Business View Magazine - Dec 2023

YOUR PARTNER IN PRODUCTIVITY Achieving greater productivity with Hilti Gain more transparency and visibility to your projects and jobsites with Hilti’s software and services that monitor tools and materials, optimize tasks, and maximize labor hours. Experience up to twice the production per hour by working with Hilti to help eliminate, speed up, and simplify steps in your workflow. Together, we can help unlock the full potential of your construction projects. PRE-CONSTRUCTION Optimize your building design for complex projects with Virtual Design Construction (VDC) and prefabrication services. JOBSITE MANAGEMENT Keep your projects moving with Fieldwire by Hilti jobsite management software. Easily manage plans, communicate, and collaborate with your project team from anywhere. RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Efficient resource management is key to productivity. With ON!Track, you can conveniently track assets, maintenance requirements, and safety certifications. HIGH PERFORMING TOOLS Work faster, smarter, and longer with Nuron high- performing tools and intelligent, cloud-connected batteries, and with Tool Fleet Management you have access to the latest tools without a large upfront investment. WORK PACKAGE SOLUTIONS Get more done with the help of our full system solutions designed to help you better perform your applications for all trades, such as layout, formwork, baseplate, cable tray supports, or hanging drywall. onto the river,” says company COO (and Banta’s son-in-law), Ben Hays. “His grandfather had three sons who all worked in the industry, as well. Frank became a towboat pilot; worked for his family company; worked tows up north; then came back to the family.” When the young Banta suggested that the company should own its barges and not just boats, his father encouraged Frank to go into business for himself. “He bought his first used barge in 1992 and started working the liquid chemical trade,” Hays continues. “He bought two more barges in 1994. In 1998, he was up to 11 barges.” In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which battered southern Louisiana in 2005, there was an industry-wide shortage of boats that could move his barges. So, Frank followed the family tradition and bought two boats from his dad and uncles’ company. “That’swhenwe started tobecomea full-service, liquid transportation company,” says Norgress. In 2008, the company started building its boats and a year later it began building larger barges capable of handling 30,000 barrels of oil (BBL). “That helped us diversify and gave us the ability to network our equipment and better utilize it,” Kohnke adds. We’ve seen a lot of consolidation in the market; companies buying other companies, so there aren’t as many companies in the liquid barge market as there used to be...that gives us a distinct advantage. WESTPORT ORANGE SHIPYARD delivers unparalleled expertise in the maintenance of offshore and inland barges as well as inland and river towboats. One floating dry dock capable of lifting up to 30,000-barrel barges are utilized for inspection, survey, repair and painting services. For major steel work or coatings, bargess are transfer ed onto land. A marin railway system t taling 1,500 feet (s ctions of 600 and 900 feet) along with 30 acres of stabilized land provide the capacity to simultaneously work on 15 barges. An extensive fabrication facility with gantry cranes, panel lines and a press brake offer effective fabrication of modules for steel renewals, new construction of boats and barges.Two fully enclosed paint shops provide efficient all weather surface preparation and coating applications. 240 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 12 CHEM CARRI ERS