Page 21: of Marine News Magazine (October 2022)

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MN

Feature

Tug & Barge divisions: Great Lakes Shipyard, Sarter Marine and Plotz tions. Sarter Towing, along with six tugs, was purchased

Machine. Joe Stark is President, Gregg Thauvette is Vice in March. Sarter is based in Sturgeon Bay, Wis. and serves

President, Operations and Tom Rigolo is Vice President regional shipbuilding operations. Last fall, GLT purchased and Shipyard General Manager. The company strives to Plotz Machine & Forage Co., a Cleveland machine shop “serve the Great Lakes maritime community to the highest established in 1888.

standards possible.” Central to the Shipyard’s operation is the 820 metric ton

The Towing Company, as it’s commonly known, has marine Travelift, deliberately sized to lift the USCG’s 140- two business segments: harbor towing and ship assist and foot “Bay Class” ice breaking tugs as well as barges with a ship repair and construction. The company also provides beam of up to 54-feet. The Travelift is the largest on the long lake towing services, including dead boat towing and Great Lakes and one of the largest in the world.

barge service, as well as groundings, and it provides ice- Looking ahead, GLT execs note evolving Great Lakes breaking, line handling and chartering. trade. Coal was once a primary cargo. Now, other energy

GLT has 36 tugs in 13 ports between Duluth, Minn. markets are emerging. Wind turbine parts, for example, and Buffalo, N.Y. Shipyard operations are based in Cleve- are regularly shipped on the Lakes and Seaway. Container land. The Company started a ? eet renewal program in transport is becoming more common—from Europe and 2016 with construction of ten Damen-designed Model from traf? c diverted from backed-up coastal ports. Grain 1907 ICE, twin screw, EPA compliant 2,000 HP harbor exports have increased due to the Ukraine war.

tugs. The ? rst tug was completed in 2017. Great Lakes GLT notes that decreasing Lake water levels will like-

Shipyard recently launched the seventh tug in the series ly boost the need for dredging, further likely to increase and has started on construction of hull #8. This rebuild the need for shipyard repair services. Because the dollar is should be complete in 2025. strong, GLT expects increased foreign vessel traf? c on the

Sarter Marine and Plotz Machine are new acquisi- Great Lakes.

The Great Lakes

Towing Company

The Great Lakes Towing Company www.marinelink.com MN 21|