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Towline V. 63 16 Layout 1 Good Work on the Water Moran at 150: a Reflection he year 2010 marks Moran’s tressed by the company’s driving work ethic and 150th anniversary in busi- its knack for recognizing and seizing opportunity. ness, and the company’s long In the early days, the towing business was immi- and storied history has been grants’ work. They came in waves, looking for quite a voyage. Moran’s ves- meaningful, rewarding employment — rugged, sels have churned steadfastly pioneering spirits who could be fiercely ambitious. onward from era to era, man- In early-20th-century New York Harbor, the pre- aging to prosper through the dominant method of securing towing work was to company’s formative years in race out ahead of the competition and meet an Tthe 1800s, two World Wars, the Great Depression, incoming ship as it entered a channel, whereupon the boom and bust years of the late 20th century, you would nail the contract. There were around 50 and into the globally connected 21st century. tugboat companies flourishing in the Harbor. What accounts for such staying power? Fewer than ten remain today. The answer could doubtless fill a doorstop of a In essence, Moran’s good fortune continued book, brimming with pictures ranging from the unabated as the company grew along with the historic to the nostalgic. But the short answer is, American economy, in an industry so necessary Moran’s evolution as a company is an epic story of for prosperity that it defied obsolescence. It was fortunate timing compounded by hard work and not all happenstance, of course; long before entrepreneurial vision. The company’s founder, there were business schools repackaging customer Michael Moran, was a striving immigrant who service as a high-flown marketing theory, Moran’s found himself in the right place at the right time. mariners, shoreside staff and managers were prac- He began his first towing enterprise — a single ticing it as if their livelihoods depended upon it, mule for hire — on the Erie Canal, just a few which in fact they did. In an industry where repu- years before the completion of its expansion, a tations are forged on the water, it simply made monumental extension of what was already good sense. To keep your customer, you provided Americans’ most significant infrastructure project safe, reliable, courteous service. You applied of the 19th century. professional skills and commitment — your It was history in the making, and the then knowledge, instincts and wits. As Moran’s present- 27-year-old Mr. Moran must have sensed that day mission statement aptly summarizes, you did far-reaching changes and opportunities were in the job vigilantly on the water and creatively (yet the wind. He scooped up his savings, said good- no less vigilantly) in the boardroom. There was no The Anniversary bye to his family and hopped a grain boat down such thing as a brand mystique; you were the the Hudson River to New York City to open a brand. This was and remains the heart and soul of towing brokerage. Moran’s business philosophy, and the company’s The year was 1860. In 1863, Moran subse- reputation continues to be its most important and quently purchased a one-half interest in the tug protected asset. Ida Miller, the investment that transformed Moran Towing and Transportation from a broker into Opposite page, top: Michael Moran and associates an owner of tugboats and barges. The Erie Canal in an undated photograph that is one of the earli- expansion had by then been completed, effective- est known of the group. Moran is seventh from ly connecting the Port of New York with key mid- right, with the cigar in his hand. western and northeastern trade hubs. With com- Middle: The FW Vosburgh, one of Moran’s earliest mercial growth booming, New York began its tugs, in an 1883 photograph. ascendance as the United States’ premier modern port city. Moran rose with it. Bottom: The Michael Moran, a steam-powered tug, More good fortune followed, stoked and but- was retrofitted with a diesel engine. 2 3 O And so it has gone. With little fanfare, immigrants and their descendants and successive generations have built Moran into what it is today: a multi- divisional corporation with Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific operations in a string of U.S. ports and ter- minals stretching from New Hampshire to the west coast of Mexico. The company’s people have kept its tugs and barges working 24-hours a day, 365 days a year, year in and year out. In ports where Moran operates, a surprising number of citi- zens with no connection to the maritime industry know what the white “M” stands for. (It was Michael Moran himself who painted the first one on a Moran stack, reportedly around 1880.) But most people remain naturally oblivious to Moran’s mission; the job, like that of freight trains, is so thoroughly woven into the fabric of American commerce that it is all but taken for granted by the common man. When it is done well, invisibility is a hallmark of success. Every so often, vessels are honored for per- forming acts of gallantry or outright heroism. In 1966, the tug Julia C. Moran rescued seafarers from the burning deck of the Texaco Massachusetts after it collided with the Alva Cape in New York Harbor’s Gravesend Bay, in one of the worst acci- dents in the Harbor’s history. The Julia C.’s captain and crew knowingly put themselves in harm’s way — the Alva Cape was loaded with naphthalene, and was ripped by an explosion — and amid a terrible toll of fatalities, 23 lives were saved. In recognition of this rescue, the United States Secretary of Com- merce awarded the Julia C. Moran a Gallant Ship Above, top: The Julia C. Moran in 1951. Citation, the highest award possible by the Govern- Above, bottom: The medallion from the Gallant ment to a merchant ship. Only two tugs have Ship Award plaque awarded to the Julia C. Moran ever received it. The Julia C.’s captain, George in 1966. Sahlberg, received a Distinguished Service Medal Opposite page, inset: The Thomas E. Moran, an (America’s highest non-valorous military and early Moran diesel-powered tug, in 1938. civilian decoration), and the crew all received Meritorious Service Medals and ribbon bars. Opposite page: Docking the Cunard liner Mauretania in 1939. O Moran’s history is certainly colorful, and there would seem to be no better time than a major forward with characteristic drive, dedication and anniversary to regale readers with tales of the skill. To know and work with Moraners, as they are company’s celebrated wartime exploits and its sometimes affectionately called, is to appreciate roles in historic construction projects. But for many the extent to which they value and cultivate the To w L i n e readers and Moran customers, the most trust placed in them by their customers. oft-repeated stories — like the company’s partici- To a person, Moran employees understand pation in the original construction of the New York how important it is to do the job safely and well, City Subway and the Allied invasion of Normandy and they work very hard. But self-motivation is in World War II — are too-familiar old chestnuts. not their only defining trait; they also share an There is in fact much worth celebrating in exceptional capacity for thinking and achieving the present: by virtue of its people, assets and independently, even as they embrace teamwork culture, Moran remains soundly positioned for and collective responsibility. Moraners tend to continued growth. exhibit a particular kind of moxie that is more The company’s people are carrying its legacy a product of individual character than of corpo- 4 5 Top left: Walt Disney with Eugene F. Moran aboard Bottom: The crew of the Elizabeth Moran in an the Thomas E. Moran in 1945, doing research for undated photo. the film “Little Toot”. Opposite page, top: The Edmond J. Moran. Top right: At the premiere of the 1958 film “The Her service and the heroism of her crews in Key”, the actress Sophia Loren presents a plaque World War II became legendary in tugboat lore. honoring the Tugboat Men of America to Capt. Opposite page, bottom: A section of the tanker Frank Hughes, Moran tug master during the Fort Mercer being towed and escorted by the Normandy Invasion and subsequent president of M. Moran, Peter Moran and Carol Moran in 1952. Curtis Bay Towing, a Moran subsidiary. The ship was rescued by M. and Carol after breaking in half off Cape Cod, Massachusetts. 6 7 rate oversight, and it enriches the company. tarpaper, chain saws, fuel, work-gloves and ply- These traits may indeed be said to echo those of wood. The responders earmarked everything for Michael Moran. personal use by families. People were also given The company endeavors to support such generators, which got passed around between talents with smart, progressive policies and employees and members of their immediate and practices, a nimble, decentralized management extended families. Everyone worked hand-in- structure and a good working environment. hand to clean up and rebuild. Not coincidentally, Moran benefits from very Moran’s divisional headquarters in Port Arthur low turnover, especially at the management was ravaged and got its own relief trailer, outfitted level. This is particularly true among licensed offi- for construction supervision. It included temporary cers, and Moran’s captains play a pivotal role in telecommunications and computer systems, to its success. keep the division running. Intertwined with these vir- The company’s Beaumont/ tues are strong bonds of com- The culture has come Port Arthur tugs managed to munity, friendship, respect a long way from the survive the disaster in A-1 con- and camaraderie.
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