Vane Brothers, Baltimore, Maryland, has expanded operations to the U.S. West Coast. The familiar blue “V” can be seen on some of the company’s newest tugboats moving petroleum barges through the waters of the Pacific Northwest and down the California coast.
“Our much-anticipated arrival in a new market on the West Coast unlocks exciting opportunities for Vane Brothers," Vane Brothers President C. Duff Hughes said in a statement. "Now that equipment, crews, and key support staff are in place, we have a platform for continued growth in partnership with valued customers.”
Vane's current West Coast fleet operations are focused on two fronts: a ship bunkering partnership with Marathon Petroleum Corp. in Washington state’s Puget Sound, and dock-to-dock transfers for Valero Energy Corp. in an area that includes the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, as well as the Port of Benicia at the head of San Francisco Bay.
“Marathon and Valero are two of the nation’s foremost petroleum refiners, and we are gratified that they have tapped Vane Brothers to support their West Coast activities,” Hughes said.
Vane's West Coast marine operations and labor relations is being headed up by Capt. Igor Loch Jr., a maritime professional with more than 40 years of industry experience both on deck and as a shore-side executive.
