Page 43: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (November 2025)

The company’s Total Quality Management System, inter- nally known as the Brennan Management System, re? ects the second “P” — process. “We’re ISO certi? ed, but we’ve built what I call our own ‘poor man’s Six Sigma,’” he explains. “It’s about improving safety, ef? ciency, and quality every single day. When you put great people into great systems and give them the right tools, pro? t follows.”

And pro? t, in Brennan’s view, is not an endpoint but a means of reinvestment. “We’re constantly building the bal- ance sheet,” Binsfeld says. “That allows us to reinvest — in assets, in people, in acquisitions. It’s how we sustain the com- pany for another 100 years.”

Leadership in a Time of Change

Every CEO faces challenges, and Binsfeld doesn’t shy away from naming them. “The last ? ve years could ? ll a book,” he says. “Between a pandemic, in? ation, and policy changes, there’s been no shortage of external shocks.”

But he draws a clear line between what leaders can control and what they can’t. “We don’t control the externalities,” he explains. “But we do control what happens inside our four walls — our people, our systems, how we deliver our work.”

For Brennan, that means an unrelenting focus on safety, quality, and ef? ciency. “Safe work is a commitment,” Bins- feld says. “We won’t do anything that jeopardizes that. When we control safety and quality, we become more ef? cient, more competitive, and ultimately more pro? table.”

That philosophy — balancing legacy with adaptability — is what Binsfeld believes will carry Brennan to its 200th anni- versary and beyond. “We’ve been here for more than a cen- tury,” he re? ects. “Our job is to make sure that when people

Autoship MR Sept2024.indd 1 7/18/2024 2:42:53 PM look back another hundred years from now, they’ll see that we built something sustainable — for our people, for our indus- try, and for the communities we serve.” 2019

One hundred years after Jim and Gene Brennan of? cially began Brennan Brothers, Matt

Binsfeld is elected President of J.F. Brennan Company and Adam Binsfeld becomes

President of Brennan Marine.

The business moves into its 5th generation of leadership.

MR #11 (34-49).indd 43 MR #11 (34-49).indd 43 11/2/2025 7:50:48 PM11/2/2025 7:50:48 PM