Manitowoc Awarded Contract for Double-Hull Tank Barges

Manitowoc Company Inc. announced that U.S. Shipping Partners, L.P. has awarded the Manitowoc Marine Group (MMG) a contract for the construction of two 156,000-barrel, ocean-class, double-hull tank barges. The vessels will be built by its Bay Shipbuilding subsidiary located in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. The barges, which are scheduled for delivery in the third and fourth quarters of 2008, will measure 521 feet in length, 72 feet in width, and 41 feet in molded depth. The contract also includes options for two additional vessels. Other contract terms were not disclosed. The U.S. Shipping contract represents the fifteenth and sixteenth OPA-90 compliant, double-hulled tank barges that have been ordered since 1999 from Manitowoc Marine Group. The total capacity of the 16 tank barges equates to approximately 2.0 million barrels. The U.S. Shipping barges will be used for oil and chemical transport along the East Coast and will be ABS, Coast Guard, and OPA-90 compliant.