July 2012 - Foss

‘Complete Customer Satisfaction’ is AMNAV’s GoalAMNAV Maritime Services startedout as a small ship-assist company inthe San Francisco Bay Area in 1976and has grown and diversified into oneof the leading providers of maritimeservices on the West Coast.With current operations in boththe Bay Area and in the ports ofLos Angeles and Long Beach, AMNAVoperates seven tugs. Its Bay Areavessels include four state-of-the-art5,080 horsepower Dolphin Classtugs built at Foss Rainier Shipyard inOregon, making the fleet the mostmodern in the region.“For 35 years, AMNAV has hadone overriding goal,” said AMNAVPresident Milt Merritt, “completecustomer satisfaction by doing thesafest and best job possible with themost capable, crew, equipment andsupport available. Day-in and day-out,we dock more ships than any companyon the Bay.”The founder of the companywas high school shop teacherBob Whipple, who started out bybuying a 65-foot, 450-horsepower U.S.Navy harbor tug at an auction andupgrading it to 1,250 horsepower. Hissecond vessel was an 85-foot formerNavy tug, which he boosted fromAMNAV recently assisted and escorted the historic battleship USS Iowa from Richmond to sea. The shipwill be a floating museum in Los Angeles.850-horsepower to 4,000 horsepower.In 1984 Whipple purchased thetugs of a Port Arthur, Texas, shipdockingoperation owned by Merritt,who moved to San Francisco tomanage the company. Today AMNAVreports to the Foss Marine Holdings.Merritt said the company considersits employees to be its strongestasset, noting that half have been withthe company an average of 20 years.The company, he added, is entering itsfourth consecutive year without alost-time injury.As evidence of his employees’skills, Merritt pointed to an incident inJune when an ammo ship his tugs wereassisting first lost steering and then lostpower at 8.5 knots. The pilot wrote inhis report, “I ordered (the tug) poweredindirect, full to port. Giving an order likethis is one thing...Capt. Will Benedict’sresponse was immediate and perfectlyexecuted.”In addition to ship docking, AMNAVhas coastal offshore towing capability.“Our tugs are maintained by our ownin-house welders, fitters and paintingcrew,” Merritt said. “We can tow or fixalmost anything that floats.”FOSS MARITIME VICE PRESIDENT MOVES TO HOLDING COMPANYSusan Hayman,formerly vice presidentfor environmental andgovernmental affairs atFoss Maritime, is thenew vice president forenvironmental andregulatory affairs at FossMarine Holdings (FMH).Paul Stevens, chiefexecutive officer at theholding company, said Hayman hashad an impressive track record sincejoining Foss Maritime in 2006 andher experience and skills will now be aresource for all FMH companies.Hayman joined Foss Maritime asvice president for HSQE and initiateda safety program that has resulted insteep drops in injuries in marineoperations and in the company’s twoshipyards. She also led development ofthe hybrid tug.A 1980 graduate of the U.S.Merchant Marine Academy, Haymanholds an MBA from Harvard BusinessSchool. Her career includes seagoingpositions for Exxon Shipping as wellas railroad experience for CSX.She also worked at APL where shebecame operations vice president forEurope, area manager for CentralEurope and global vice president forPort and Container Security. Afterbeing called to active duty in theUnited States Navy in 2002, Haymanreturned to APL as global vicepresident for Environmental Affairs.In her most recent position at FossMaritime, Hayman was responsiblefor environmental strategies andengagement with lawmakers andregulators on issues impacting Foss.In her new role, Hayman will havethe same responsibilities for all FMHcompanies and will report to ChiefOperating Officer Steve Scalzo.July, 2012 • ALWAYS SAFE • Foss Tow Bitts • 11