|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | | Desgagnés adds an 18th vessel to its fleet
The management of Desgagnés is pleased and proud to announce today the acquisition of a new vessel, the 18th in its fleet. Launched in July 2011 at the shipyard Sanfu Taizhou in China, the recently arrived vessel was christened today in the port of Quebec and registered under the Canadian flag. She is intended to serve the Eastern Canadian Arctic and the international market.
Mr. Louis-Marie Beaulieu, President and CEO and majority shareholder of Desgagnés, noted that he was "very pleased with this acquisition, valued at approximately $ 25 million and creating more than 40 direct jobs, which is part of the company’s expansion plan, destined to further enhance shipping services in Northern communities and allowing Desgagnés to remain a leader in marine transportation in the North where the firm has been active for over 45 years."
"The acquisition of this vessel of nearly 139 meters in length, with 20,000 cubic meters of total capacity of freight in her holds and on the main deck, equipped with two cranes of 150 mt which can be twinned to lift 300 mt, ice classed 1A and fitted with an engine of 5400 kW (7344 hp) which allows her to reach a speed of 15.5 knots, is another milestone in the history of Desgagnés, and its name must be significant for the company", said Mr. Beaulieu.
It was therefore with great pride, before a number of dignitaries and business partners, that the ship was christened Claude A. Desgagnés, in honor of Captain Claude Desgagnés, who worked more than 50 years in the company, first as captain and later as a manager in both the marine transportation and stevedoring sectors. Significantly, he is also the only other shareholder of Desgagnés, and his four children are employed by the company.
It is his wife, Lucille Tremblay Desgagnés, who, as godmother, proceeded with the naming of the ship which had been previously blessed by Father Jean Moisan, pastor of Saint Joseph de la Rive, in the Charlevoix region, from where the Desgagnés family originates.
The ceremony was also marked by transferring the ship to the Canadian flag, for its operations in Canadian waters. Mr. Beaulieu stated that it was a matter of great pride for the company to register this vessel, which will be mainly used for voyages in Nunavut and Nunavik, under the Canadian flag.
Desgagnés, through its subsidiary Desgagnés Transarctik Inc., (DTI) is the largest carrier of general cargo to the Nunavik and Nunavut communities. DTI is also partner with Arctic Co-operatives Limited, Qikiqtaaluk Corporation and Saaku Investments Corp. in the company Nunavut Sealink and Supply Inc. (NSSI), which provides sealift services to communities across Nunavut from both Montreal and Churchill. Similarly, DTI is a partner with the Fédération des Cooperatives du Nouveau-Québec (FCNQ) in the company Taqramut Transport Inc. (TTI), which provides sealift services in all the communities of Nunavik.
Desgagnés, whose headquarters are in Québec City, is a conglomerate that has specialized since the 19th century in marine transportation of liquid bulk, general cargo, dry bulk and passengers. Its activities also extend to ship repair as well as the rental and operation of heavy machinery. The company owns and operates a fleet of 18 ships that ply the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence network, the Eastern Canadian Arctic, the East coasts of Canada and the United States and all the seas of the world. With an annual turnover of over $ 230 million, Desgagnés creates approximately 1,000 jobs in high season with a payroll exceeding $ 50 million.
| | | |
| Québec, July 24, 2012 | | Groupe Desgagnés |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|