Vane Brothers unveils new Launch Division

MARCH 9, 2018 — The Vane Brothers Company, a leading marine transportation provider headquartered in Baltimore, MD, has established Vane Launch as a new division that builds upon the company’s existing launch service offerings while taking advantage of enhanced synergy with Vane Brothers’ bunkering operations.

“Though launch services have long been a part of the Vane Brothers catalogue, the emergence of Vane Launch signals a new era of expansion and increased commitment to this important business segment,” says Vane Brothers President C. Duff Hughes.

The Vane Brothers Company, originally established in 1898 as a ship chandlery, became a major player in the delivery of marine lubricants at the Port of Baltimore with the acquisition of the Marine Launch Company in 1986. Then, in 2013, Vane Brothers acquired Philadelphia-based River Associates and began operating Philly Launch. The Marine Launch and Philly Launch operations have now merged under the Vane Launch umbrella in order to take increased advantage of combined resources.

While maintaining offices in both Baltimore and Philadelphia, Vane Launch provides service from the Chesapeake Bay to the Delaware River and all along the U.S. East Coast – everywhere that Vane Brothers operates its vast tugboat and barge fleet. Vane Launch and Vane Brothers’ bunkering operations are linked by an Ordering and Delivery Processing System that improves responsiveness by allowing the two entities to coordinate deliveries.

“Leveraging Vane Brothers’ assets and working together for a common purpose only makes our marine lubricant and launch services more efficient and accessible to a larger customer base,” says Vane Launch General Manager Michael “Red” Davis, who was a member of the U.S. Coast Guard and Vice President of a Virginia-based marine lubricants provider before joining Vane Brothers in 2015. “Ship and tugboat crews want the convenience of a one-stop shop where they can get all of their needs met, from lube oil to fuel, on time and in full. We meet those needs.”

Among many service offerings, Vane Launch delivers ship’s stores and supplies, including fresh and frozen foods; transports passengers on U.S. Coast Guard-inspected vessels; delivers lube oil bulk and package products via launch or truck; delivers non-potable water; and, as of 2017, is authorized to remove USDA-regulated garbage from vessels.