Port Everglades Towing Celebrates 43 Years of Service

Port Everglades Towing in January celebrated its 43rd year of service to Port Everglades and Broward County. The company is a division of Hvide Marine, Inc., which was recently renamed Seabulk International, Inc.

Founded on Jan. 23, 1958 by the late Hans Hvide and three partners, Port Everglades Towing began its franchised operation with two tugs. At the time, there were fewer than a thousand ship calls a year (fewer than three a day) at Port Everglades, and the port's annual revenues had just topped $1 million.

Today, by comparison, Port Everglades receives nearly 6,000 ship calls a year (about 16 a day); has annual revenues of more than $75 million, and services nearly three million cruise passengers annually. It is one of the world's busiest cruise ports; the second largest non-refinery petroleum storage facility in the U.S.; a favorite destination of the U.S. Navy, whose annual Fleet Week celebration attracts tens of thousands of visitors, and the nation's 12th largest container port. Situated in a scenic area of South Florida, with an unmatched safety record, a reputation for quality service, and dedicated to environmental protection, Port Everglades is often described as a "showcase port" and the principal engine of economic development in Broward County. It is responsible for creating jobs and generating millions of dollars for the community in revenues, taxes and wages, and spending by port industry employees and visitors.

"Part of Port Everglades' success over the years has been its extraordinary safety record," commented Gerhard E. Kurz, president and CEO of Hvide Marine, "and that is where we are proud to play an important role. Our modern, purpose-built tug fleet incorporates the latest in tractor tug technology and, working in close coordination with Fire Department and Coast Guard personnel, provides round-the-clock firefighting protection to both visiting ships and to port facilities." Port Everglades' narrow channels and environmentally sensitive geography require the use of highly maneuverable and powerful tugs - operated by skilled personnel with years of experience in the port - such as the tractor tug Broward, introduced in 1995, and the patented Ship Docking Modules(TM) New River and St. Johns, introduced in 1998 and 2000, respectively.

"These vessels are unmatched anywhere in the world for their combination of power and maneuverability," continued Kurz, "and they were designed and built especially for the narrow confines of this port. The equipment in Port Everglades is, in fact, the most advanced fleet of tugs serving any Atlantic or Gulf Coast port, and this service is provided at rates that are among the lowest on the Atlantic Coast and rival the lowest on the Gulf Coast. There has, moreover, not been a rate increase in Port Everglades since 1994. In this context, it should be noted that - despite the increase in the number of vessels calling on Port Everglades - the number of tug jobs actually declined in the last year. This is because most of the increase in vessel traffic consists of cruise ships, which normally - except in the event of inclement weather or mechanical failure - do not require tug assists.

"Altogether, the five tugs we have stationed here represent a $19 million investment," concluded Mr. Kurz, "and there is nothing like them in any other port on the Atlantic or Gulf coast. Our tug captains average more than 15 years' experience, and they are assisted by highly trained and capable crews. Safety is the hallmark of all our operations, and we wouldn't have it any other way. I like to think of it as providing peace of mind to the residents of Broward County."

The "winning combination" of Port Everglades and Port Everglades Towing is largely the result of the franchise agreement that has been in effect since 1958. Because the port is on county property and its operations, safety and environmental protection are essential to the public good, it regulates harbor towing operations like a utility. Through the franchise arrangement, the port ensures that it will have available the highest level of equipment and service on a round-the-clock basis, so that shippers, commercial and cruise ship operators, and other port users can depend on safe and reliable tug service no matter what the time of day or night.

Another benefit of the franchise arrangement is the revenue it generates for the Port Department. Five percent of all harbor towing revenues go directly to Broward County to help pay administrative costs. In 2000, this amounted to $338,000 in fees.

With more than 100 employees based here, Port Everglades is also Hvide Marine's "home port," the location of its worldwide corporate headquarters, and has been ever since the company's founding 43 years ago. Much has changed since then - what began as a small, private company with two tugs has grown into a worldwide enterprise, publicly traded on the Nasdaq stock exchange, with a fleet of nearly 240 vessels, more than 2,000 employees worldwide, and annual revenues exceeding $320 million. The company is run by a new and highly experienced management team and an independent Board of Directors, who are committed to making the company a leader in the industry and to creating value for its shareholders. But one thing has not changed, and that is the company's commitment to Port Everglades and Broward County, which it has served faithfully for 43 years, and looks forward to serving in the years ahead.