Over four decades ago, Hans J. Hvide and three partners formed Port Everglades Towing Company, the predecessor company of Hvide Marine, started with two harbor tugs. Under Hvide’s leadership, Port Everglades Towing expanded rapidly, eventually forming the three major business segments—Offshore Energy Support, Offshore & Harbor Towing, and Marine Transportation—of Hvide Marine Incorporated (HMI). Today, the company has grown into a worldwide enterprise, publicly traded on the Nasdaq stock exchange, with a fleet of nearly 240 vessels, more than 2,000 employees worldwide, and annual revenue exceeding $320 million. However, the past three years have been anything but smooth sailing for Hvide Marine.