Page 28: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (March 15, 1973)

New Company, Arctic Transportation, Ltd.,

Formed To Specialize In Service To North

One of Arctic Marine Freighters' 7,000-hp tugs towing a barge load of 48-inch pipe in the ice-choked Arctic during the 1970 sealift to Prudhoe Bay on Alaska's North Slope.

The formation of a new Cana- dian 'Company, Arctic Transporta- tion, Ltd., which will offer special- ized transportation service to the

Western Arctic, was announced in

Vancouver, British Columbia. Two major Canadian marine transporta- tion firms, Seaspan International

Ltd. of Vancouver, and Federal

Commerce and Navigation Co. of

Montreal, were responsible for the formation of the transportation consortium.

Officers of the new consortium are: chairman, Laurence G. Pathy, president of Federal Commerce &

Navigation Co., Ltd.; president,

J.F.C. Stewart, chairman of Sea- span International; vice presi- dent, marketing, Michael H. Bell of Federal Commerce & Naviga- tion Co., Ltd.; vice president and secretary-treasurer, Edward Judd, vice president, corporate services of Seaspan International.

The unusual difficulties and de- mands related to transportation in the Arctic dictated the formation of the company, which utilizes the equipment and expertise of three established towing companies and a worldwide steamship company.

In addition to the Canadian com- panies, there will be participation by Puget Sound Tug & Barge Co., and PAC, both of Seattle, Wash., bringing together virtually all of the experience and knowledge that has been developed in this special- ized field in the past 15 years.

The oil and gas activity at Prud- hoe Bay and elsewhere along

Alaska's North Slope and the Ca- nadian Western Arctic, provided the incentive for the formation of

Arctic Transportation, Ltd. The company is prepared to provide specialized transportation services along the Western Arctic coast- line.

The companies have developed, with experienced operating person- nel and properly designed equip- ment, a transportation system that will operate from any world port, and thence around Point Barrow, to final delivery point anywhere in the

Western Arctic. Since 1958, mem- ber companies have provided an- nual transportation of military and commercial cargoes to this remote part of the world. In 1970, a fleet of 56 barges and 28 tugs of member companies delivered over 200,000 tons of cargo along the Arctic coastline.

Seaspan, which two years ago brought together the resources of

British 'Columbia's two largest and longest established towing com- panies, Island Tug and Barge, and

Vancouver Tug, has an established reputation in North Pacific sal- vage, trans-Pacific towing and the operation of some of the world's largest oceangoing bulk - cargo barges along the Pacific Coast. The company's flagship Sudbury II is well-known to shipping circles and the public alike.

Federal Commerce and Naviga- tion Company has been in opera- tion since 1944. It owns and op- erates, as well as charters, a fleet of specialized cargo and supply vessels ranging from 33,000-ton hulk-cargo carriers, capable of navigating the St. Lawrence Sea- way, to 16-ton icebreaking tugs for use in the Arctic Islands.

Through its subsidiary, Resolute

Shipping Ltd., the company has figured prominently in the water transportation of supplies to oil companies exploring in the Arctic

Islands, as well as 'to Atlantic off- shore drilling operations. Federal

Commerce and Navigation Co.,

Ltd. has made a specialty of trans- portation of steel and heavy equip- ment under exceedingly difficult conditions.

Puget Sound Tug & Barge Co. and PA'C, through their joint ven- ture, Arctic Marine Freighters, were responsible for moving al- most all the materials and equip- ment required thus far for develop- ment of the oilfield at Prudhoe

Bay, as well as the transportation of 48-inch pipe for the northern portion of the proposed Alyeska

Pipeline. Both companies are known for their worldwide and coastwise towing and barging ca- pabilities.

Commenting on the formation of the new company, which will be

Vancouver based, president Stew- art said that the formation of the consortium was essential. "No sin- gle shipping company or towing company could begin to provide the transportation services th'at are going to be required in the Arctic

North. "We are going to ibe engaged in sealifts unheard of in the past. Our ports of delivery quite often will be locked in by sea ice for all but six weeks of the year. It's not just a matter of the right quantity and the right kind of equipment. A vast knowledge of the marshaling of supplies is required, together with the ability to devise loading and off-loading methods that leave absolutely no room for error. I think Arctic Transportation, Ltd. is big enough and good enough to handle the Arctic," he said.

In addition to its head office in

Vancouver, the company will have offices in Calgary and Montreal and will provide transportation services to the Arctic from both the West and East Coasts.

Thomas L. Gladders

Elected President

G.W. Gladders Towing

Thomas L. Gladders

Thomas L. Gladders has been elected president of G.W. Gladders

Towing Company, Inc. He was formerly vice president of the com- pany, with headquarters at 230

South Bemiston, Clayton, Mo.

Before joining the company in 1968, Mr. Gladders was a commer- cial loan officer of the First Na- tional Bank of Chicago. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College and Stanford University Graduate

School of Business. He is an ac- tive member of the towing indus- try, serving as a director and Re- gion 1 vice president of the Ameri- can Waterways Operators, Inc.; a member of the Barge and Tow- ing Industry Advisory Committee to the 'U.S. Coast Guard; a mem- ber of the advisory board of The

National River Academy, Helena,

Ark., and Missouri governor, Wa- ter Resources Congress.

It was also announced that G.

Warren Gladders was elected chairman of the board, a newly created position.

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SPECIAL PURPOSE CRAFT

A DIVISION OF^^hittaker 1663 N.W. 2lst Street. Miami. Florida 33142 32 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News