YoungShip launches in Texas

APRIL 28, 2015 — Two young professionals eager to see their generation flourish in the maritime industry, Mitchell Machann, Senior Legal Counsel, Stolt-Nielsen USA Inc., and Lindsay Malen, President, Malen Maritime, have co-founded YoungShip Texas. This is the first YoungShip chapter in the United States and the 18th in YoungShip International’s global network.

YoungShip is a professional non-profit organization for young people working within the global maritime industry. Founded in Bergen, Norway, in 2004, the initiative has spread quickly and the global YoungShip network today counts more than 2.500 individual members.

YoungShip’s core purpose is to provide a competence and network enhancing arena for its members, and to promote the young professionals in the global maritime industry. It also has a particular focus on developing the young generations’ knowledge and interest for environmental developments, innovation and entrepreneurship.

What is now the YoungShip Texas group was originally founded in January 2013 with the vision of increasing awareness of the younger generation coming into the maritime community and strengthening its presence as growing leaders in the U.S. maritime sector.

The group has already been acting as a networking platform for young people in the industry and its support sectors and has encouraged Texas maritime companies to support these growing young professionals.

The group decided to join YoungShip in the summer of 2014 in order to expand its presence in the international maritime community and promote further awareness throughout the U.S.

Currently, the board hosts networking events every other month that attract around 40-50 people at each event with diversified industry backgrounds.YoungShip Texas provides YoungShip with exposure to the Houston and greater Texas maritime cluster (along with all other Texas port cities and industry hubs).

The Ports of Houston and Galveston constitute one of the largest commercial ports in the United States, including first in the U.S. in foreign waterborne traffic, first in U.S. imports, first in U.S. export tonnage, second in the U.S. in total tonnage, and handle 65% of all major U.S. project cargoes.

Other YoungShip Texas board members include:

Kyle Munson, Vice President of Marketing – U.S. Gulf, General Steamship Corp., Ltd.

Samina Mahmood, General Manager, Marine Response Alliance

Vanessa Johnson, Assistant Manager of Shipping, Argosy Transportation Group