First Damen Tugs to be Built Under License in the USA

An agreement was signed at the 2016 New Orleans Workboat Show between Damen Shipyards Group and Great Lakes Shipyard, USA, for the latter to build two Stan Tugs 1907 ICE at its facility in Cleveland, Ohio. The vessels will be ICE Class and operated by the yard’s affiliate company, The Great Lakes Towing Company. The tugs will replace existing tonnage and this will be the first time that Damen tugs have been built under license in the USA.

Under the agreement, Great Lakes Shipyard will receive full construction, design and engineering support from Damen. To achieve the best possible result, Damen will also provide expert assistance based on its experience with construction of two hundred Damen vessels built to the 1907 design.

The Stan Tug 1907 ICE was chosen on Damen’s proven design and fact-finding visits made by the management of The Great Lakes Towing Company to Damen in the Netherlands. Stan Tugs 1907 can be found operating in locations around the world including Russia, Qatar and the Netherlands.

The partnership with Damen has provided Great Lakes Shipyard with a portfolio of proven vessel designs for use by its customers in the United States. Most of the designs have been very refined, through the progression of multiple builds. It is the high degree of refinement to the Stan Tug 1907 ICE design that will be of considerable benefit to Great Lakes Shipyard during the construction process and to The Great Lakes Towing Company in its use and operation of the new tugs.