Marquette Transportation christens the M/V John Paul Eckstein

Photo Credits: BRAD RANKIN STUDIO

On January 10, 2026, Marquette Transportation Company celebrated the christening of its newest towboat, the M/V John Paul Eckstein, and honored its namesake, John Paul Eckstein, during a traditional Christening Ceremony in New Orleans, La.

The M/V John Paul Eckstein is a 10,000-horsepower towboat operating between St. Louis, Mo., and New Orleans. The vessel measures 189 by 50 by 12 feet and is equipped with 122-inch wheels. It is named for John Paul Eckstein, who serves as executive chairman of Marquette and previously led the company as president and CEO for 30 years.

“I have had the honor of working with John as a partner, a boss and as my mentor, and during that time I had a front-row seat to what has been an incredible entrepreneurial success story,” said Damon Judd, Marquette’s president and CEO. “There was only one person who made sense to name this powerhouse vessel after, and that was John.”

Raised on the banks of the Upper Mississippi River in Cassville, Wis., Eckstein developed his passion for the river at a young age. The youngest of Ray and Kay Eckstein’s eight children, towboating was an integral part of his upbringing through his family’s ownership of Wisconsin Barge Line and the founding of Marquette when he was a teenager in 1978.

Beyond opportunities created through the growth and development of Marquette, the Eckstein family has been a longstanding supporter of important causes in Paducah, Ky., and the region. When Eckstein succeeded his father, Ray Eckstein, as president of Marquette in 1991, one of his earliest decisions was to relocate the company’s headquarters from Cassville to Paducah.

When Eckstein began his tenure as president, Marquette operated five boats. Nearly 36 years later, Eckstein now serves as executive chairman of a business that between Marquette and its newly acquired sister company, Canal Barge, operates nearly 200 boats. Eckstein has been essential in positioning Marquette as the industry’s premier provider of towing services to a core group of longstanding strategic customer partners.

“It’s an amazing honor,” said Eckstein. “To have so many of my business colleagues over the years, family and friends from all over come together to celebrate this is truly special. Towboats are in my blood, I’ve been around the river my whole life, and it’s a real honor to have this vessel named after me.”

During the event, the National Rivers Hall of Fame presented Eckstein with the 2025 National Achievement Award, one of the highest honors in American river history and heritage. The National Rivers Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who have made a significant and lasting impact on the river industry in America.

The M/V John Paul Eckstein was built by C&C Marine & Repair in Belle Chasse, La., marking the sixth vessel constructed for Marquette by C&C since 2018.

“C&C Marine is extremely honored to build the M/V John Paul Eckstein, the namesake of a true legend in the industry,” said Tony Ciblich, president of C&C Marine.

Kentucky-based CT Marine designed the towboat, while Louisiana Cat provided the main engines (Caterpillar C280-12) and generators (Caterpillar C9). Karl Senner supplied the vessel with reduction gears (Reintjes WAF 6755).

Christenings are a meaningful milestone in the maritime industry, bringing together employees, customer-partners and key vendors to celebrate the vessel’s namesake, crew and the continued growth of the company.

“Christenings are a time for everyone to tour the boat and see the passion and professionalism of our mariners. The vessel is their home on the water and we’re incredibly proud of everything they do,” said Judd. “Our mariners are what Marquette is about and what the industry is about. These are the folks out on the river when we are home in bed, working tirelessly to safely move products in support of our customer partners and this country.”