Eric Fabrikant News

SEACOR Holdings Inc. announced it has concluded the sale of its Caribbean liner and logistics business SEACOR Container Lines LLC (“SEACOR Island Lines”) to King Ocean Services Ltd. The transaction includes all operations and assets.King Ocean specializes in marine transportation and logistics solutions to close to 50 destinations across the Caribbean and South and Central America out of their Port Everglades facilities in Ft Lauderdale, Fla.“For 40 years, King Ocean, a multi-generational…

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. based SEACOR Holdings Inc. announced it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its inland river transportation and logistics business to Ingram Barge Company LLC, a division of Nashville-based Ingram Marine Group.Part of the SEACOR family of businesses for over two decades, Inland River Transport Holdings LLC (SCF) includes more than 1,000 covered dry cargo hopper barges, eight 6,000-plus horsepower towboats and a network of terminal and fleeting infrastructure along the Mississippi River.“I am extremely pleased to enter this transaction with Ingram…

SEACOR Holdings said Monday it had agreed to sell its U.S. harbor towing operations and assets from its Seabulk subsidiary to two parties, E.N. Bisso & Son, Inc. and Bay-Houston Towing Co.The E.N. Bisso transaction includes 12 harbor towing vessels across ports in Florida and Alabama. Bay-Houston is acquiring eight vessels operating in Texas along the Sabine Neches Navigation District and in the Port of Lake Charles, La."E.N. Bisso and Bay-Houston are two industry-leading harbor towing providers supported by many decades of safe and reliable operations…

U.S. maritime companies Crowley and SEACOR Holdings' Seabulk Tankers have created a new joint venture that combines their liquid energy and chemical transportation vessels, operations and related services into a new, independent U.S. Jones Act service provider.The new company, Fairwater Holdings, will serve the U.S. domestic market with vessels and marine transportation solutions across the petroleum and chemical trades, as well as related third-party ship management services. It will include 20 oceangoing, articulated tug-barges (ATB) and 11 tankers, many under long-term charter.

Florida-based transportation and logistics firm SEACOR Holdings Inc announced Monday it has entered into a deal with private equity firm American Industrial Partners (AIP) to take the company private in an all-cash transaction valuing it at about $1 billion, including net debt.SEACOR said New York-based AIP will commence a tender offer to buy all its outstanding shares at $41.50 apiece, a premium of about 14% to the company’s closing stock price on Friday, and a premium of approximately 31% over the 90-calendar day volume weighted average price.The agreement was approved by SEACOR’s board of directors and they recommend that SEACOR stockholders tender their shares in the offer.The deal is expected to close by the end of the first quarter of 2021.

Florida-based marine services company Seacor Holdings said that its indirect wholly-owned tanker subsidiary SEA-Vista entered into an amended and restated $200 million credit agreement, which refinanced its existing credit facilities, with a syndicate of lenders led by JPMorgan Chase.The agreement provides for a $100 million revolving credit facility and a $100 million term loan facility, both of which mature in December 2024. The agreement allows SEA-Vista to use the borrowings for general corporate purposes, including acquisitions, and contains a $50 million accordion feature subject to lender approval.At closing, the revolving credit facility remained undrawn, and approximately $76 million of the term loan proceeds were used to fund the repayment of SEA-Vista’s original credit facility.

Seacor Holdings Announces Acquisition of Joint Venture Partner’s Interest in Sea-Vista.SEACOR Holdings Inc. announced that it has become the sole owner of its consolidated SEA-Vista joint venture, acquiring through a subsidiary the 49% interest that had been owned by an affiliate of Avista Capital Partners (the “Seller”). Purchase consideration consisted of $106 million in cash and 1,500,000 shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Consideration Shares”).In connection with the purchase…

The advent of industry wide tightening of allowable sulfur emissions is getting nearer. Suddenly, with the deadline now little more than one year away, the countdown clock will very soon be ticking much louder. Simply stated, the cap on allowable sulfur content in marine fuels, presently at 3.5 percent in many geographical regions, will be reduced to 0.5 percent in January 2020. The 0.1 percent sulfur cap, already in effect since 2015 in coastal Emissions Control Areas (ECAs) in Europe and North America…

General Dynamics NASSCO informs it has hosted a keel laying ceremony for the first Jones Act ECO tanker currently under construction for SEA-Vista LLC, at the company's shipyard in San Diego. Eric Fabrikant, chief operating officer of SEACOR Holdings Inc., served as the ceremony’s honoree and authenticated the keel by welding his initials onto a steel plate during the ceremony. The steel plate with his initials will be permanently affixed to the ship's keel and will remain with the vessel throughout its time in service. The ECO tanker is the first of a three-tanker contract between General Dynamics NASSCO and SEA-Vista, which calls for the design and construction of three 50,000 deadweight ton LNG-conversion-ready product carriers with a 330,000 barrel cargo capacity.

SEACOR Holdings Inc.informed that Oivind Lorentzen their Chief Executive Officer has stepped down as Chief Executive Officer, but will continue as a director and non-executive Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors. Charles Fabrikant, Executive Chairman, assumed the position of Chief Executive Officer. In addition, the Company has appointed John Gellert and Eric Fabrikant as co-Chief Operating Officers. Mr. Gellert will oversee Offshore Marine Services and Mr. Eric Fabrikant will oversee Transportation Services, Witt O'Brien's and CLEANCOR Energy Solutions. Matthew Cenac, Chief Financial Officer, and Paul Robinson, Chief Legal Officer, have been elevated to the position of Executive Vice President.

Examining key industry drivers is the focus of the 17th annual Hellenic-American and Norwegian-American Chambers of Commerce annual conference, often called the New York Shipping Conference. Entitled “Challenges & Opportunities for the Shipping Industry: Is There a New Normal?” the conference will present the macro shipping and economic overview, the impact of increasing environmental regulation on the shipping market, the availability of capital and its many forms, the growing influence of China and India on Shipping, and shipowners’ points of view. The event will be held on Tuesday, February 8th at the Waldorf-Astoria (a new venue for this event) starting at 0815 with conference registration and coffee.