The following is the text of a news release from The Great Lakes Towing Company:
(CLEVELAND) — Great Lakes Shipyard, a division of The Great Lakes Towing Company, has signed a contract to build another of its HandySize-class, 3,400-hp, twin-screw tugboats for harbor towing operations in Puerto Quetzal, a growing principal commercial cargo, container and cruise port located on the Pacific coast of Guatemala. The buyer, Regimen de Pensiones y Jubilaciones del Personal de la Empresa Portuaria, is a pension benefits plan for port employees and retirees who operate a commercial tugboat service in the port under a Port Authority franchise for the purpose of ensuring future retirement benefits.
The HandySize-class tug was designed by Jensen Maritime Consultants of Seattle. The new tug will be built by Great Lakes Shipyard with delivery next year. It is specifically designed for harbor work and coastal towing. It is 74 feet long with a beam of 30 feet, and a design draft of 11.5 feet. It is to be built to American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) standards and its Cummins QSK50 main diesel propulsion engines, each rated at 1,700 hp at 1,600 rpm, meet EPA Tier 3 emission regulations delivering superior fuel economy, durability and reliability.
Evidencing the significance of the sale and trade between both countries, a ceremony and reception was held in the U.S. Embassy, Guatemala City, and hosted by the embassy’s senior trade specialist, Antonio Prieto of the International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. Prieto was instrumental in facilitating the sale.
Nicole DeSilvis, the embassy’s senior commercial officer, in her remarks on behalf of the U.S. government and U.S. Ambassador Todd Robinson, welcomed the pension plan’s officers represented by Eduardo De Jesus Lemus, the regimen’s presidente junta administradora, who signed the contract, and Juan Rodolfo Archila, the regimen’s administrador general. She acknowledged their work ethic and the “clear and transparent manner” of the negotiations and the contract process. She pledged to continue to collaborate and assist in the pension plan’s new endeavors.
At the ceremony, Carlos Antonio Lainfiesta, chairman of the Board of Puerto Quetzal, was presented with a plaque from the regimen in recognition of his efforts in support of the regimen’s acquisition of the new tugboat.
The Great Lakes Towing Company’s chairman, Ronald C. Rasmus, and Gregg A. Thauvette, vice president, operations and marketing, represented Great Lakes Shipyard. Rasmus signed the contract on behalf of the shipyard.
To learn more, visit www.thegreatlakesgroup.com.
