Project Cargo Services News

G2 Ocean,  a joint venture of two of the world's leading breakbulk and bulk shipping companies - Gearbulk and Grieg Star, has opened a new office in Hamburg, Germany, to achieve a stronger market position, and in response to increasing demand for project cargo services.“Germany is the manufacturing and engineering capital of Europe, and by establishing a base here, we are able to further enhance our business and service offerings in the region,” Vice President Innovation/Project Cargo Leif Arne Strømmen in G2 Ocean said.G2 Ocean’s newest addition to the team, Project Cargo Manager Mykola Kazadayev, will manage the office, which opens on December 1…

Netherlands-based  global logistics company Samskip is restructuring the multi-purpose cargo and reefer services connecting North Sea and Baltic ports to Norway operated by subsidiary Nor Lines.A press release from the company stated: "The overhaul, effective from October 1st, 2018, will meet rising demand for reefer and project cargo services southbound and increase capacity for conventional and project cargoes northbound along the Norwegian coast and beyond to Murmansk. Two existing multi-purpose service loops increase to three."In the most obvious change, capacity on the three-ship Nor Lines service between Baltic ports and Norway will be expanded to four vessels, each with reefer/palletized and deck space, and 50mt heavy lift crane capacity.

Kim Shaughnessy, longtime chief financial officer and chief operating officer of Cashman Equipment Corp., officially announced the opening of ACK Marine & General Contracting, LLC, a global marine construction and contracting company based in Quincy, Mass. The firm is certified as a Women Business Enterprise (WBE) at the national level. “I literally have grown up in the marine construction and services industry, working with clients around the world, and know it represents a huge untapped market for female entrepreneurs…

The global breakbulk and heavy-lift markets have had to navigate choppy waters in recent years. Not necessarily due to a shortage of freight, but as a consequence of unsustainably low freight rates. The global economic recovery since 2009 has been slow, and competition for the multipurpose sector has intensified due to bulkers, container lines and RoRo’s making forays into the breakbulk and heavylift market, as they look to diversify their business and make up for the lack of demand in their respective core markets.

Columbia Coastal Transport has deployed its 480-teu barge, Columbia Wilmington, into Freeport, Bahamas, effective immediately. Columbia's commitment to Freeport is part of the company's strategic plan, which coincides with Freeport Container Port's significant expansion and positioning as a major container hub port. Columbia's feeder services encompass twice weekly sailings melding New York/New Jersey with Boston, and Portland, Maine in the North Atlantic. The company's weekly service links New York/New Jersey with Philadelphia and Baltimore and the Chesapeake, as well as a dedicated service between U.S. ports and Freeport. The company also provides a full project cargo services between U.S. Coastal and inland ports, in addition to and from the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico.

Columbia Coastal Transport has added five additional vessels to its fleet of container barges that provide container feeder and project cargo services. The additional barges, which range in capacity from 112 to 660-teus, were previously owned by Hale Trans of Baltimore, Md. The newly attained barges will be updated with Columbia's specifications, and will be outfitted with new lashing gear and state-of-the-art power packs for transporting reefer cargo. The new vessels joining the fleet include the 630-teu Liberty Trader; the 520-teu Baltimore Trader; Norfolk Trader and Philadelphia Trader, each with 420-teu capacity; and the 224-teu New England Trader.