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Morton S Bouchard Iii News

05 Apr 2021

Bouchard Pays $375,000 to Whistleblower

A Corpus Christi Fire Department vessel extinguishes a fire on board Buster Bouchard/B. No. 255 approximately three miles from the Port Aransas, Texas, jetties on October 20, 2017. (Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

Bouchard Transportation Co. Inc. and three former and current management officials from the Long Island-based petroleum barge company have paid $375,000 in restitution to the brother of one of two seamen killed in a 2017 barge explosion off Port Aransas, Texas.The seaman alleged the company fired him for cooperating with investigators and reporting safety concerns to the U.S. Coast Guard following the deadly blast on board Buster Bouchard/B. No. 255. The National Transportation…

02 Mar 2021

Bouchard CEO Ordered to Step Down

(Photo: Bouchard Transportation)

Morton S. Bouchard, III, fourth generation leader of family-owned Bouchard Transportation, has been ordered to step down from his role as chief executive officer as the Long Island-based tug and barge operator continues to navigate through bankruptcy and a string of legal challenges.Bouchard, the company's CEO since 1992, was ordered out of his role last week by a bankruptcy judge in Houston, and Matthew Ray of restructuring advisor Portage Point Partners has been appointed as…

29 Sep 2020

Bouchard Transportation Files for Chapter 11

(Photo: Bouchard Transportation)

Long Island-based barge operator Bouchard Transportation has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after several years fraught with legal and financial difficulties.The family-owned oceangoing tug and petroleum barge firm filed alongside several of its subsidiaries Monday in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas.According to the filings, Bouchard has between 1,000 and 5,000 creditors, liabilities between $100 million and $500 million and assets worth between $500 million and $1 billion.

17 Mar 2020

Bouchard Says All Back Pay Processed

(File photo: Bouchard)

Bouchard Transportation Co. reports all back pay has been processed as the company continues to work to raise capital that would allow it to return its vessels to service, the company's president and CEO Morton S. Bouchard III said Tuesday in a letter to staff, customers and vendors.The full letter is below:To Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc. Valued Staff, Customers and Vendors:On Monday, March 16, 2020 Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc. as agent on behalf of the individual vessel corporations is pleased to announce that all back pay has been processed. Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc.

17 Apr 2019

The Enduring, Iconic U.S. Flag ATB Model

The view from the Bouchard Boardroom and … beyond.The roots of the now familiar and reliable articulated tug and barge (ATB) business are deep and stretch all the way back to the 1800’s. Along the way, various patents to connect a tug and a barge with a secure mechanical connection were filed. The concept began to gather momentum in the late 1960’s when Edwin Fletcher with ARTUBAR, and the Bludworth family of flexible pushing systems were pioneering efforts to marry the economies of pushing with the safety and seakeeping inherent in mechanically linking the tug and barge at sea. Other systems were developed and tried; not all were successful.As a baseline…

15 Mar 2019

Bouchard Takes Delivery of Yet another ATB Unit

M/V Evening Breeze

Bouchard Transportation Co. announced the delivery of ATB unit M/V Evening Breeze and Barge No. 252 (B. No. 252), respectively, from VT Halter Marine Inc. (VT Halter Marine) and Bollinger Shipyards.M/V Evening Breeze left VT Halter Marine’s Pascagoula Shipyard facility on Tuesday, March 12, 2019, and will meet and pair up with B. No. 252 before sailing to join Bouchard’s fleet service in New York.The Evening Breeze is 4,000hp meeting U.S. EPA-Tier 4 requirements, measuring 112 feet by 35 feet by 17 feet, and equipped with an Intercon Coupler System.

04 Jan 2019

Bouchard Barge Gets Major Overhaul

M/V Bouchard Girls & B. No. 295 (Photo: Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc.)

Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc. announced Friday that one of its barges has ended its shipyard period after completing a major overhaul.The work was performed at Gulf Marine Repair in Tampa, Fl. She left the shipyard earlier this week.Bouchard Barge No. 295 (B. No. 295) left Gulf Marine Repair in Tampa, Fla. earlier this week following an extensive scope of repair and upgrade work, a Bouchard spokesperson told MarineLink.Approximately 90 percent of the the barge’s main deck plate has been replaced…

02 May 2018

#BTC100 History

Photo Courtesy of Tugboat Graffitti

2016 brought about another milestone within Bouchard Transportation Co. with the appointment of Danielle Bouchard as Director of Communications. As the daughter of Morton S. Bouchard III, and the fifth generation to enter the family business, Danielle also holds the distinction of being the first female family member to hold an active role in the Company. Most importantly, BTC continues to expand its fleet with the christening of the ATB unit M/V Donna J. Bouchard and B. No 272 in New Orleans, and the ATB tugs M/V Frederick Bouchard and M/V Morton S. Bouchard Jr. entering service.

24 Apr 2018

#BTC100 History

Photo Courtesy of Bouchard Transportation Co.

In 2015, Bouchard Transportation Co. appointed Brendan J. Bouchard (son of President & CEO, Morton S. Bouchard III) as the company’s VP of Sales & Operations, firmly establishing the fifth generation of the Bouchard family as being an integral part of the Company. Also that same year, BTC christened ATB unit M/V Kim M. Bouchard and B. No. 270 in New Orleans.The July 2018 edition of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News will feature a special “Bouchard Transportation Co. Celebrates 100 Years” magazine. For more information contact: Greg Trauthwein, [email protected], t. 516-810-7405.

10 Apr 2018

#BTC100 History

Photo Courtesy of Bouchard Transportation Co.

In 2013, Bouchard Transportation Co., experienced two important company milestones: BTC President/CEO Morton S. Bouchard III is inducted into the International Maritime Hall of Fame, and the company announces their donation to fund the Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc. Tug and Barge Simulation Center at SUNY Maritime College, which officially opens one year later, in 2014. The July 2018 edition of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News will feature a special “Bouchard Transportation Co. Celebrates 100 Years” magazine. For more information contact: Greg Trauthwein, [email protected], t.

22 Mar 2018

#BTC100 History

(Photo: Bouchard Transportation)

In 1992, Bouchard Transportation faced new challenges resulting from the newly enacted Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90). Now headed by the fourth-generation Morton S. Bouchard III (Morton S Bouchard Jr.’s son), BTC once again leads the industry as the first company to build several new 138,000 barrel double hull barges, along with technologically advanced 6,140 horsepower tugboats to move these 400+ foot barges. As of 2018, BTC’s B. No. 245 is the first double hull barge of this kind ever built, which is larger than 250,000 barrels.

01 Dec 2017

Bouchard's Fleet Expansion Continues

(Photo: Bouchard)

Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc. announced the new construction of ATB unit M/V Evening Breeze and Barge B. No. 252, which adds to the company’s fleet expansion plan that began in 2012. The M/V Evening Breeze is being constructed in Pascagoula, Miss. by VT Halter Marine, Inc., and is the sister vessel to ATB tugs M/V Denise A. Bouchard and M/V Evening Star. The Evening Breeze will be 4,000hp meeting U.S. EPA-Tier 4 requirements, measuring 112 feet by 35 feet by 17 feet, and equipped with an Intercon Coupler System. The B. No.

20 Nov 2017

Bouchard Set to Celebrate a Century

(Photo: Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc.)

In 2018 one of the U.S. premier vessel owners – Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc. (BTC) – celebrates its 100th year in business. Maritime Reporter looks at BTC’s evolution through the years. The year 2018 is a celebration year for the Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc., which was founded in 1918 in New York Harbor by Capt. Frederick Bouchard, and will next year celebrate a century in business. The company’s first cargo was a shipment of coal, and its first oil barge was acquired in 1931.

06 Dec 2016

Interview: Morton S. Bouchard III Pulls No Punches

Morton S. Bouchard III (Photo: Coast Guard Foundation)

Morton S. Bouchard III pulls no punches discussing the maritime business and the spate of over-regulation infecting U.S. industry. Morton S. Bouchard III has served as President of Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc., the nation’s largest independently-owned oceangoing petroleum barge company, since 1996 and CEO since 1999, the fourth generation of the Bouchard family to helm the company since its incorporation in 1918. The Bouchard name is iconic in North American maritime circles, and Mr.

07 Oct 2016

Coast Guard Foundation Honors Bouchard

Coast Guard Foundation Chairman and American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) Director, Will Jenkins introduced Mr. Bouchard. (Photo: Coast Guard Foundation)

On Thursday, October 6th, 2016, Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc. President & CEO Morton S. Bouchard III was honored at the Coast Guard Foundation 36th Annual Salute to the United States Coast Guard National Awards Dinner, in New York City. Mr. Bouchard has been a supporter of the United States Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Foundation since 1985. Through his dedication over the past 30+ years he has helped grow various programs including, education and the Fallen Heroes Scholarship program…

19 Aug 2016

Focus on Safety, Future Drive Operator Success

Barge No. 272, looking back towards M/V Donna J. Bouchard during the Christening Ceremony in New Orleans, LA, February, 2016. (Photo: Bouchard)

The hallmarks of a successful vessel operator are the same whether they are carrying liquid, physical or human cargo: A laser focus on safety, a twin commitment to customers and crew, and the vision to embrace and invest in the future. However obvious the bar, it is not easy to meet. “I don’t think there is any magic formula,” says Rob Grune, senior vice president and general manager, petroleum services, Crowley Marine Solutions. “The difference is that everything we work on regards providing a high quality of service to customers, pays off. In a rising market, it’s easy to do well.

09 Jun 2016

VT Halter Delivers ATB Tug for Bouchard

M/V Frederick E. Bouchard, a 6,000hp Twin Screw ATB tug, during sea trials (Photo: VT Halter Marine)

VT Halter Marine, Inc. has delivered the 6,000hp Twin Screw Articulated (ATB) tug, MV Frederick E. Bouchard, to owner Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc. at the shipbuilder’s facilities in Pascagoula, Miss. on Wednesday, June 8, 2016. The delivery, which culminates a two-vessel contract awarded by Bouchard Transportation to VT Halter Marine in August 2014, follows the delivery of the contract’s first vessel, MV Morton S. Bouchard Jr., on February 1, 2016. Both vessels were built to join Bouchard Transportation’s fleet for servicing the coastwise trade.

09 Apr 2016

VT Halter Launches Tug for Bouchard

VT Halter Marine, Inc. (VT Halter Marine), a company of Vision Technologies Systems, Inc. (VT Systems), announces the launch of the M/V Frederick E. Bouchard, at its Moss Point Marine Shipyard Facility in Escatawpa, Mississippi on Thursday, March 31, 2016. M/V Frederick E. Bouchard is the second of two 6,000hp Twin Screw Articulated (ATB) tugs constructed for Bouchard Transportation Co. Inc. (Bouchard Transportation) under a two-vessel contract awarded to VT Halter Marine in August 2014. Both M/V Frederick E. Bouchard and the M/V Morton S. Bouchard Jr. measures, 130 feet by 38 feet by 22 feet, are classed by ABS as A1 Ocean Towing, Dual Mode ATB, USCG Subchapter C, and is equipped with an Intercon Coupler System.

19 Feb 2016

Bouchard's Newest ATB Christened in New Orleans

Photo: Bouchard Transportation Co.

Bouchard Transportation Co. celebrated the naming of the M/V Donna J. Bouchard and the B. No. 272 at the christening ceremony held on Thursday, February 18 in New Orleans. The ceremony began with remarks from Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc. President/CEO, Morton S. Bouchard III, followed by VT Halter Marine and ExxonMobil/SeaRiver Maritime. Vessel sponsor Joan Lesniewski, wife of Robert Lesniewski of ExxonMobil/SeaRiver Maritime, performed the ceremonious breaking of the champagne bottles as executives from Bouchard, VT Halter Marine and several of Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc.

05 Feb 2016

VT Halter Delivers ATB Tug to Bouchard

M/V Morton S. Bouchard Jr. on sea trials (Photo: VT Halter Marine)

VT Halter Marine, Inc. announced the delivery of the M/V Morton S. Bouchard Jr., the first of the two 6,000 horsepower Twin Screw Articulated Tug Barge (ATB) tugs to Bouchard Transportation Co. Inc. Measuring 130 feet by 38 feet by 22 feet, the M/V Morton S. Bouchard Jr. is classed by ABS as +A1 Ocean Towing, Dual Mode ATB, USCG Subchapter C and is equipped with an Intercon Coupler System. The vessel was launched on October 29, 2015 at the Moss Point Marine facility in Escatawpa, Miss. Both M/V Morton S. Bouchard Jr. and M/V Frederick E.

13 Jan 2016

SUNY Maritime to Honor Mort Bouchard

Morton S. Bouchard (Photo: Bouchard Transportation Company)

The State University of New York Maritime College will confer the honorary degree of doctor of science degree on Morton S. Bouchard III, the president and CEO of Bouchard Transportation Company, Inc., during winter 2016 commencement exercises Friday, January 29. Mort Bouchard is his family's fourth generation to manage Bouchard Transportation Company, Inc., the largest privately owned ocean-going petroleum barge company in the United States. Bouchard Transportation operates on the East and Gulf coasts of the United States and in the Caribbean.

30 Nov 2015

VT Halter Launches Barge for Bouchard

Photo: VT Halter Marine

VT Halter Marine, Inc. (VT Halter Marine), a company of Vision Technologies Systems, Inc. (VT Systems) and Bouchard Transportation Co. announced that Barge B. No. 272 was launched on November 20, 2015. This is the second barge of two Articulated Tug Barge (ATB) units constructed for Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc. Measuring 628 feet by 91 feet by 47 feet, the barge B. No. 272 has a 250,000-barrel capacity, and is ABS and USCG certified for Jones Act service. When completed, the barge will be paired with the tug, M/V Donna J.

05 Nov 2015

VT Halter Launches Another ATB Tug for Bouchard

M/V Morton S. Bouchard Jr.  6,000hp Twin Screw ATB tug (Photos: VT Halter)

Shipbuilder VT Halter Marine, Inc. and Bouchard Transportation Co. Inc. announced the launch of M/V Morton S. Bouchard Jr., a 6,000hp Twin Screw Articulated Tug Barge (ATB) tug, on October 29, 2015. The M/V Morton S. Bouchard Jr. is part of a two-vessel contract awarded to the shipyard in August 2014. M/V Morton S. Bouchard Jr. and M/V Frederick E. Bouchard, are being constructed at VT Halter Marine’s Moss Point Marine facility in Escatawpa, Mississippi, with delivery expected in January 2016 and May 2016, respectively.