Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding has signed an agreement with VanEnkevort Tug & Barge, Inc. to construct a new self-unloading barge for transportation of bulk products throughout the Great Lakes region.
Measuring 740 feet in length (78 feet W, 45 feet H, 37,512 DWT), the vessel will be constructed in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.
VanEnkevort Tug & Barge, Inc. (VTB) of Escanaba, Michigan is a growing company operating three articulated tug and barges (ATBs) on the Great Lakes. This newest self-unloading barge will be environmentally friendly and delivered with the first Great Lakes ballast water treatment system meeting EPA standards.
Scheduled for completion in mid-2020, the barge will be built by Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding’s nearly 700 skilled trade workers and will generate business for partnering contractors, vendors and suppliers.
“We are pleased to see large-scale new constructionthat will operate on the Great Lakes being built on the Great Lakes,” says Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding’s Vice President and General Manager Todd Thayse.
Todd added: “This new project and our past work is indicative of the quality and attention to detail our customers have come to expect from our seasoned work force. It brings steady work to the hundreds of women and men we employ from across the region.”
"Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding’s distinguished history of building these type of vessels, the valuable investment Fincantieri has made in its facilities over the past decade, and the quality of the entire staff at the yard were all factors in our decision to work with Fincantieri on this project," says VTB President Dave Groh.
“While there are multiple shipbuilding facilities along the East and Gulf coasts, our partners in the Great Lakes have the reputation and expertise to skillfully craft the vessel we need for our fleet. VanEnkevort Tug & Barge is also extremely proud to build locally, supporting surrounding communities and states,” Dave said.
Francesco Valente, Fincantieri Marine Group President and CEO added, “We are proud of the work performed by our master craftsmen in Wisconsin and of its strategic importance for the vitality of commerce and manufacturing in the entire United States.”
