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Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding to build 740 ft. Self-unloading Great Lakes Barge

leader of ship repair and maintenance companies
June 27, 2018

Sturgeon Bay, WI: 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. “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.”

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.”

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Media Contact: Michael Pinkham, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding Vice President of Sales and Marketing at 715.587.6960 michael.pinkham@us.fincantieri.com

About Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding

Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding is an operating division of Fincantieri Marine Group, serving government and commercial customers including the United States Navy and United States Coast Guard. About Fincantieri Fincantieri is one of the world’s largest shipbuilding groups and has built more than 7,000 vessels in over 230 years of maritime history. It is a leader in cruise ship design and construction and a reference player in all high-tech shipbuilding industry’s sectors, from naval to offshore vessels, from high-complexity special vessels and ferries to mega-yachts, ship repairs and conversions, systems and components production and after-sales services. Fincantieri operates in the United States through its subsidiary Fincantieri Marine Group (FMG). This company, which serves commercial and government customers in the USA, including the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, has three shipyards (Fincantieri Marinette Marine, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding and Fincantieri ACE Marine) located in the Great Lakes. www.fincantierimarinegroup.com About VanEnkevort Tug & Barge, Inc. (VTB) VanEnkevort Tug & Barge, Inc. (VTB) is a privately owned U.S. flag bulk transport company servicing the mining, steel and construction industries on the Great Lakes. VTB operates the most modern self-discharging bulker barges on the Great Lakes and is a forerunner in converting older ships into viable barges to support these markets. Of the seven ATBs on the Great Lakes, VTB has been involved in the conversion and/or ownership of five of them. Being a nimble and flexible operator, VTB often runs in the extended season offering support to its competitors and the USCG for icebreaking and transiting the frozen waterways. VTB’s Fleet is in full compliance with EPA air emission control regulations for 2020 and 2024. Its fleet competes with roughly 50 self-unloading bulk vessels, average age built in 1965. VTB holds several long-term multimillion-ton cargo contracts and offers technical and commercial management services. http://www.vtbarge.com ###

ADDRESS

Headquarters Washington DC
655 15th St NW, Suite 450
Washington, DC 20005
Fincantieri Marine Group - GBO
2465 Marina Circle
Green Bay, WI 54304
ACE Marine
201 S Pearl Street
Green Bay, WI 54303
Marinette Marine
1600 Ely Street
Marinette, WI 54143
Bay Shipbuilding
605 N 3rd Avenue
Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235
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