Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding delivers ATB to Wawa

Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding has delivered an Articulated Tug / Barge unit (ATB) to Wawa Inc., a company based on the East Coast with a growing fuel business in Florida. Wawa sells about 2% of the gasoline sold in the nation. It will use the new tug and barge to supply its growing network of retail locations in Florida, which will grow to 140 by the end of 2017, Fincantieri Group said in a press release.

The barge, named 1964, and its 8,000 horsepower tug, Millville, were christened as part of a November 28 ceremony at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, on the shores of Lake Michigan. The tug and the barge operate in an integrated manner to provide a cost-efficient and flexible solution for fuel transportation. "Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding’s distinguished history of building ATBs, the significant investment Fincantieri has made in its facilities over the past decade, and the quality of the entire staff at the yard were meaningful factors in our decision to work with Fincantieri on this project," said Wawa Senior Vice President Brian Schaller. “While there are multiple shipbuilding facilities along the East and Gulf coasts, our partners in the Great Lakes have the reputation and expertise to skillfully craft the vessel we dreamed of.”

“We are delighted to have had the opportunity to build Wawa’s first owned vessel and support their growing business,” said Todd Thayse, Vice President and General Manager of the Sturgeon Bay yard. “Each of the men and women who have made the on-time delivery of this vessel possible now feel a strong connection to Wawa’s success and our shared achievements.”
Francesco Valente, Fincantieri Marine Group President and CEO added, “We are proud of the work performed by our master craftsmen in Wisconsin and of its strategic importance for the vitality of commerce and manufacturing in the entire United States.”

About Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding
Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding is an operating division of Fincantieri Marine Group, serving government and commercial customers including the United States Navy and United States Coast Guard.

About Fincantieri
Fincantieri is one of the world’s largest shipbuilding groups and number one by diversification and innovation. It is leader in cruise ship design and construction and a reference player in all high-tech shipbuilding industry’s sectors, from naval to offshore vessels, from high-complexity special vessels and ferries to mega-yachts, ship repairs and conversions, systems and components production and after-sales services. Headquartered in Trieste Italy, the Group has built more than 7,000 vessels in over 230 years of maritime history. With around 19,400 employees, of whom more than 8,200 are in Italy, and 20 shipyards on four continents, today Fincantieri is the leading Western shipbuilder. It has among its clients the major cruise operators, the Italian and the U.S. Navy, in addition to several foreign navies, and it is partner of some of the main European defense companies within supranational programs. Fincantieri operates in the United States through its subsidiary Fincantieri Marine Group (FMG). This company, which serves government customers, including the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, has three shipyards (Fincantieri Marinette Marine, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding and Fincantieri ACE Marine) all located in the Great Lakes Region.