Company Profile

Seaway Marine Transport manages the largest and most versatile fleet of self-unloading vessels and the largest fleet of gearless bulk carriers operating on the Great Lakes, St Lawrence River and the waters of eastern Canada. Seaway Marine Transport is a partnership of Algoma Central Corporation and Upper Lakes Group, Inc. Seaway Marine Transport's modern fleet of ships presently includes 22 self-unloading vessels and 12 gearless bulk cargo vessels. Seaway Marine Transport represents a merger of two prior partnerships of Algoma Central Corporation and Upper Lakes Group Inc. called Seaway Self Unloaders and Seaway Bulk Carriers. These partnerships have been in existence since 1990, in the case of Seaway Bulk Carriers and 1994, in the case of Seaway Self Unloaders. The merger of the two partnerships and the creation of Seaway Marine Transport was effective January 2, 2000.

Self-unloading vessels carry iron ore and coal for steel producers, aggregate products and gypsum for the construction and road building industry, salt for road safety and commercial uses, coal for electric power generation, potash and grain for the agricultural industry, and a variety of other specialty commodities. These vessels unload their cargoes at customer sites through tunnel belt systems within the vessel cargo holds that carry bulk commodities to elevating conveyors and the vessel's discharge boom, which can be up to 260' long. Self-unloaders can discharge their cargo in as little as six hours to either opened storage areas or to covered storage facilities. Gearless bulk carriers primarily carry grain and iron ore and require shore-based vessel bulk unloading equipment. Where such facilities exist, gearless bulk vessels can be very economical.

The versatility of Seaway Marine Transport's fleet is a function not only of the size of the fleet but also the variety of unique vessel configurations which allow Seaway Marine Transport to accommodate almost every bulk shipping requirement. Within the fleet are 650' self-unloading vessels with bow discharge booms that enhance access at small ports. Also in the fleet are unique "reclaimer type" vessels which can self-unload non-free flowing bulk cargoes as well as the traditional "hopper type" self-unloaders for free-flowing bulk commodities. Vessel cargo capacities range from 18,000 tonnes to 34,000 tonnes.

Seaway Marine Transport has developed several innovations in cargo handling which improve service for our customers while taking up environmental challenges. These innovations include covered unloading booms and dust suppression systems to reduce dusting on cargo discharge and a unique Soft-Drop system which helps protect some sensitive cargoes from degradation during loading or unloading.

Seaway Marine Transport has also developed a number of significant innovations in customer service. Chief among these innovations is the award-winning vessel traffic and scheduling system that provides state-of-the-art vessel reporting and scheduling capabilities. Recently added to the list of customer services is an Interactive Customer Information Site, which connects our customers directly, through their own desktop computers to our vessel scheduling, accounting, and historical information, on a real-time 24-hour per day basis using the Internet.

Seaway Marine Transport has the track record of offering customers the highest standards in efficient, reliable, economic and environmentally safe shipping services. We have the experience to provide innovative solutions to the most difficult shipping challenges.

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