____________________________________________________________________________________________ McAllister
Towing
With a fleet of more than 60 tugboats, crew boats, and barges in 13 locations along the US East Coast, McAllister Towing( McAllister) expertly delivers ship docking, general harbor towing, coastal towing, windfarm support and bulk transportation.
“ Our company was founded in 1864 in New York City, moving parcels of cargo around the harbor by sailboat. The founder was my greatgreat-grandfather, James McAllister, who emigrated from Northern Ireland during the Civil War and kept reinvesting in the business to take us where we are today. I am a fifthgeneration descendant of James, and we are now starting to bring some sixth-generation family members into the business as well,” Buck McAllister, President, begins.
As the fifth generation in charge, Buck’ s role involves balancing the legacy that those before him worked hard to build while ensuring the business remains relevant and competitive for the generations ahead. That balance has required some bold decisions, such as a significant investment in tugboat infrastructure that went against the grain of what customers were actively requesting at the time.“ Our mission is to be the best company in the boat business, and we do that by keeping our fingers on the pulse of the industry. The reality is that large 80 metric ton tugs had not been frequently requested by customers, who were focused on keeping operations as efficient and cost-effective as possible. However, we could see that the scale of shipping was increasing and that bigger tugs were going to be needed. So we went ahead and built ten 80 metric ton tugs. This significant investment in tugboat infrastructure makes us one of the only companies in America with a fleet of such high-horsepower vessels. We anticipated the needs of our customers and invested in being able to meet them, and at this point we are very proud of the fleet we have built and the services we can now offer,” he reveals.
Today, the business is structured across three main areas. Roughly half is tugboat ship assist, with a fleet of around 70 tugboats based at local operations stretching from Eastport, Maine, down the entire East Coast to Port Everglades, Florida, and across to San Juan, Puerto Rico. Then, around a quarter
▶ Buck McAllister, President tlimagazine. com 43