Wepfer Marine Adds Two Towboats To Fleet

Wepfer Marine Inc., Memphis, Tenn.-based river services firm, has purchased two towboats from Kirby Inland Marine LP, Houston, Texas. Wepfer bought the mv. Antigone and renamed it Ron Mook. It also bought the mv. Cullen and renamed it Chris Foster.

Ron Mook is vice president of engineering for Wepfer. His namesake vessel is 85 feet long and has 1,800 hp. It was built by Greenville Shipbuilding Corporation in 1967. Wepfer plans to use it primarily in conjunction with its Okie Moore salvage rig, said George Leavell, executive vice president.

The mv. Chris Foster is named for the company’s vice president of operations. It is a 65-foot, 1,200 hp. towboat built in 1974 by Main Iron Works. Wepfer will use it to serve its Memphis, Tunica and Osceola harbors, Leavell said.

Leavell added that both namesakes are longtime, loyal employees who are committed to safety and “whose willingness to adapt to new systems will help move us into a new era.”