Beating the Heat: R.W. Fernstrum & Company Turns 75
R.W. Fernstrum & Company, founded by Robert W. Fernstrum 75 years ago, is a quintessential U.S. manufacturing story. The company was born in the aftermath of WWII, founded on an invention developed during the war by Robert Fernstrum to help solve an engine overheating problem that was plaguing U.S. Navy landing craft. Family owned and operated from day one, today the company includes a fourth generation of family that aims to continue the legacy of its founder, a legacy built on effective…
Inland Marine Insurance: Assuring Property and Goods Move Forward
Though water covers more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, businesses engaged in marine shipping operations and logistics, and other businesses that manufacture and ship product still have a lot of ground to cover getting their various goods to their final destinations. The ocean marine insurance market, the oldest insurance market in the world, was initially developed to protect these goods while crossing the ocean’s open waters, later to morph into a product to protect all international transportation regardless of mode.
FMT Embraces Electronic Records Management
After Testing Records Technology Waters, Tug and Barge Company Jumps In. Shortly after Florida Marine Transporters CIO Don Carlton installed an electronic records management system for Kimberly Hidalgo, the tow service company’s head of Compliance, he suspected there might be other department heads interested in the new software. But, when Hidalgo’s department cut dozens of hours every week from staff time spent pulling paperwork from rooms full of filing cabinets while also automating complex administrative operations with the new system, Carlton knew all department heads would be interested.
Discovery in U.K. Archives Reveal Key Shipwreck Documents
The St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum’s Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program (LAMP), Director, Chuck Meide, made some key discoveries recently in London, England. Meide spent January 14-17, 2013 examining documents in the United Kingdom’s National Archives (formerly the Public Records Office), in an attempt to learn as much as possible about a shipwreck believed to be a British Loyalist Ship that was fleeing Charleston, South Carolina in 1782, currently referred to as Storm Wreck, which St. Augustine Lighthouse Archaeologists have been excavating offshore. “Once entrenched in the Archives, I was hard at work each day,” said Meide.
Shipping Execs Agree to Plead Guilty
The U.S. Department of Justice announced that four individuals have agreed to plead guilty for their involvement in a conspiracy to eliminate competition and raise prices for moving freight between the Continental U.S. and . A fifth shipping executive has agreed to plead guilty to destroying evidence of the shipping conspiracy. The five executives charged work for large companies that provide freight shipping services to customers transporting goods between the continental and . These companies transport a variety of cargo shipments, such as heavy equipment, medicines and consumer goods, on scheduled ocean voyages between the continental and . The to shipping lane is governed by the Jones Act, a portion of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920.
Navy Reserve Launches Next Phase of Forcewide Communication
Communicating with more than 100,000 Navy reservists and other key constituents worldwide has been a daunting task over the years. However, the commander of Navy Reserve Forces Command (CNRFC), launched 21st century technology June 25 to solve an age-old challenge. Reservists and others interested in the Navy Reserve Force can sign up for CNRFC’s list server for reserve-related information via e-mail. The list server, a computer server designed to automatically manage mailing lists with thousands of subscribers, will replace the current force e-mail distribution list (FEDL), which currently uses large distribution lists in the Microsoft Outlook program to send information to 8,000 recipients. People can subscribe for up to 13 e-mail groups at https://listserv.navyreserve.navy.mil.
Smooth Sailing
The entire suite of 1,000 official NOAA nautical charts has been available in digital raster form since 1995. These high quality, full color, geo-referenced images of NOAA's paper charts are made for use in computer-based navigation systems and work with GPS or other electronic positioning systems. They are produced jointly by NOAA and Maptech, Inc. under a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA). Mariners quickly adopted raster nautical charts. Their rapid adoption was aided by first-rate navigation software available from many companies at an affordable price. Today, the raster charts outsell NOAA's paper charts by eight to five.
