Southern Devall To Launch New Barge Fleet At LMR Mile 199
A little more than one year has passed since Southern Towing Company and Devall Towing announced plans to merge the two companies, and as of earlier this year they are now operating under the new name “Southern Devall.”
Now, Devall Fleeting, the wholly owned fleeting subsidiary of Southern Devall, is preparing to launch a new barge fleet on the Lower Mississippi River near Plaquemine, La.
“While there might not be much new to see as you pass by our property at Mile 199 on the Lower Mississippi River, things are steadily progressing toward the opening of the newest Devall Fleeting location,” said Kevin Lordo, director of Devall Fleeting. “All necessary permits have been obtained, the pilings are being fabricated, and the final few items are being addressed ahead of our Coast Guard inspection.”
The new fleet will be located on the right descending bank and will accommodate up to 50 oversized barges. From its Mile 199 fleet, Devall Fleeting will offer shifting services to all berths between Baton Rouge, La., and Norco, La., and beyond, through its other barge fleets and fleet of towboats.
“Our current and potential new customers will benefit from the 199 fleet’s proximity to their operations, our shifting capabilities and the efficiencies it will create between our coastal and river groups in moving their products across the inland river system and intracoastal waterway,” said Bob Thomas, chief operating officer of Southern Devall.
To further enhance its capabilities on the Lower Mississippi River, Southern Devall is adding four new towboats to its fleet. The company expects to take delivery of the first of those new fleet boats, the mv. Capt. Charlie Weaver, by mid-May. Plaquemine, La.-based Verrett Shipyard built the Capt. Charlie Weaver, which measures 65 feet by 26 feet.
“The completion of the first of four new-build fleet boats in the coming weeks will allow the fleet to begin operations once everything is in place,” said Brandon Devall, Southern Devall’s vice president of engineering. “More information and photos will be available soon.”
Besides the Mile 199 fleet, Devall Fleeting also operates barge fleets on the Victoria Barge Canal near Bloomington, Texas, at the intersection of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and the Calcasieu Ship Channel and in Lake Charles, La., at Clooney Island. Devall Diesel Services, with locations in Sulphur, La., and Groves, Texas, offers fuel supply, generator sales and rentals and service and maintenance. Lastly, Southern Devall also operates a fleet of more than 70 towboats and more than 230 tank barges, with operations spanning the Gulf Coast and the Mississippi River and its tributaries.
