Sean Fernstrum News

As owners and operators work to achieve dramatic new emission reductions, vessels’ cooling solutions should not be overlooked.A  wave of green initiatives is sweeping through the maritime market as owners and operators seek ways to reduce emissions from their vessels. One company supporting this drive is R.W. Fernstrum, a global leader in engineering and manufacturing keel cooling technologies.Sean Fernstrum, the company’s president, sees a mix of power and propulsion solutions—each with its own list of pros and cons—combining to help reduce the industry’s environmental footprint. And R.W.

This month, listen in as Sean Fernstrum weighs in on how his firm arrived at its enviable market position, what comes next, and why.Sean Fernstrum is a third-generation owner of R.W Fernstrum & Company. He graduated from Michigan Technological University in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Scientific and Technical Communications. After college, he came home to Menominee, Michigan and began working as a Technical Writer at R.W. Fernstrum & Company. He has been President of the company for the last 8 years.

R.W. Fernstrum & Company, a leading manufacturer in marine heat exchangers, received ISO 9001:2015 certification following an audit performed by Verisys Registrars in May. The scope of Fernstrum's registration includes the engineering, design, manufacturing, and sales of heat exchangers for marine and industrial applications. Published by the International Organization for Standardization, ISO 9001:2015 is an internationally recognized quality management system based on a set…

In an era of increasingly complicated regulations and sophisticated technologies disrupting the workboat sector, one piece of the equipment – the Keel Cooler – remains as possibly the most important and at the same time, the simplest piece of hardware on the water. Likewise, much the same way as it was more than 70 years ago, Fernstrum remains the standard. For today’s workboat sector, the most pressing issue facing operators is arguably comprised of meeting and paying for the advent of so-called ‘Tier’ emissions standards. The American subset of 5,500 towboats additionally faces the subchapter M towboat rules and new requirements for hardware installation and physical construction. The one thing they shouldn’t have to worry about is engine cooling solutions.

Founded by Robert W. Fernstrum 67 years ago, R.W. Fernstrum & Company is currently run by its third generation of Fernstrum. This long-tenured maritime staple has seen its fair share of maritime cycles, and in today’s challenging market it is not standing still. The company is digging for, and finding, business in all four corners of the world, above water and below, as Sean Fernstrum, President & owner, and his team explain. “Diversify, diversify, diversify … always,” is the…

R.W. Fernstrum & Company set the standard in marine heat exchangers over 65 years ago, building a reputation focused on innovation. Today, its commitment is to continual improvement, ensuring that customers have quality, reliability, and the latest in cooling technologies on your side. Over the years, R.W. Fernstrum & Company has grown into a worldwide organization with more than two dozen representatives across 6 continents. Focusing exclusively on marine cooling, this third-generation…

Founded by Robert W. Fernstrum 65 years ago, R.W. Fernstrum & Company is now run by the third generation of Fernstrums who continue to build and extend its commercial marine heat exchanger business. Sean Fernstrum, President & Owner discusses the future. R. W. Fernstrum & Company is a third-generation, family owned business that manufactures heat exchangers, primarily for the commercial marine industry. In addition to its GRIDCOOLER line of keel coolers, it also manufactures and sells Weka Boxcoolers in the Americas and Tranter Heat Exchangers.

Netherlands’ based WEKA Boxcoolers B.V., manufacturer of copper nickel boxcoolers, was recently purchased by Dunlap & McCullough Holdings LLC, a holding company owned by Paul Fernstrum, Sean Fernstrum, and Todd Fernstrum. Paul Fernstrum, Sean Fernstrum, and Todd Fernstrum also own R.W. Fernstrum & Company. The purchase of the Netherlands’ based company was finalized April 30, 2014. In 2001, R.W. Fernstrum & Company partnered with WEKA Boxcoolers to manufacture and sell boxcoolers in North and South America, a partnership that has grown synergistically over the years. WEKA Boxcoolers B.V. and R.W. Fernstrum & Company will remain independent companies. Cees de Kwant along with rest of the WEKA team will continue to operate WEKA Boxcoolers in Krimpen a/d Ijessel.

A hallmark of the global maritime industry is the proliferation of smaller, family founded and managed businesses. R.W. Fernstrum is one such company: a ubiquitous presence for more than 65 years providing engineered cooling solutions to maritime and offshore markets. MR  went to Menominee, MI, to meet with Sean Fernstrum and his team for insights on the unique products it produces and the markets it serves. R.W. Fernstrum & Company of Menominee, Mich., is a leader in engineering and manufacturing keel cooling technologies…

The design and construction of WWII Liberty cargo ships revolutionized shipbuilding by overhauling the blueprint process and standardizing on commonality of parts, welding, pre-fabrication and assembly line construction. Give me Liberty, or give me death!” a rallying cry of the Revolutionary War, got a second act in World War II. “Built by the mile and chopped off by the yard,” Roosevelt promised the no-frills Liberties would form a “bridge of ships” across the Atlantic. And they did. An exaggeration perhaps, but in truth, the Liberty wasn’t much to write home about.