Campbell Transportation News

Campbell Transportation Company has repowered one of its towboats, the M/V Louise S, as part of an ongoing effort to modernize its fleet and enhance operational efficiency.The vessel, a 150-foot-long triple screw towboat built in 1968, was previously powered by three EMD 12-645 propulsion engines. Its new Tier 3 Mitsubishi S16R-Y3 engines, provided by Laborde Products and each outputting 1,675 horsepower, bring the total vessel power to 5,025 horsepower, significantly enhancing the boat's capability and efficiency.

The United States’ vast network of navigable inland rivers is vital to the nation’s economy, serving as an aquatic superhighway for the efficient shipment of critical commodities like agricultural goods, energy products, building materials and industrial chemicals to destinations within the U.S. and to deepwater ports for export. The Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI), which advocates for a modern, efficient and well-maintained inland waterways, often describes the network as “the…

Houston, Pa.-based marine transportation and services business Campbell Transportation Company, Inc. (CTC) announced it has promoted Gary Statler to senior vice president of river operations, effective March 1, 2023.Statler joined Campbell in October of 2014 and served as vice president of administration from February of 2021.Campbell's president, Kyle Buese, said Statler's promotion is in line with the company's long-term succession plan, and part of an organizational strategy to increase division leadership as the company grows.Campbell…

Houston, Penn.-based Campbell Transportation Company, Inc. (CTC) on Monday announced it has signed a definitive purchase agreement to acquire the majority of the marine assets owned by NGL Marine, LLC, a subsidiary of Tulsa, Okla.-based NGL Energy Partners LP.The $111.65 million cash deal, which is expected to be finalized by the end of March, includes a fleet of 13 towboats and 25 tank barges that provide waterborne transportation of refined products and crude oil for customers on the Gulf Coast, NGL said. A majority of the fleet will go to Campbell, and another portion will go to an unnamed buyer.For Campbell, the acquisition marks another step forward in its strategic plan to diversify its marine business line, the company said in a statement.

At its meeting held November 6 in Paducah, Ky., the National Waterways Foundation (NWF) has re-elected the following Trustees:Cherrie Felder, Channel Shipyard CompaniesPeter H. Stephaich, Campbell Transportation CompanyH. Merritt Lane, Canal Barge CompanyClark Todd, Blessey MarineKristin Beck, LaFargeHolcimStephen SheridanThe NWF also elected the following new Trustees:Jennifer Carpenter, CEO, American Waterways OperatorsAndrew Brown, Vice President - Legal & Claims, Ingram Barge CompanyJason Nyberg…

Campbell Transportation Company, Inc. (CTC), a fully integrated marine services company headquartered in Pennsylvania, announced Thursday that it has purchased the marine assets of Houston-based tank barge shipping company E Squared Marine Service, LLC.Campbell Transportation, which owns and/or manages a growing number of dry and liquid cargo barges and operates 50 towboats on the inland waterways system, said the acquisition is a step forward in its plan to grow by diversifying and expanding its current business into new and growing markets.This acquisition is a significant expansion of Campbell’s tank barge operations providing an operating and fleeting location in Houston.According to the E Squared Marine website…

There’s no energy shortage when it comes to projects promoting the viability of alternatively fueled marine vessels (alt-fueled vessels).Consider just a few examples:Crowley Maritime Corp will take delivery in 2023 of an electric tugboat, dubbed eWolf, built by Master Boat Builders in Coden, Ala.The Hydrogen One towboat, using methanol-to-hydrogen technology, is being developed by its owner Maritime Partners.Master Boat Builders and Robert Allan Ltd. announced last fall the creation of a new battery hybrid, the ElectRA 3000-H, designed for U.S.

At its Board of Trustees meeting held November 2 in St. Louis, the National Waterways Foundation (NWF) elected Matt Woodruff, Vice President of Public & Government Affairs, Kirby Corporation, as Chairman for a term expiring in 2023. He succeeds consultant Rick Calhoun as Chairman (2020-2021).The NWF, which develops the intellectual and factual arguments for an efficient, well-funded and secure inland waterways system, also elected the following Officers to serve one-year terms expiring in 2022President: *Tracy Zea…

National Rivers Hall of Fame will honor marine towing industry veterans Peter Stephaich and Joseph H. Pyne during the Annual Waterways Symposium hosted by Waterways Council, Inc. in St. Louis, Mo., in November.Stephaich, the current Chairman and CEO of Blue Danube Incorporated and Campbell Transportation Company, Inc., and Pyne, Kirby Corporation’s former CEO, will receive the Hall's Achievement Award, given to individuals making significant contributions to America’s waterways and barge industry.Having served the river industry for over 30 years…

Among transportation planners, “resilience”, describing the ability to bounce back from adversities, both economic and other, has become a top consideration as we increasingly must “expect the unexpected.” The U.S. waterway system, covering the network of inland rivers and coastwise waterways, has seen a mix of good and not so good. As the 2020-2021 pandemic moves toward winding down, a recovery from the dismal 2020 is underway, but activity on the rivers is uneven. Ken Eriksen…

On Wednesday, August 4, Campbell Transportation Company, Inc. christened the secondhand towboat Marci Gale in downtown Pittsburgh.Formerly named the Elizabeth Lane, the Marci Gale was purchased by Campbell in the spring of 2021 from Canal Barge. Upon acquisition, the Marci Gale underwent an extensive overhaul and rehabilitation process at Main Iron Works Shipyard in Houma, La. During this shipyard period, both main engines were completely refurbished along with the interior of the vessel. Numerous other upgrades were done throughout the boat to increase the life and performance of the vessel.The Marci Gale has entered service for Campbell and is operating along the entire Ohio River working the company’s Third-Party Towing Service.

The inland waterway system, flowing through the United States heartland, is a microcosm of all that has been happening in 2020: trade tensions, infrastructure issues, shifting trends in fuel consumption and the pandemic that has gripped us since the winter months. Shortly after the initial coronavirus outbreak here in the U.S., maritime workers were deemed to be “essential”, paving the way for cargo flows to recover from their springtime nadir. As COVID-19 infections turned up on U.S. shores, the boats continued plying the waterways, albeit with reduced volumes in some cases.

The combination of the coronavirus pandemic and oil price freefall have affected most maritime markets, including inland waterway shipping. Looking at U.S. river transport in particular, the impacts of these two black swan events vary greatly depending on the type of cargo being carried.David Grzebinski, CEO of the America’s largest tank barge operator, Kirby Corp., said in a March conference call that petrochemical customers have driven the market higher as plants and refineries look to shore up their supply chains amid current market upheavals…

Campbell Transportation Company is promoting Kyle Buese to the role of President, effective January 1, 2020, the Pittsburgh-based inland marine transportation and services company announced on Wednesday.Buese has been the Executive Vice President of Campbell Transportation for the past year. He will replace Mike Monahan who is retiring as President.Monahan, who is stepping down after eight years as Campbell President, will stay on as a member of the company's Board of Directors.Peter Stephaich…

Chairman & CEO, Campbell Transportation Company.Peter H. Stephaich is Chairman and CEO of Blue Danube Incorporated and Campbell Transportation Company. Currently, he is also Chairman of the Board of the Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI). Peter also serves on the Board of Directors of Blue Danube, a position that he has held since 1982. Serving the barge industry for over 30 years in a number of key roles, he also counts among his many qualifications his tenure(s) as Past Chairman and Past Treasurer of the American Waterways Operators (AWO)…

Mike Monahan was elected to Blue Danube Incorporated’s Board of Directors on February 8, 2019. Blue Danube Incorporated is the holding company of Campbell Transportation Company Inc. Michael J. Monahan joined Campbell Transportation Company (“Campbell”) as President in October of 2011. Campbell is a privately held company which is based in Houston, PA. Campbell and its subsidiaries employ approximately 300 employees, owns and manages over 1,100 barges and 40 to 50 towboats, 3 major shipyards…

Campbell Transportation Company, Inc. said that Kyle Buese will be joining the company as Executive Vice President of Operations effective January 7, 2019.Buese is a graduate of Tulane University where he received his Master of Business Administration degree and a graduate of Loyola University of New Orleans where he received his Bachelor of Business Degree. Buese is also an active CFA charterholder.Buese has worked at Kirby Corporation since 2006 where he has served in several key roles including General Manager, River Vessel Operations; General Manager, Vessel Operations; and Regional General Manager, Marine Systems Inc. In addition to Buese’s various roles within Kirby Corporation…

The Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) named Peter H. Stephaich, Chairman and CEO of Campbell Transportation Company, Inc. (Pittsburgh, PA), as its Chairman of the Board. Stephaich succeeds Tim Parker, President, Parker Towing Company (Tuscaloosa, AL), who served as WCI Chairman from 2016-2018.Stephaich has served the barge industry for more than 30 years in a number of key roles, as Past Chairman and Past Treasurer of the American Waterways Operators; Past Chairman and Trustee of the National Waterways Foundation…

Barge transportation comprises an extensive network, ideal for carrying seaborne cargo to inland destinations and exports alike. Responsible, in part, for the worldwide trade of bulk transport, the industry is of great significance to the agricultural sector. In North America, The Army Corps of Engineers maintains and operates over 12,000 miles of canals, rivers, and inland waterways. The Illinois Waterway and Mississippi River are the major waterways in the region that are responsible for moving agricultural and farm products through barges.

Dellner provides a range of clutch and braking products for the inland (brown water) and coastal workboat markets. Dellner products are used in a wide range of workboats including tugs, fishing boats and coast guard vessels. Major customers include US Seafoods, Trident Seafoods, Pesca Azteca, Frabelle Fishing, Western Rivers, ARTCO, Campbell Transportation, Moran Towing, Crowley Maritime, Excell Marine, Hunter Marine, Canal Barge, Andrie, Foss Maritime, Kirby Corporation, Sause Bros and Seaspan.

On February 14, 2018, Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) received Waterways Council, Inc.'s (WCI) 17th Annual Leadership Service Award for his strong and continued leadership on ports and inland waterways issues. He was presented the award by Stephen Little, Chairman of Crounse Corporation. WCI President & CEO Mike Toohey said, “We were honored to have the opportunity to celebrate Senator McConnell, who has been a stalwart advocate for the inland waterways in his state of Kentucky, but throughout the United States. Also on February 14, 2018, recently retired former U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Chief of the Navigation Branch Jeffrey A. McKee received the 2018 Waterways Counsel Award for his diligence and leadership in working with the waterways industry.

In the 29 years that towboat captain Joe Gray has worked flotillas of barges up and down the Ohio River, he has witnessed the decline at the heart of industrial America in what is known as the country's Rust Belt. Gray, 46, spends up to eight months a year doing 28-day stints on the barges carrying coal, corn and gravel between Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Cairo, Illinois. Some 600 million tons of goods still flow each year along 25,000 miles of U.S. waterways. But he has seen a growing number of coal-fired power plants being dismantled, from Indiana to West Virginia, and says barges loaded with coal have dwindled in the face of cheaper natural gas and tougher environmental regulations.

On Capitol Hill, October 1 was the first day of 2018, at least for the federal government’s fiscal year. In theory, on 10/1, the federal budget is supposed to be finalized with appropriations – i.e., spending – established for the next year. In practice, of course, it rarely works that way. Budget deliberations frequently last through December. And even on New Year’s Eve, Congress may be forced to vote on a Continuing Resolution to keep the government operating. The 2018 budget is of particular interest and it’s particularly important.