Chicago Propeller Club is back in action again
Written by Marine Log Staff
Chicago Propeller Club president-elect Chris Carr: “Chicago has an awesome maritime heritage with many businesses based here and we need to promote that better.”
Vowing to ramp up awareness of Chicago’s “underestimated” maritime status, the Chicago Propeller Club is rechartering this month after a 15 year hiatus. The club staged its first sold-out event of 2024 at the city’s University Club with club leaders emphasizing Chicago’s maritime pedigree as the principle interior trade route to the Great Lakes, Atlantic, Mississippi River, and Gulf of Mexico.
The Chicago Propeller Club was first established in 1933 and is a chapter of the International Propeller Club of the United States. It aims to encourage more networking within the diverse Chicago and Great Lakes maritime community of inland marine, deep ocean and leisure marine sectors.
Club president-elect Chris Carr, managing partner of the SBSB Eastham law firm, said Chicago needed to raise its profile nationally and internationally as a natural destination for maritime companies. He pointed out the city is already home to many of the biggest shipping lines in the world including CMA and MSC as well as a massive intermodal transport industry.
“Chicago has an awesome maritime heritage with many businesses based here and we need to promote that better,” he said. “The Propeller Club can play a big role in this by bringing the Great Lakes and Mid West maritime community together from manufacturers to shipping lines and barge operators to professional services and Government. We’re already seeing business being done and more than 200 people have attended our three events since November.”
More than 70 guests gathered at the University Club’s Gallery Room for the initial 2024 event, including representatives of Spliethoff, BP Shipping, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, American Equity Underwriters, QSL stevedores, Gallagher Insurance, Travelers and Tunley Environmental.
Speakers at the event included Ryan McCoy from Ports of Indiana, Jeff Zuercher from the U.S .Army Corps of Engineers and Grant Crowley, owner of Crowley Yacht Yard, speaking on behalf of seafarer charity Stella Maris.
Carr told the audience that the club has now opened a bank account and members can sign up for $150 via the club website.
“By the interest received over our three events, we are extremely confident that we can have an initial membership roll of close to 100 and we have already collected a number of sponsors enabling us to host four very high-quality events in 2024,” he said.
BOARD MEMBERS ELECT NAMED
A board of volunteer officials has been established. Its members include Erik Varela executive director of Illinois International Port District, Ian Hirt of Benchmark Marine and the Ports of Indiana, Ben Pinnington managing partner of Polaris Media and Tara Pappalardo of RLI Marine.
DATES FOR THE DIARY
Club vice president elect Ben Pinnington said the club is aiming to add value to members staging receptions on May 22,, Maritime Day and August 7 at the American Great Lakes Ports Association conference. He also pointed to events being staged by the International Propeller Club including its Salute to Congress in June and the Annual Convention in October.
SPONSORS
The event was sponsored by Armada Risk Partners 5R Enterprises, Polaris Media America LLC, SBSB Eastham and Sonihull Ultrasonic Antifouling.
Categories: Inland and Coastal, News
