Hillman Changes Name To HBC Barge, Inc.

Hillman Barge & Construction Company has changed its name to HBC Barge, Incorporated to better identify its role as a major inland barge builder. The company specializes in custom-designed barges built to customer specifications.

Company ownership, management, craftsmen, and support staff all will remain unchanged, as will the company's location in Brownsville, Pa., on the Monongahela River.

Robert Kenny, p r e s i d e n t of HBC Barge, stated the reason for the name change is to gain better identity with the barge industry and barge users. "We wanted our name to be an easy and direct reflection of our dedication to barge building," Mr. Kenny said, "which is the majority of our business. Although our old, full name did say 'Barge and Construction,' most people knew of us only as 'Hillman' and often confused us with the other Hillman companies. The 'Construction' in the old name led to other confusion, we'd often get calls about building port facilities, schools and highways.

"With the new name, HBC Barge, people will more easily recognize us for our barges." Mr.

Kenny added, "This identity is partciularly important to potential new customers who are looking for a barge builder." HBC Barge, Inc. began building barges as Hillman Barge & Construction Company in 1939. Since then, the company's plant facilities have grown steadily, along with its capabilities. The current facilities have been laid out for maximum flexibility, permitting the simultaneous construction of many different barges of various types and sizes, and of differing design requirements. This type of layout has proven necessary due to the custom design of the company's barges.

According to Mr. Kenny, each barge the company produces is designed to meet the customer's specifications and design requirements.

"This adaptability to design is p a r t i c u l a r l y important with the liquid cargo and chemical barges we build," Mr. Kenny said. He added, "The variety of products our customers transport have very crucial, and widely differing, handling requirements. We design and build each barge for the customer, accordingly." In addition to liquid cargo and c h e m i c a l barges, HBC Barge builds coal, grain, cement, sand, gravel and general c o m m o d i ty barges, in standard, jumbo, stumbo and specialty sizes. Although the company concentrates its efforts on barges, it still retains the c a p a b i l i t i e s for building other types of specialty marine equipment.

Maritime Reporter Magazine, page 12, May 1980

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