Published in Untruckster: a waterblog

So yesterday was of course a day for a little  . . . Aprilscherz or poisson d’avril . . ., but now I am serious.  What you see below transports garbage, which might not impress you–but that unit towed by a single tug replaces 48 trucks between Queens and Staten Island.  Spaced for safe driving, that would mean about a mile of highway congested by that garbage alone.   Many thanks to Jonathan Steinman for the photo, which he took yesterday afternoon about 4 pm yesterday.

Published in Work Program Architects

Construction is nearing completion for this 4,700 SF warehouse renovation in the Berkley area of Norfolk. WPA has been working hand-in-hand with PG Harris and Space Design Group  to design the renovation to this old pickle plant from the late 1800’s. The renovated warehouse will house offices and collaborative open work studio space for Norfolk Tug’s employees, as well as a lounge, break room, and bunks for the Tug Boat operators. WPA has designed custom steel and glass partitions with sliding barn doors, and PG Harris will soon be completing installation of the Warmboard radiant flooring and the Big Ass Fan for excellent thermal comfort in a very old building.

Published in The Virginian-Pilot

Just over a year ago, Norfolk Tug Co. launched what was billed as the green alternative to trucks ferrying containers between Hampton Roads marine facilities and the Port of Richmond.

The barge service, named the 64 Express, was supposed to take trucks off the highway, thus alleviating traffic congestion and reducing pollution because the barge uses fewer gallons of diesel fuel than either trucks or railroads.

A year later, the barge still operates.

Published in The Virginian-Pilot

When the 64 Express barge line made its inaugural trip Dec. 1 from the port of Hampton Roads to Richmond, it carried two dozen cargo containers on its deck.

But when it left Sunday for the 100-mile journey up the James River, the deck was a little more crowded, with 8 6 containers on board.

The growth is from new business from international packaging company MeadWestvaco Corp., crushed-stone producer Luck Stone Corp., tobacco company Philip Morris USA Inc., cargo shipper K Line America Inc. and others.

Published in The Virginian-Pilot

T. Parker Host Inc. has sold the James River Barge Line, a river-based cargo transportation service to be launched between Norfolk and Richmond next month, to Norfolk Tug Co., the companies announced Wednesday.

The renamed 64 Express barge line will make its inaugural trip Dec. 1 and operate under the same business plan as the James River line, McGowan said. Each week, the barge will haul the equivalent of up to 128 20-foot cargo containers each way along the James River between Norfolk and Richmond. 

Published in Work Boat

In 2003 Ed Whitmore bought a small tug company with plans to build it into something more. Sounds like a typical story about someone who’s spent his career in the commercial marine industry, then takes over a vessel company of his own. Not this time. Whitmore spent most of his adult life as a Wall Street executive, working in foreign exchange and derivatives, and later in structured finance. 

That all changed four years ago when he returned to his native Virginia and purchased Norfolk Tug Co., which, he said, basically consisted of a good logo, a good location, and a small amount of military towing work in Hampton Roads, Va.