of $33.8 billion.“At a macro level, the bigger ships are causing downward pressure on the ship assist business because there are fewer ship calls given the increased capacity of these vessels. However, certain ports have seen tremendous growth, based on strategic location and infrastructure investments that have attracted these larger ships and been a net plus for these areas.”Kate Fuhrman…

28 May 2019

Kirby’s Secret Sauce

Image Credit: Kirby Corporation

Another year; another major fleet takeover by Kirby Corporation. But the leader of the inland tank-barge sector is not growing for growth’s sake: a deeper look at the numbers shows a disciplined strategy at work.“Kirby is definitely the big gorilla in the inland barge market,” affirmed Jefferies analyst Randy Giveans. Indeed, Houston-headquartered Kirby Corp has been extremely active buying fleets over the past few years, most recently acquiring the 63 tank barges of Cenac Marine in March for $244 million.

02 May 2019

Kirby Posts 2019 Q1 Results

David Grzebinski, Kirby’s President and Chief Executive Officer

Kirby Corporation announced net earnings attributable to Kirby for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019 of $44.3 million, or $0.74 per share, compared with earnings of $32.5 million, or $0.54 per share, for the 2018 first quarter. Excluding certain one-time charges, 2018 first quarter net earnings attributable to Kirby were $37.9 million, or $0.63 per share. Consolidated revenues for the 2019 first quarter were $744.6 million compared with $741.7 million reported for the 2018 first quarter.David Grzebinski…

31 Jan 2019

Kirby Announces 2018 Q4/FY18 Results, Deal to Buy Cenac's Marine Fleet

Kirby Corporation announced a net loss attributable to Kirby for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2018 of ($24.4) million, or ($0.41) per share, compared with earnings of $231.3 million, or $3.87 per share, for the 2017 fourth quarter. Excluding certain one-time charges, 2018 fourth quarter net earnings attributable to Kirby were $44.9 million, or $0.75 per share. Consolidated revenues for the 2018 fourth quarter were $721.5 million compared with $708.1 million reported for the 2017 fourth quarter.For the 2018 full year…

16 Feb 2018

Kirby Closes Acquisition of Higman Marine

Kirby Corporation has announced the completion of the acquisition of Higman Marine, Inc. and its affiliated companies (“Higman”), an operator of tank barges and towboats participating in the inland tank barge transportation industry in the United States. The total value of the transaction was approximately $419 million in cash before post-closing adjustments and transaction fees. issuance of senior notes, which closed on February 12, 2018. The new senior notes provided for $500 million in fixed rate debt at 4.2% with a 10-year maturity on March 1, 2028. The unused balance of the senior notes will be used for general corporate purposes.

05 Feb 2018

Kirby To Buy Higman Marine

Kirby Corporation announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire Higman Marine, Inc. and its affiliated companies (“Higman”), for approximately $419 million in cash, subject to certain closing adjustments. The purchase will be financed through additional borrowings. Higman’s marine transportation fleet consists of 159 inland tank barges with 4.8 million barrels of capacity, and 75 inland towboats. Higman’s fleet moves petrochemicals, refined petroleum products, crude oil, natural gas condensate, and black oil on the Mississippi River System and Gulf Intracoastal Waterway for large midstream and global integrated oil companies. The closing of the acquisition is expected to occur in the first quarter and is subject to customary closing conditions.

29 Jan 2016

Maritime Training: Keeping it Close to Home

On the U.S. Gulf Coast, two well-regarded maritime education providers are expanding to meet growing local demand, while satisfying local employers with quality graduates. The sense of ‘community’ that they project is both real, and intentional. Less than 350 miles apart, the ports of Houston and New Orleans handle all manners of marine commerce and cargoes, employ tens of thousands on the waterfront and collectively service an increasingly large percentage of the nation’s domestic and international marine traffic. As both ports deepen their channels and grow their facilities, the need for qualified mariners, dock workers and marine professionals has become more acute.

17 Sep 2014

TWC Funds Training of 195 Mariners at San Jacinto College

Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) informs that its Chairman, Andres Alcantar, recently visited the San Jacinto College maritime training center to present a $368,173 Skills Development Fund grant for maritime job training. The TWC Skills Development Fund grant will fund training for 195 mariners from Buffalo Marine Services, G&H Towing Co., Higman Barge Lines Inc., and J.A.M. Distributing. Since the start of the San Jacinto College maritime program in 2010, approximately 2,500 U.S. Coast Guard certificates have been awarded to mariners. TWC explains that having a local maritime training center saves companies travel expenses. In the past, mariners were sent out of state for similar training.

05 Jul 2014

SMART Institute Conference Focuses on Skilled Professionals

After 20 days offshore, Colton Hendrick and Blake Snapp are back on land, preparing for their next journey out on the water as new maritime interns with Higman Marine Services. And they love it. "It can be tough work at times, but the beauty is seeing the sun rise and set each day," said Snapp. Plus, the money and job security are incentives as well. Both Snapp and Hendrick stand to earn approximately $100,000 by the fifth year of their first maritime job. Also, with many fellow mariners talking about upcoming retirement, the idea of becoming captains isn't far-fetched either, especially when they will hold associate degrees in maritime technology.

17 Aug 2012

Maritime Training Leads to Career Opportunities

With just a fraction of the maritime workforce younger than 25 years of age, the industry looks to garner more interest for jobs up for grabs as the nation's largest port for imports anticipates an overwhelming amount of traffic. Industry training demands across the Houston region are rising in preparation for the 2014 expansion of the Panama Canal. With less than 1 percent of the workforce barely reaching their mid 20s, according to a WorkBoat magazine study, and more than half of workers nearing retirement age, the need to certify more mariners becomes increasingly apparent. “We must get the next generation interested in the many careers maritime has to offer,” said Capt.

08 Mar 2012

Higman Marine Grows:

Higman Captain in the Wheelhouse / photo: courtesy of Higman.

Innovation and New Building are Key Movers for this Gulf Coast Bulk Transportation Provider. Gordie Keenan, Higman's vice president of training told MarineNews in January, “We have 54 inland towboats, the majority of which are rated at 2,000 horse power, and 116 inland tank barges. Today our vessels are bigger with more horsepower, pushing more barrels, than ten years ago.” The company carries a myriad of crude oils and refined products for its clients on a fleet of barges and inland towboats that has doubled in number over the last ten years.

10 Nov 2011

Hope Services Shipyard Delivers New Vessel

M/V "Orange"

The M/V Orange was delivered to Higman Barge Lines, of Houston, Texas.   The 78’x34’ vessel left Hope Services Shipyard’s facility yesterday en route to Channelview, Texas, where it will pick up its first tow. The 78’x34’ vessel is the fourth vessel in this class size that Hope Services has built for Higman. It marks the 77th vessel Hope Services has built in its twenty‐five year history.

26 May 2011

Iconic Engines: Cummins K38-M

Image courtesy Cummins Marine

Most Americans will recall an iconic automobile engine from their youth. It might be an early 1950s Ford V-8 flat head or a 1970s Dodge 426 Hemi. Over the decades other engines have been added to the list. In a similar fashion mariners have identified classic marine diesels. One such is the Cummins 38-liter 2300-cu. inch engine known over the years as the KTA38. Canadian fisherman John Lenic has been running one in his 1978-built steel purse seiner Ocean Marauder. Still running on the original engine he swears by it.

07 Mar 2011

Hope Shipyard Delivers the M/V Trinity Bay

Photo courtesy Hope Services

Hope Services Shipyard of Dulac, La. delivered the M/V Trinity Bay on March 4 to Higman Marine Services of Houston, Texas. The delivery marks the 35th vessel Hope has constructed for Higman. The M/V Trinity Bay is the second 78-ft by 34-ft by 10-ft inland towing vessel Hope has manufactured for Higman. The first vessel of this size, the M/V Baffin Bay was delivered in November 2010. It is powered by a pair of Cummins KTA‐38M diesel engines providing 2,000 horsepower.

13 Jan 2011

Towboats Still in Demand

Paducah Kentucky-based photographer Jeff L. Yates took this photo on January 7, 2011 as M/V Baffin Bay was holding against the right descending bank at mile 6.5 on the Tennessee River, probably waiting for improved weather conditions on the Ohio River. Jeff reports that she was en-route from Decatur, Alabama to Houston Texas and pushing two barges at the time. Jeff L. Yates photo courtesy of Cummins Marine.

In spite of the economic gloom of 2010, the demand for solid reliable towboats for the U.S. inland waterways has continued. An example of this is Higman Marine Services’ latest addition. The final month of 2010 saw yet another towboat added to the fleet of their subsidiary Higman Barge Lines. As with many earlier boats The M/V Baffin Bay was built by Hope Services of Dulac Louisiana. But this boat is one of the newly designed and larger 78 by 34-ft vessels. Hull number 174 from Hope’s yard is also the 36th vessel from Hope for Higman.

24 May 2010

Hope Shipyard Delivers M/V Redfish

Photo courtesy Hope Shipyard

Higman Marine Services of Houston, Texas, took delivery of its newest vessel, the M/V Red Fish. The vessel was built in five months by Hope Shipyard, located in Dulac, La. The pushboat is slightly larger than previous vessels built for Higman, measuring 78 ft by 32 ft with a 10 ft depth. The M/V Red Fish headed out from Hope’s fabrication yard on the Houma Navigational Waterway after a quick delivery to meet up with her first tow. The M/V Red Fish is equipped with 2,000 hp engines and the hull has tankage for 20…

09 Oct 2009

Hope Services, Inc. (HSI) Delivers Again

Photo courtesy Hope Services, Inc.

On October 5, 2009, Hope Services Inc. (HSI) delivered the M/V Lavaca Bay to Higman Marine Services, of Houston, Texas. The 2000 horsepower boat measures 72 ft by 30 ft with a draft of 10 ft. Hope Services, Inc. has been designing and building vessels since 1986, but has been expanding its operations over the last year to include more vessel repair and refurbishment at its Dulac, Louisiana, facility. In addition to the core ship building operations, HSI has now expanded to include offshore oil and gas fabrication, off loading of jackets and decks as well as storage of that equipment.

11 Aug 2009

Hope Services Delivers Miss Sarah

Hope Services Inc. (Hope) delivered the M/V Miss Sarah to Higman Marine Services, of Houston, Texas.  The 2000 horsepower boat measures 72 ft by 30 ft with a draft of 10 feet.  This delivery marks the 32nd vessel Hope has produced for Higman.

10 Jul 2009

Hope Services’ New Vessels

On July 8, 2009, Hope Services Inc. and Higman Marine Services, of Houston, Texas, signed a contract for the delivery of two new vessels. The first of the two will be delivered in March 2010 and the second in June 2010. “The working relationship between Hope and Higman goes back many years,” according to Rocky Henderson, President of Hope Services, Inc. “We are grateful for the business and look forward to fabricating these new vessels for a great customer.” The two 78 ft by 32 ft vessel s will have a 10 ft depth and will carry 2,000 hp engines. These boats will be the largest vessels Hope has built for Higman. This contract brings the total number of vessels that Hope has built for Higman to thirty-two.

06 Apr 2009

M/V Alliance Towing On the Inland Waterways

Photos credit Jeff L. Yates courtesy of Cummins Marine

Late in 2008 Higman Barge Lines Inc. took delivery of another in their series of 72 by 30 ft 2000 hp push boats. Along with a number of other vessels, the M/V Alliance was built at Hope Services Inc. in Dulac, Louisiana as their Hull Number 165. This was followed by the Erik Salen, a sister vessel, in January 2009. A third towboat, the Kal A. Shaw, being built to the same design, will be delivered to Higman Barge Lines in mid-April. With a hull depth of 10 ft and a somewhat smaller draft, the 144 gross ton vessels are well suited to working Americas Inland Waterways.

13 Dec 2004

Collision Closes Houston Ship Channel

The Bolivar/Galveston, Texas, ferry re-opened at 2:50 p.m. after being closed for seven hours today. Sheening was seen on the water near the Bolivar ferry terminal after approximately 42,000 gallons of alkylate, a gasoline blend component, was spilled into the Houston Ship Channel near Galveston from a collision between two tugs and barges this morning. The Intracostal Waterway is open to one-way traffic. The alkylate, which dissipates very rapidly, came from the #2 and #3 tanks on the port side of the barge MMI 605 being pushed by the Rita M. The barge can carry as much as 1.25 million gallons of the product; approximately 225,311 gallons were in the two damaged tanks. "Little if any environmental impact has occurred at this time," said Richard Arnhart, Texas General Land Office.

16 May 2007

Launch Day in Bourg, La.

Joey Portier, yard manager at Intercoastal Iron Works, recently sent this photo of the splashy launch that they had for Lebeouf Brothers Towing's latest push boat. As in others built to the Frank Basile design, this 72 x 32-ft. push boat is powered by twin Cummins KTA38 M1 main engines rated at 1,000 hp each. At Intracoastal Ironworks Joey Portier manages the yard for owner Raymond Viguerie. The yard delivered one of the Basile-designed 72-footers, the Katie Gronsulin, to Lebeouf Brothers Towing in the fall of 2006. They launched this one in early May and will deliver shortly. In line behind the Richard Gonsoulin II are orders for at least one more for Lebeouf and then two for Higman Marine.