March 23, 2022 – New Bedford, MA – The Port of New Bedford will add another base of operations and terminal logistics facility to support offshore wind projects off Massachusetts and the northeastern coast seaboard.

The former Sprague/Eversource site was selected for its proximity to offshore wind blocks located approximately 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket islands. The site will undergo redevelopment over the next year and be renamed the New Bedford Foss Marine Terminal. The terminal, slated to open in March 2023, will provide storage and laydown yards for equipment and materials, berth facilities for tug and barge operations, and host crew transfer vessel (CTV) and service operation vessel (SOV) support services. It will create new office space for project teams and a marine coordination center for technicians involved in offshore wind projects.

Foss is partnering with key local investors of New Bedford’s Cannon Street Holdings LLC (CSH) to develop the 30-acre site. Andrew Saunders, local commercial offshore marine industry attorney with Cannon Street Holdings, will serve as President of the New Bedford Foss Marine Terminal.

“Today marks a big day for the Port of New Bedford and the City as a whole,” said Saunders. “The repurposing of this facility to support offshore wind has been a vision for many and it is great to see this project now begin to materialize”.  “This day was the result of a lot of support from the many key local and state government stakeholders as well as industry stakeholders and we would not have gotten to this point without this support.  Both Sprague and Eversource also helped greatly in bringing this day to reality. Thank you to all involved”. 

“The New Bedford Foss Marine Terminal is perfectly situated to support offshore wind projects on the East Coast,” said Jason Childs, President and CEO of Saltchuk Marine. “We appreciate the vision of the City and Port of New Bedford and the vital role they are playing in making this project a success,“added Childs.

New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell lauded the announcement. “We are thrilled to welcome Foss to the Port of New Bedford. The new terminal will solidify the Port’s status as the East Coast’s leader in offshore wind, complement our fishing industry, and create opportunities for our residents,” Mayor Mitchell said. “I congratulate Andrew Saunders and Foss’s parent, Saltchuk Marine, for their skillful and persistent effort to close this important deal.”

“Congratulations to Andrew, John and Lou at CSH and Foss for acquiring the Sprague and Eversource sites and building a marine terminal there to support the offshore wind companies. Today’s announcement of the acquisition for a new marine terminal brings New Bedford another step closer to realizing the economic and environmental benefits of the offshore wind industry and the city’s role within it. This is an exciting day for New Bedford and the SouthCoast region, and the role our city will continue to play in offshore wind development and renewable energy.” said local State representative Antonio F.D. Cabral (D – New Bedford) whose district includes the property.

 “Re-dedication of this local port facility in New Bedford to provide support services for the coming Massachusetts wind renewable industry will provide jobs and economic growth while complementing the existing fishing, shipping and recreational maritime users in the harbor”, said local Representative Bill Straus (D-Mattapoisett), whose district includes both port communities of New Bedford and Fairhaven.  Rep. Straus is the House Chair of the legislature’s Transportation Committee.

“Congratulations to Foss and the City of New Bedford for continuing to build on the momentum that the emerging offshore wind industry is gaining in our community. This project is another opportunity to spur economic development in the region,” said local Representative Christopher Hendricks (D-11^th Bristol)

“The people of New Bedford should be very excited that a private company has decided to make such a huge investment in our community.  This type of private investment in our city should be example of how important offshore wind will be to our community over the next generations.  Very proud that a native of New Bedford was able to put this all together.  Hats off to Andrew and the team at Saltchuk.” said local State Representative Christopher Markey (D-Dartmouth) of the 9^th Bristol District which includes New Bedford

“Foss’s investment in New Bedford is a great example of how the emerging offshore wind industry, led by the Vineyard Wind 1 project, can have a meaningful impact on the community,” said Vineyard Wind CEO Klaus Moeller.  “The agreement will not only expand Foss’s operations in Massachusetts, but also create opportunities for local residents. We’re proud to work with Foss and look forward to the positive effect their presence will have in the City of New Bedford.”

“We are happy that we supported Foss in its development of this terminal as we believe that this is an example of creating added value in the development of offshore wind along the Northeast US coastline. It shows that cooperation, long term relationships and trust between companies and people creates opportunities for multiple parties and leads to local job creation”, said Jan Klaassen, director of DEME Offshore US.

The seller, Sprague Massachusetts Properties, is wholly owned by Axel Johnson Inc. which is a private operating company with a mission to invest in and help grow great industry-leading businesses over the long term. Until mid-2021, Axel Johnson was the majority owner of Sprague Operating Resources with Sprague utilizing the New Bedford facility as a petroleum marketing location. In the near-term, Sprague will continue to service the New Bedford petroleum market from its nearby Providence, Rhode Island distribution terminals via truck.

“We’re proud of our continued partnership with the City of New Bedford and the work that has already gone into the waterfront site over the past several years,” said Eversource Executive Vice President for Corporate Relations and Sustainability Jim Hunt. “Redeveloping the property will bring environmentally responsible economic development opportunities to the area as our region becomes a leader for offshore wind, which aligns with our work creating a more sustainable future.”

A groundbreaking ceremony will be held later this year, in conjunction with the One SouthCoast Chamber of Commerce.

Rendering of the New Bedford Foss Marine Terminal

Media Contacts:

Mark Grantor

mgrantor@saltchukmariness.com

206.448.5868

Andrew Saunders

asaunders@saunderslawllp.com

508.264.6230

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ABOUT FOSS MARITIME 

Founded in 1889, Seattle-based Foss Maritime offers a complete range of maritime services and project management to customers across the Pacific Rim, Europe, South America, and around the globe. Foss has one of the largest fleets of tugs and barges on the American West Coast. The company has harbor services and transportation operations in all major U.S. West Coast ports, including the Columbia and Snake River system, Hawaii, and Alaska. Foss offers worldwide marine transportation, emphasizing safety, environmental responsibility, and high-quality service. See www.foss.com for more information. 

ABOUT CANNON STREET HOLDINGS

Cannon Street Holdings was established in 2021 to acquire and develop the Sprague/Eversource site into an offshore wind staging facility.  Its principals are Louis A. Cabral, John A. Lees Jr., and Andrew B. Saunders.   Each of the three principals are local members of the community and bring extensive experience to the project.  In Early 2021, the project signed a public private partnership with the City of New Bedford which committed the development objective be focused on an offshore wind staging facility.

ABOUT SALTCHUK MARINE

The Saltchuk Marine family, with the tugboat as the center of our services, is steeped in a rich and storied history of innovation and service. With a keen use of technology, Saltchuk Marine companies: Foss Maritime, Young Brothers, Cook Inlet Tug & Barge, AmNav Maritime, and Starlight Marine continue to lead the industry in harbor services and marine transportation solutions, with safety and the environment leading our principles. Visit www.saltchukmarine.com for more information.  

ABOUT EVERSOURCE

Eversource (NYSE: ES), celebrated as a national leader for its corporate citizenship, is the #1 energy company in Newsweek’s list of America’s Most Responsible Companies for 2021 and recognized as one of America’s Most JUST Companies. Celebrated as a national leader for its corporate citizenship, Eversource transmits and delivers electricity and natural gas and supplies water to 1.8 million customers throughout Massachusetts, including approximately 1.45 million electric customers in 142 communities, 635,000 gas customers in 110 communities, and 8,700 water customers in five communities. Eversource harnesses the commitment of approximately 9,300 employees across three states to build a single, united company around the mission of safely delivering reliable energy and water with superior customer service. The #1 energy efficiency provider in the nation, the company is empowering a clean energy future in the Northeast, with nationally recognized energy efficiency solutions and successful programs to integrate new clean energy resources like solar, offshore wind, electric vehicles, and battery storage, into the electric system. For more information, please visit eversource.com, and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. For more information on our water services, visit aquarionwater.com.

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October 30, 2021 – Seattle, WA – Foss Maritime announces with deep regret that its Seattle shipyard located in North Queen Anne is permanently closed, effective today, October 30, 2021. The shipyard closure does not affect any other area of Foss’s operations. 

The difficult decision is a result of Foss Maritime’s regular evaluation of business lines and follows the company’s diligent effort to improve the viability of the Seattle shipyard over many years. 

“While the closure of the Seattle shipyard is a strategic decision for the future of Foss, it is not a decision we have taken lightly,” said Will Roberts, President of Foss Maritime. “We have employees and families who have been with us for decades; our priority is assisting them in this transition.” 

Shipyard employees will continue to receive salary, benefits, and an average of overtime wages through the end of the year, though with no work requirement, as operations have ceased.  

Moving forward, Foss will utilize other Pacific Northwest shipyard operations to meet its fleet maintenance and repair needs.  

Media Contacts: 

Nathan Wilson 

nathanw@strategies360.com 

316-250-2751 

Taylor Bickford 

taylorb@strategies360.com 

907-227-9718 

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ABOUT FOSS MARITIME  

Founded in 1889, Seattle-based Foss Maritime offers a complete range of maritime services and project management to customers across the Pacific Rim, Europe, South America and around the globe. Foss has one of the largest fleets of tugs and barges on the American West Coast. The company has harbor services and transportation operations in all major U.S. West Coast ports, including the Columbia and Snake River system, Hawaii and Alaska. Foss offers worldwide marine transportation, emphasizing safety, environmental responsibility and high-quality service. See www.foss.com for more information.  

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SEATTLE, WA APRIL 8, 2019– Foss Maritime Company announced today that seasoned corporate executive Sloane Perras has joined the company as Vice President, General Counsel & Chief Ethics Officer. Perras will lead the company’s Legal and Risk Management Group where she will provide legal counsel, advise on business strategies and best practices, and direct ethics and compliance programs.

Prior to joining Foss, Perras served as Chief Administrative and Legal Officer for The Krystal Company—a privately held retail brand. Perras regularly reviewed the company’s enterprise risk strategies, financial controls and flows of revenue. She managed the risk management functions and provided enterprise strategy for innovation, regulatory compliance and HR risk mitigation. In addition, Perras worked closely with the leadership team on corporate governance, including reporting directly to the Audit Committee on cyber and privacy issues.
 
“We are very pleased to have Sloane join Foss Maritime,” said John Parrott, President and CEO of Foss Maritime. “She has impressive experience and is an excellent fit on our team.”
 
Prior to her role at The Krystal Company, Perras was Acting General Counsel for Aaron’s, Inc; a Fortune 1000 national leader in sales and leasing of rent-to-own home goods. Before joining Aaron’s she worked in companies involved in the global supply chain. As an in-house lawyer, she was the Vice President, Assistant General Counsel & Assistant Corporate Secretary of Americold Logistics, LLC and corporate counsel of Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. (“EXPD”). Throughout her supply chain background, she has addressed significant regulatory and compliance matters, especially around global enforcement protocol.
 
“I’m proud to join a company with such a rich history of safety and innovation in waterway commerce,” said Perras, “I’ve worked in a variety of complex business and regulatory environments and look forward to putting my years of experience into safeguarding the values and reputation of Foss – and in being a part of its continued growth.”
 
Perras has a degree in Finance from University of Florida and earned her law degree, Cum Laude, from University of Georgia School of Law.

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ANCHORAGE, MARCH 29, 2019– Cook Inlet Tug & Barge (CITB), an independently managed subsidiary of Foss Maritime Company, announced that industry veteran Jeff Johnson has been named as the company’s new President. Johnson brings to CITB a deep understanding of the maritime industry and nearly two decades of leadership experience. He will take over as CITB President in June 2019.
 
Johnson joins CITB after 16 years with ARCO and BP Shipping. Most recently Johnson served as Director and General Manager of BP Maritime Services. He was based in Singapore with accountability to provide crewing and maritime talent needs for BP Shipping and BP Group globally. He is active in the Singapore Shipping Association and sits on the Maritime Business Society Board of Advisors for Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.
 
“We conducted an extensive search to find an established and renowned industry leader; a person that will continue the growth trajectory at Cook Inlet Tug & Barge,” said John Parrott, President and CEO of Foss Maritime. “Jeff’s impressive background, coupled with his strong desire to return to Alaska, made him the perfect choice to lead CITB in serving our customers and communities around the state.”
 
Johnson began his career at sea in the fishing industry of Alaska. After a period with ARCO marine’s tanker fleet and Polar tankers, he transitioned ashore with ConocoPhillips in 2003 as a marine superintendent before becoming the fleet operations manager accountable for their international and US flagged tanker fleets as well as their US inland tug and barge fleet. 
 
“I am very excited to join Cook Inlet Tug & Barge and be a member of this incredible team,” said Johnson. “I’ve always been impressed with the people at Cook Inlet and their unique capability of operating year-round in the harsh environment of Alaska.”
 
Johnson joined BP in 2007 in Alaska as the BP Shipping marine affairs advisor acting as Shipping’s local face to external parties before moving to Houston in 2010 as the assurance capability manager for BP Shipping. In this role he served as the interface to BP’s Upstream in the Americas, and led the provision of technical support to the Alaska Tanker Company before becoming manager, environmental and external affairs for BP Shipping in 2012.
 
In 2014, Johnson was appointed to lead BP Shipping’s presence in the US as President, BP Shipping (USA), also taking the lead in interfacing with federal and state legislative and regulatory entities. In his current role as Director and General Manager, BP Maritime Services based in Singapore, Johnson has led the provision of crewing and maritime talent for BP Shipping and the BP Group since 2017.
 
“Foss and CITB have been in the process of expanding our fleet,” said Parrott. “With the addition of assets along the North Slope, and the relocation of vessels to the area, we are committed to continuing to expand our service offering throughout the region. Jeff’s ability to manage every aspect of projects, to interface with regulatory groups, and to identify talent and opportunities makes him the ideal person to lead our ongoing investment in Alaska.”
 
Johnson was a committed responder during the deep water horizon incident in 2010 and has been an active member of the mutual response team (MRT) supporting BP Group needs globally. He has been a passionate proponent for diversity and inclusion and has driven forward BP Shipping’s ‘believe in zero’ approach to safety.
 
“Opportunities in Alaska abound for Cook Inlet Tug & Barge because of the people and the experience the team brings to the table,” said Johnson. “The equipment CITB brings to the table coupled with its unique capability of operating in Alaska makes CITB an exciting place to come with a bright future.”

Johnson previously served on the Board of Directors for the Marine Preservation Association (MPA) and the Chamber of Shipping of America, and has been an active member on the Western States Petroleum Association Marine Committee and BP Board member alternate for the Alaska Tanker Company. He holds a USCG Masters license, a BS Degree in Business Administration from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, and a BS Degree in Marine Transportation from the California Maritime Academy in Vallejo. In addition, Johnson completed coursework at the Sloan School of Executive Management at MIT in Cambridge.

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ANCHORAGE, January 3, 2019–Cook Inlet Tug & Barge (CITB), an independently managed subsidiary of Foss Maritime Company, announced that Foss project manager Amber Thomas has been selected as interim Business Operations Manager for Anchorage. Beginning January 2, Thomas will serve as the central point person for administrative and commercial operations, leading all shoreside activities in Anchorage and Seward.

Thomas will take on the temporary position while the search continues for a new president to replace former CITB head Ben Stevens. Stevens left CITB in December to accept a position with the office of the governor of Alaska.

Thomas, a native of Alaska, has a strong track record for success in project management since joining Foss in 2015. Her first role at Foss was to assist in the Shell offshore drilling venture in the Chukchi Sea. She also was paramount in assisting with the management of the Puerto Rico Utility Equipment Projects as well as the Puerto Rico FEMA accommodations project.

Previously, Thomas worked for ASRC Energy Services (AES) as Operations Coordinator—a subsidiary native corporation from Arctic Slope Regional Corporation that provides comprehensive support to the oil and gas industry. One of her key roles with AES was to work with subsidiary companies in the contiguous United States, including Petrochem and AES Continental, to troubleshoot and streamline operations.

Thomas was raised in Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska. She graduated from the University of Idaho in 2007, where she obtained her Bachelors of Science in American Studies. Thomas is a Certified Associate in Project Management from the Project Management Institute (PMI).

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ANCHORAGE, October 29, 2018– The Bering Wind, a powerful Dolphin Class tugboat, is being transferred from the Foss fleet in Long Beach, California to Cook Inlet Tug & Barge in Anchorage. The tug, formerly known as the Campbell Foss, is scheduled to begin service in Anchorage this month.The vessel was renamed in October of this year and is scheduled to enter service in Alaska in approximately November 15, 2018.

“The addition of the Bering Wind to our Anchorage based fleet of tugs will improve our current level of service in the Port,” said Ben Stevens, president of Cook Inlet Tug and Barge. “It will also ensure safe port operations can be conducted during the anticipated Port revitalization project which will commence in spring of 2019.”

The boat was built by Foss in 2005. In 2011, she was converted to hybrid power, the first-ever tugboat converted to become a hybrid. She and her sister vessel, the Carolyn Dorothy were the first two hybrid tugs in the industry.

“We are extremely proud of the role that this ground-breaking vessel has had in our fleet – it has been one of the gems of our operations,” said John Parrott, CEO of Cook Inlet Tug and Barge parent company Foss Maritime. “We are very excited to see her becoming a vital part of the Alaska maritime economy.”

The Bering Wind is one of the most powerful harbor tugs in the industry. Powered by two Series II Caterpillar engines and twin Rolls Royce US 205 FP Z drives, the Campbell Foss is rated at 5,080 horsepower and has more than 135 tons of pulling power. Her diesel-electric hybrid service is provided on one 125 kilowatt Marathon generator set.

The Bering Wind will be based out of Anchorage, and has been repainted with the recognizable blue and white colors of Cook Inlet Tug and Barge.

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HONOLULU, July 2, 2018 – The Kāpena Jack Young, the first of four new ocean-going tugs that will soon begin neighbor island service for Young Brothers, has been christened in Louisiana. The Kāpena Jack Young, designed by Damen USA and built by Louisiana-based Conrad Shipyard, marks the arrival of the first new Kāpena class tugs built for Hawai‘i-based Young Brothers, an independent subsidiary of Foss Maritime.

“Kāpena” means “captain” in the Hawaiian language, and the name for the class of ships celebrates the skill and innovation of Young Brothers’ Hawaiian navigators and will be home-ported in Kaunakakai, Moloka‘i. The new class of tugs are designed to match Young Brothers’ fleet of modern high capacity barges, and will improve the company’s ability to provide “just-in-time” cargo service to Neighbor Island communities, while enhancing service through lower maintenance down time, better tow speeds, greater operating efficiencies, and lower emissions.

The Kāpena Jack Young is named after Captain Jack Young, one of three brothers who founded Young Brothers in 1900. Each of the four new Kāpena class tugs will be named after an original Young Brothers’ captain, including nā Kāpena George Panui Sr. and Jr., Bob Purdy, and Raymond Alapa‘i. The christening of the Kāpena Jack Young was held at Port Fourchon with representatives of Young Brothers, Foss Maritime, Conrad, and Damen in attendance, as well as Sharon Young, Jack Young’s granddaughter, who sponsored the vessel.

“The four new Kāpena class tugs, represent our future while honoring our past. Once in service, the average age of our fleet will be reduced from an average age of 44 years to 12 years young,” said Joe Boivin, new President of Young Brothers. “The new tugs reinforce our commitment to safety, environmental stewardship and customer service.”

The 6,000 horsepower, 123 foot by 36.5’ vessel is powered by General Electric 8L250MDC—state-of-the-art EPA Tier IV emissions compliant exhaust gas re-circulation engines.

“I’m very impressed with the work that has been done by Conrad shipyards and Damen USA in the delivery of the first of our four new, state-of-the-art, Tier 4 tugs,” said John Parrott, President and CEO of Foss Maritime. “We worked with Young Brothers to research various tug hull designs, engines, and towing equipment options. The construction of these new tugs supports Young Brothers’ in providing reliable, affordable and frequent services throughout the Hawaiian islands—now and in the future.”

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SEATTLE, Wash., June 27, 2018 – Foss Maritime has announced that they have kicked off a company-wide project to centralize fleet management and operations with Helm CONNECT, a leading marine software platform. The announcement comes as Foss moves forward on an initiative to better organize and streamline operations across core business units and wholly-owned subsidiaries along the U.S. West Coast, and in Hawaii and Alaska.

As part of the agreement with Helm Operations, Foss will centralize its vessel dispatching, billing, maintenance, compliance, and personnel management in the Helm CONNECT software platform
Seattle-based Foss Maritime has one of the largest tug and barge fleets in the United States. The company operates an integrated fleet of harbor tugs, offshore support, towing vessels and barges, comprising more than 200 vessels including four subsidiary companies: Foss Atlantic, AmNav Maritime Services, Young Brothers Limited, and Cook Inlet Tug and Barge.

“At Foss, we’re constantly looking at new ways to improve our business. Helm CONNECT is a great fit for us; it offers an integrated software solution but also acts as a partner in managing our wide variety of vessels and operations,” said Foss President and CEO, John Parrott. “Our goal is always to find ways to best support our staff and crews in the field. Helm CONNECT is another way for us to better provide the tools and information that are necessary to safe and efficient operations. It has long been our mission to deliver to our customers marine services without equal – and Helm CONNECT helps us to do just that.”

Streamlining marine operations is Helm CONNECT’s primary focus. “Our vision behind Helm CONNECT was bringing all the disciplines from vessel dispatch and billing, to maintenance and compliance, and crewing and payroll, into a single, user-friendly system that could be shared between ship and shore. We’re excited to help bring that to a great company like Foss,” said Ron deBryune, CEO of Helm Operations.

“Foss will be using the full suite of Helm CONNECT products, including the Fleet Maintenance, Compliance, Jobs and Crewing modules,” said Scott Merritt, COO at Foss. “These tools help drive our commitment to incident free operations and continual improvement in every facet of their services. The Jobs module will support the order to invoice process and help the Foss Fleet Monitoring Center Watchstanders to both track the assets of Foss Maritime and her sister companies and assign the work in the most efficient manner. The Personnel module will enhance the scheduling and payroll process for the over 800 Foss Mariners.”

Released in 2016, Helm CONNECT has emerged as one of the leading platforms for marine operations and vessel management both in North America and globally. In less than two years since launching, Helm CONNECT is the most widely used software platform in North America, with some 40% of the fleet of the American Waterways Operators (AWO), America’s largest ship owners group, and today more than 3000 vessels now use Helm CONNECT around the world.

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Foss made the voyage from the Port of Virginia in Norfolk and the Port of Lake Charles in Louisiana to Ponce, Puerto Rico safely, in under two weeks, with five barges and two ocean-going tugs.

“It’s been an amazing collaboration between Foss and the utility companies to help restore the power grid in Puerto Rico,” said Capt. Peter Roney, Project Manager for Foss, “A lot of people are still without power, so we’re glad that we have the crews and vessels at the ready to help deliver these much needed resources to the island.”

In addition to the company’s latest project shipping utility trucks, Foss has been working in conjunction with Government agencies in support of relief and rebuilding efforts in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands for several months.

Under contract with FEMA, Foss arrived at the island on October 19, 2017 with three accommodation vessels, an ocean-going tug and more than 100 personnel, to provide warm meals and “floating hotels” for hundreds of first responders, including workers from the U.S. Department of Defense, FEMA and AmeriCorps. The company has also been contracted shipped a load of power equipment and three loads of water to the island.

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