Posted:
March 9, 2016
Ocean Shipholdings, Inc. and U.S. Shipping Corp., companies that operate vessels under contract with American Maritime Officers, were among those honored by the U.S. Coast Guard with Rear Admiral William M. Benkert Awards for 2016.
Of the four companies earning formal recognition in this award cycle, Ocean Shipholdings received the top-honor Osprey award and U.S. Shipping received the Bronze award.
The Rear Adm. Benkert Award recognizes companies involved in marine facility or vessel operations that have demonstrated sustained excellence and outstanding achievement in protecting the marine environment. It also encourages innovation in operations, maintenance, cargo handling, refueling and training, as well as providing a means for award recipients to share their successful methods and techniques with others in the industry, the Coast Guard reported.
"We were able to recognize a number of maritime-related companies for their outstanding work in marine environmental protection by presenting them with various levels of the Rear Adm. Benkert Award," said Vice Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard Vice Adm. Charles Michel. "Rear Adm. Benkert is the father of the marine safety program for the Coast Guard and this is one of our premier events that recognizes environmentally responsible and environmentally forward thinking companies in the marine industry.
"It's critical the Coast Guard does this ceremony because it provides recognition for companies that not only meet standards, but actually exceed standards, and act as models or templates for other individuals to follow in increasing their environmental marine protection, which is one of the key missions of the Coast Guard," Michel said.
The awards were presented during the American Petroleum Institute Maritime Energy Transportation Forum on March 4. This year's winners were among the most vying applicants in the history of the award, the Coast Guard reported.
The following article was released by U.S. Shipping Corp.
EDISON, N.J., March 7, 2016 -- The U.S. Coast Guard recognized U.S. Shipping Corp. with the Rear Admiral William M. Benkert Environmental Protection Bronze Award March 4 in New Orleans, La. The biennial award program honors leaders in the field of marine safety and environmental protection.
U.S. Shipping Corp. provides long-haul marine transportation services in the U.S. Jones Act trade. In 2015, the company safely transported over 1.8 billion gallons of petroleum, petrochemicals, and chemical products with more than 600 cargo transfers.
With significant growth of its operations, U.S. Shipping Corp. has maintained its position as a leader in safety and environmental performance with an integrated environmental, safety, and quality management system established based upon rigorous international standards. The company maintains certification under the international environmental and quality management standards ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 and under the International Safety Management (ISM) Code adopted by the International Maritime Organization.
"We are honored to be recognized as a leader in marine safety and environmental protection with the prestigious Rear Admiral William M. Benkert Award," Mike Ryan, president and CEO of U.S. Shipping Corp., stated. "Our commitment extends beyond mere compliance to achievement of continuous improvement in every facet of our operations and assurance of the safety of our crews, our customers' cargoes, and the marine environment."
Over the past four years, the company has achieved a significant reduction in its recordable injury rate, clocking over one million man-hours without a lost time incident. It has also made a significant impact with environmental programs, achieving goals for waste management and energy efficiency.
This success can largely be attributed to the company's enhanced focus on safety and environmental stewardship; improved communication; increased investment in training; and expanded outreach fostering cooperative initiatives with vendors, contractors, and customers. Ongoing efforts to reduce waste and pollutants and improve energy efficiency have become ingrained in U.S. Shipping Corp.'s culture and embraced by its vessel and shore-side employees.
"As we celebrate this award and the success it represents, we remain committed to continually assessing our operations, benchmarking our performance against other leaders in safety and marine environmental protection, and employing the latest innovations and management protocols to reach our goal of zero incidents, injuries, and spills," Raymond Marquardt, U.S. Shipping Corp.'s director, safety and compliance, stated.
U.S. Shipping Corp. is a leading provider of long-haul marine transportation services for refined petroleum products in the U.S. Jones Act trade, as well as coastwise transportation of petrochemical and commodity chemical products.
The company operates a fleet of two chemical parcel tankers, one product tanker, and four articulated tug/barge units (ATBs) supported by a shoreside staff of 26 maritime professionals based in Edison, N.J.
Ocean Shipholdings, U.S. Shipping receive Rear Admiral William M. Benkert Awards
Ocean Shipholdings, Inc. and U.S. Shipping Corp., companies that operate vessels under contract with American Maritime Officers, were among those honored by the U.S. Coast Guard with Rear Admiral William M. Benkert Awards for 2016.
Of the four companies earning formal recognition in this award cycle, Ocean Shipholdings received the top-honor Osprey award and U.S. Shipping received the Bronze award.
The Rear Adm. Benkert Award recognizes companies involved in marine facility or vessel operations that have demonstrated sustained excellence and outstanding achievement in protecting the marine environment. It also encourages innovation in operations, maintenance, cargo handling, refueling and training, as well as providing a means for award recipients to share their successful methods and techniques with others in the industry, the Coast Guard reported.
"We were able to recognize a number of maritime-related companies for their outstanding work in marine environmental protection by presenting them with various levels of the Rear Adm. Benkert Award," said Vice Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard Vice Adm. Charles Michel. "Rear Adm. Benkert is the father of the marine safety program for the Coast Guard and this is one of our premier events that recognizes environmentally responsible and environmentally forward thinking companies in the marine industry.
"It's critical the Coast Guard does this ceremony because it provides recognition for companies that not only meet standards, but actually exceed standards, and act as models or templates for other individuals to follow in increasing their environmental marine protection, which is one of the key missions of the Coast Guard," Michel said.
The awards were presented during the American Petroleum Institute Maritime Energy Transportation Forum on March 4. This year's winners were among the most vying applicants in the history of the award, the Coast Guard reported.
The following article was released by U.S. Shipping Corp.
EDISON, N.J., March 7, 2016 -- The U.S. Coast Guard recognized U.S. Shipping Corp. with the Rear Admiral William M. Benkert Environmental Protection Bronze Award March 4 in New Orleans, La. The biennial award program honors leaders in the field of marine safety and environmental protection.
U.S. Shipping Corp. provides long-haul marine transportation services in the U.S. Jones Act trade. In 2015, the company safely transported over 1.8 billion gallons of petroleum, petrochemicals, and chemical products with more than 600 cargo transfers.
With significant growth of its operations, U.S. Shipping Corp. has maintained its position as a leader in safety and environmental performance with an integrated environmental, safety, and quality management system established based upon rigorous international standards. The company maintains certification under the international environmental and quality management standards ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 and under the International Safety Management (ISM) Code adopted by the International Maritime Organization.
"We are honored to be recognized as a leader in marine safety and environmental protection with the prestigious Rear Admiral William M. Benkert Award," Mike Ryan, president and CEO of U.S. Shipping Corp., stated. "Our commitment extends beyond mere compliance to achievement of continuous improvement in every facet of our operations and assurance of the safety of our crews, our customers' cargoes, and the marine environment."
Over the past four years, the company has achieved a significant reduction in its recordable injury rate, clocking over one million man-hours without a lost time incident. It has also made a significant impact with environmental programs, achieving goals for waste management and energy efficiency.
This success can largely be attributed to the company's enhanced focus on safety and environmental stewardship; improved communication; increased investment in training; and expanded outreach fostering cooperative initiatives with vendors, contractors, and customers. Ongoing efforts to reduce waste and pollutants and improve energy efficiency have become ingrained in U.S. Shipping Corp.'s culture and embraced by its vessel and shore-side employees.
"As we celebrate this award and the success it represents, we remain committed to continually assessing our operations, benchmarking our performance against other leaders in safety and marine environmental protection, and employing the latest innovations and management protocols to reach our goal of zero incidents, injuries, and spills," Raymond Marquardt, U.S. Shipping Corp.'s director, safety and compliance, stated.
U.S. Shipping Corp. is a leading provider of long-haul marine transportation services for refined petroleum products in the U.S. Jones Act trade, as well as coastwise transportation of petrochemical and commodity chemical products.
The company operates a fleet of two chemical parcel tankers, one product tanker, and four articulated tug/barge units (ATBs) supported by a shoreside staff of 26 maritime professionals based in Edison, N.J.