Page 56: of Marine News Magazine (November 2025)

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Feature

Stevens Towing Company “Because we’re paid on a per-ton basis, fuel ef? ciency really FaceTime the engine room from the of? ce, send a diagram, matters. We’ve nearly repowered the entire ? eet ourselves. or clear customs paperwork in minutes instead of hours.”

You can’t afford downtime in our business. Having engines Still, for Stevens, technology is just an enabler; the core that are reliable, ef? cient, and maintainable is critical.” remains the people. “We’ve always been a family company,

But that reliability comes with its own set of challenges. and that extends to everyone who works here,” he says. “It always boils down to people and parts,” Stevens admits. “We have captains who’ve come over for Thanksgiving “You’re running 24/7, 365. Do you have the right techni- dinner every year. When you know their families, when cians, and can you get parts when you need them? That’s you train them, and when you give them opportunities, what keeps me up at night.” that’s how you keep good people.”

That philosophy is formalized in the company’s apprentice-

Digital Tools, Human Touch ship and training programs, designed to cultivate local talent

While Stevens Towing may be steeped in tradition, it’s and give young people a career path in the maritime trades.

not standing still in the digital era. The company has rolled At the shipyard, Stevens Towing partners with local high out Starlink connectivity across its ? eet and uses mobile schools to offer a welding apprenticeship for ? ve to eight apps for job tracking, inventory management, and com- students each semester. Participants are paid hourly while munications between vessels and the shipyard. “It’s changed working in the yard, and the company funds their contin- how fast we can make decisions,” says Stevens. “You can ued education at nearby technical schools.

56 | MN November 2025