The Company:
Nearly 85 years ago, Tidewater pioneered commercial transportation on the upper Columbia Snake River system and opened up one of the nation’s most isolated regions to global markets. Today, Tidewater Holdings is comprised of Tidewater Barge Lines, Tidewater Terminal Company, and since 2014, Tidewater Environmental Services, Incorporated. Tidewater Terminal Company works in conjunction with its Barge Lines, using key intermodal connections to railroads, highways and pipelines. Tidewater’s Environmental Services serves the marine and industrial business markets by providing on and offshore cleaning and waste transportation services. Almost 300 employees oversee Tidewater’s fleet, which includes 16 towboats and 150 barges. The firm has facilities in Vancouver, Pasco, and Wilma, Washington, as well as Boardman and Umatilla, Oregon.
Primary Product / Service:
Tidewater transports a wide range of commodities: grain, refined petroleum products, ethanol, liquid and dry fertilizer, cargo containers, wood products, and project cargo. Tidewater’s operating area spans 465 miles on the Columbia and Snake River systems. The company’s barge service is a critical part of the regional surface transportation system that helps offset rail and highway congestion.
The Case:
Tidewater’s services on the Columbia Snake River system link shippers, ports, and communities to the global market, while providing quality family sustaining jobs. Tidewater is the largest and most experienced inland marine barge transportation provider west of the Mississippi River, handling 85% of the waterborne cargo along the CSR. In the fall of 2013, Tidewater awarded a contract to build three new towboats to Vigor Fab in Portland, Oregon. The first new tug, Crown Point, was delivered on April 20, 2015.
6305 NW Old Lower River Road
Vancouver, WA 98660
Telephone: (360) 759-0310
Website: www.tidewater.com
CEO/President: Bob Curcio
(As published in the August 2016
MN100 edition of
Marine News)