The following is the text of a press release issued by Crowley Maritime:
(JACKSONVILLE, Fla.) — Crowley Maritime Corp.’s government services group has been awarded a new technical management contract for five U.S. government-owned, Military Sealift Command (MSC) Roll-On/Roll-Off and container ships (ROCON). Under the approximately $130 million contract, Crowley will provide full turnkey operation and management of the fleet, including crewing and scheduled/unscheduled repair and drydocking services initially for one year with four, additional one-year options. The turnover phase for the ships began on October 1.
Of these five vessels, two will remain berthed in Jacksonville and three will be homeported in Norfolk – all within the service area of Crowley’s local offices. This contract will have a positive economic impact through the creation of several new jobs in both Jacksonville and Norfolk. The ships – USNS 1st LT Harry L. Martin, USNS LCPL Roy M. Wheat, USNS SGT Matej Kocak, USNS PFC Eugene A. Obregon and the USNS MAJ Stephen W. Pless – will be used to transport cargo throughout the world in support of the U.S. military.
“Crowley is proud to have been selected to provide technical management for this government fleet,” said Crowley’s Paul Varghese, general manager, government services. “This contract is a perfect fit for us, and would not be possible without the hard work and determination of our remarkable government team and the tremendous support we received from MSC.”
Crowley’s government services team combines the technical and professional capabilities of the company’s owned and managed fleets, under the direction of a team of tenured professionals, many of whom are mariners, to bring together best-in-class operations, engineering and contracting personnel. The team provides bundled vessel management solutions for the United States Maritime Administration, Military Sealift Command, and other agencies; custodial services for vessels seized by U.S. Government agencies; naval architecture and marine engineering services; project management and salvage and dive operations; and a host of other services through its 123-year-old parent company, Crowley Maritime. To learn more about the offerings of the government services team, click here.
