Upper River News

The 5th annual inland IMX show coincides with the first ever FreightWeek STL. For transport professionals, supply chain stakeholders and inland operators alike, there was something for everyone. St. Louis, MO: This week’s IMX inland marine industry tradeshow may have been the primary focus for inland stakeholders, but there were many more reasons to be here in St. Louis. Parallel with and coordinating with the 5th annual event was the weeklong FreightWeek STL event intended to spotlight freight and transportation industries, opportunities and to underscore the St. Louis region as a global freight hub. Importantly, the collaboration also highlighted the need for intermodal solutions and not necessarily modal competition.

Plaquemines and American Patriot Holdings plan new container port-vessel system. Plans are underway for a new 4,200-acre intermodal container terminal within the Port of Plaquemines Harbor and Terminal District. The project, a partnership (Exclusivity Agreement) between the Port and American Patriot Holdings (APH) calls for the development of a logistics system for “vessel operations comprised of deep-water docking at the Pointe Celeste Container Terminal and multiple upriver terminals.” That’s the Mississippi River, of course, and initial upriver terminals could be sited in Memphis and St.

Members of the Towing Vessel Inspection Bureau (TVIB), the recognized professional trade organization of marine auditors, met on May 10, 2016 to elect a new slate of leaders for the 2016-2017 year, during TVIB’s Annual Membership Meeting and Spring Board of Directors Meeting. Lee Nelson, President of Upper River Services, was elected President, succeeding Ed Shearer, Principal Naval Architect of The Shearer Group. Captain David A. Foret, Jr., President of the ACTion group companies, was elected Vice President.

Kotug Rotortugs RT Ambition and RT Evolution were charged with a special task this morning as they towed new cruise ship Viking Star on her first call to the Port of London. RT Ambition and RT Evolution towed Viking Star through the Thames Tidal Barrier on the Upper River Thames and assisted her to swing and berth at Greenwich, towage operator Kotug said. At 228 meters long, Viking star is the largest vessel to call Central London, requiring moorings to be specially lengthened to accommodate the cruise ship, the Port of London Authority (PLA) said.

Fully loaded barges headed to export market abruptly halted. Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) and its agricultural and other commodity shipper members and towboat operators are reacting to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ decision to perform, over the next 13 days, routine work that involves laying concrete mats that protect the river bank for flood protection. This requires traffic restrictions for towboats moving barges and other vessels while the mats are laid. A three-mile stretch of the Mississippi River near Memphis at Mile Marker 632-635 was closed at 6 a.m.

At the Annual Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) Membership Meeting and Board of Directors Meeting held October 29 in St. Louis, the following officers and Executive Committee members were elected to serve or continue service for 2008-2009:  Dan Mecklenborg, Senior Vice President, HR & Chief Legal Officer, Ingram Barge Company, remains as Chairman of the Board; Cornel Martin, was elected President and CEO; Steve Little, President and CEO, Crounse Corporation, remains as General Counsel; Peter Stephaich, Chairman, Campbell Transportation Co., was re-elected Secretary; Cherrie Felder, Vice President, Channel Shipyard, remains as Treasurer. Former WCI President and CEO R. Barry Palmer was named President Emeritus. Also named to new terms as officers were Richard R.

A concept design for a new inland containership - dubbed Waterborne Container Carriers (WCC) - was completed and released by DeJong & Lebet, a project that was completed for Venture Capitol Investors LLC, which owns a patent on the concept. Designed for operating on inland waterways, WCC measures 550 x 107 x 20 ft., with a length and beam specifically designed to fit in the Mississippi River System Locks. Air draft is limited to 42 ft. based on bridge height restrictions. The full load draft of the vessel varies from nine ft., unballasted, to 12 ft. ballasted. The ballast is also used to maintain draft when the container load is light. The vessel's propulsion system has raising and lowering capability for shallow draft upper river operations. The WCC is capable of carrying 566 40-ft.

For the third year running MarineNews was able to tap the minds of six prominent industry leaders in an attempt to deliver exclusive insights as to the direction of the workboat and shallow draft market for the coming years. • Al Anderson, Vice President of Government and Public Affairs, CHS Inc. • Rick Calhoun, President and Chairman, Cargill Marine and Terminal, Inc. • Steve Golding, President, Golding Barge Line, Inc. • Paul E. Mauer, President, Trinity Marine Products, Inc. MN: What is the most important message about the inland waterways industry that needs to be conveyed to the media and policymakers? Anderson: The most important…

At its Annual Meeting held October 18 in Nashville, the Board of Directors of Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) elected the following officers and Executive Committee members for 2006-2007: Mark Knoy, President, AEP MEMCO LLC, Chairman; R. Barry Palmer, WCI, President and CEO; Dan Mecklenborg, Senior Vice President, HR & Chief Legal Officer, Ingram Barge Company, First Vice Chairman and General Counsel; Kevin Sparks, Manager, Petrochemicals Marketing, Marathon Petroleum Co., LLC, Secretary/Treasurer; Peter Lilly, Chief Operating Officer-Coal, CONSOL Energy Inc., and Rick Calhoun, President, Cargo Carriers, Vice-Chairmen. Peter Stephaich, Chairman, Campbell Transportation Co; H.