(JACKSONVILLE, Fla.: Sept. 30, 2009) Tom Crowley, Jr., chairman, president and CEO of Crowley Maritime Corporation, last week was presented with the prestigious National Transportation Award from the National Defense Transportation Association, at the group’s annual logistics forum and exposition in Nashville, Ten.
NDTA Chairman Ray Ebeling made the presentation to Crowley at the Chairman’s Awards Dinner, the highlight of the multi-day event. Richard Haynes, executive director, Military Sealift Command (MSC), was also honored as the Department of Defense Distinguished Service Award recipient, and Col. Joseph (Joe) Torsani, Jr., USA (Ret.), chairman of NDTA’s Council of Regional Presidents, was recognized with the NDTA President’s Award.
Crowley, whose father, Thomas B. Crowley, Sr., was recognized with the same award in 1970, thanked Ebeling, NDTA President Kenneth Wykle, the NDTA Board and distinguished guests for the recognition, and he said he was pleased to accept on behalf of the 4,300 Crowley employees around the world who help provide a wide variety of Crowley services to the DOD and government.
“Our relationship with the department of defense is as diverse as Crowley and the different services we provide,” said Crowley.
Speaking directly to the hundreds of senior military and industry leaders in attendance, he said “we work hard to serve many of you. Given the state of the economy, you might say we’re sticking our neck out a bit; I don’t think that’s the case,” he said referring to the fact that while many businesses continue to downsize, Crowley is expanding operations, anticipating economic recovery in a patriotic way.
“We’re investing in the American flag, a proud tradition in our 117-year history,” he said. “Over the past 10 years, we’ve committed over $1 billion to build tugs, barges and ATBs. All of these units are US-built, US-flagged, US-crewed and Jones Act qualified. I firmly believe that the way we keep America strong is that we invest in American ship yards, American jobs, and in the American merchant marine.”
“This investment in new U.S.-flag petroleum tonnage is one of the reasons why I believe we’ve been able to transport and deliver hundreds of millions of barrels of petroleum products without a single incident since we began our ATB program in 2002,” he said.
Work for the DOD and various government entities is an important component of Crowley’s business.
“Our defense work stretches from the most remote part of the DEW (Distant Early Warning) line at Fort Yukon in Alaska to Soto Cano in Honduras to Apra Bay in Guam,” he said.
Crowley began re-supplying remote DEW Line sites back in the early 1950s with tugs and barges. Today the company supports the DFAS mission by providing quality petroleum products through out Alaska by direct barge delivery as well as via our highway marine terminals.
Petroleum is used in military and other aircraft, marine equipment, vehicles, generators and heaters. Customers include US Air Force, FAA, US Coast Guard, Army, National Guard and Department of the Interior installations throughout the state.
In Soto Cano, Honduras, under military contract USC 06, Crowley provides a myriad of logistics services at this US base.
“In Apra Bay, Guam, we recently delivered the port cranes for Horizon and Matson,” Crowley said. “These cranes are an essential component in conditioning Apra to receive the military build up from Okinawa.”
And throughout the world, Crowley is privileged to work:
With MARAD in managing a portion of the Ready Reserve Fleet With MSC on the SUPSALV contract in the Pacific
With DFAS on various petroleum contracts
The USCG on the standards for the tanker escort service in Prudhoe Bay and Prince William Sound, Alaska
With USAID on its disaster relief program for the Caribbean and Latin America
As an active partner with USTRANSCON and SDDC in the RDC 04 and USC 06 contracts.
Jacksonville-based Crowley Holdings Inc., a holding company of the 117-year-old Crowley Maritime Corporation, is a privately held family and employee-owned company that provides diversified transportation and logistics services in domestic and international markets by means of six operating lines of business: Puerto Rico/Caribbean Liner Services, Latin America Liner Services, Logistics Services, Petroleum Services, Marine Services and Technical Services. Offered within these operating lines of business are the following services: liner container shipping, logistics, contract towing and transportation; ship assist and escort; energy support; salvage and emergency response; vessel management; vessel construction and naval architecture; government services, and petroleum and chemical transportation, distribution and sales. Additional information about Crowley its subsidiaries and business units may be found on the Internet at here.
