Ingram Christens Trio Of Boats From Main Iron Works

Members of the Ingram Marine Group family gathered March 7 at the company’s Triangle Fleet in Reserve, La., to celebrate the christening of three new towboats from Houma, La.-based Main Iron Works. The mvs. Patrick L. Morton, Teresa Sprouse and Gary L. Holman are the sixth, seventh and eighth vessels in a 10-boat series Main Iron Works is building for Ingram.

The Patrick L. Morton is named for Ingram’s associate vice president of logistics and customer service, while the Sprouse and Holman honor the company’s associate vice president of financial planning, analysis and reporting and its vice president of barge maintenance, respectively.

“Patrick, Teresa and Gary have nearly 100 years of combined experience, and their longevity and depth of experience are amazing examples of ‘the Ingram Way,’” Orrin Ingram, chairman of Ingram Marine Group and CEO of Ingram Industries, said at the christening ceremony. “They have all made such significant contributions over their time with us. They have tremendous work ethic, treat others with respect and are terrific leaders. Each is absolutely deserving of this recognition, and I’m proud to celebrate with them and their loved ones today.”

“Christening a vessel is one of the highest honors we can bestow, and Patrick, Teresa and Gary have each earned this special distinction,” Ingram Marine Group President and CEO John Roberts said. “All three are highly respected by their peers professionally and in their communities outside of work. Not only have they seen great success in their own careers, they have supported and mentored many others along the way. The christenings of these vessels is well deserved.”

Morton started with Ingram in 1997 and has worked in vessel operations, logistics and customer service. Russ Lampkins, Ingram’s senior vice president of logistics and customer service, described Morton as both a family man and a man of faith, while also praising him for being a leader and a friend.

“Hurricanes, mentorships and acquisitions, good times and bad times, several industry committees and advisories,” Lampkins said. “Patrick’s passed a legacy on to all the people in the groups that he’s affected and participated in those with, so I thank Patrick for that. I admire his knowledge, expertise and versatility. But more importantly, whenever I talk to people about what can I say about Patrick, most people appreciate the relationship they have with Patrick. I think in general, what I value most about Patrick, I think most will agree, is that we all have a relationship with Patrick. Most importantly, we all feel that relationship is special.”

In addressing the crowd, Morton thanked the team that prepared the Triangle Fleet facility for the christening ceremony and the boat crews that worked so hard to get the boats ready for the event.

“These boats have been working,” Morton said. “They didn’t just come out of the yard, and they look great.”

He also thanked the Ingram team for naming the boat after him.

“It’s a huge honor, and I don’t miss that fact,” he said. “I’m very humbled by it.”

Sprouse, associate vice president of financial planning, analysis and reporting, began her career as a senior accountant for Ingram Book Company 36 years ago. She moved over to Ingram Industries in 1999 and, finally, to Ingram Barge Company in 2007. Crystal Taylor, chief financial officer at Ingram, praised Sprouse for being a teacher.

“She not only teaches that next generation in our team, she also teaches across the company,” Taylor said. “She teaches financial acumen to all our leaders. She’s helping the next generation across the entire company.”

Taylor also said Sprouse embodies “the Ingram way” every day and has a way of putting things into perspective.

“I’ve heard Teresa many times say, ‘We’re not doing heart surgery, and no blood was shed, so everything’s going to be OK,” Taylor said, later adding, “It’s just a great influence throughout the organization.”

Sprouse said, when she reflects on those years with Ingram, she’s thankful.

“That’s well over half my life I’ve spent with Ingram, and I do not take that lightly at all,” she said. “Ingram is such a wonderful organization, and I consider it a privilege to be part of the Ingram family.”

Jason Porter, Ingram’s senior vice president of engineering, barge maintenance and operations, then introduced Holman, calling him a teammate and “one of my true friends.”

“I can speak at length of how he’s second to none in technical expertise and all the things it takes to keep a fleet of 4,500-plus barges floating and making ton-miles,” Porter said.

Porter said he could touch on the variety of roles Holman has related to fleets, facilities and commodity loading operations and on his leadership in response to major events.

“But I think more importantly Gary brings a devotion and commitment to doing things the right way,” Porter said. “Every time, no matter the circumstances and no matter what’s on the plate on any given day, he has that big-picture mentality and the owner’s mindset that’s at the core of what he does.”

What’s more, he passes that knowledge and commitment on to the next generation, Porter said.

Speaking to the crowd, Holman said it’s been an honor to work for Ingram for the past 37 years.

“I used to be the youngster of the department, and now I find myself on the back side of my career,” he said. “I never questioned for a minute where I wanted to be. I always want to be a part of the Ingram family.”

The Rev. Mark Nestlehutt, president and executive director of the Seamen’s Church Institute (SCI), offered a prayer of blessing over the vessels and crew members. A team from SCI also presented crew members with a Bible and a flag of the Merchant Marine.

Finally, Morton, Sprouse and Holman, along with their families, climbed aboard their namesake vessels to officially christen each into the Ingram fleet.

More About The Vessels

Main Iron Works delivered the Patrick L. Morton, Teresa Sprouse and Gary L. Holman on July 31, 2023, October 27, 2023, and January 24, respectively. Design work for the vessels was a collaboration between Ingram Marine Group, Ashraf Degedy and Main Iron Works. The vessels measure 69 by 30 feet, with a molded depth of 10 feet, 6 inches and an 8-foot draft. Though visually similar to the prior vessels in the series, the Morton, Sprouse and Holman are shorter and narrower than the others.

“These were modified to work in the fleets,” Morton said.

Louisiana CAT supplied the two Caterpillar C32 Tier 3 engines aboard each boat, which produce a total of 1,600 hp. Main engines are paired to Reintjes WAF 474 reduction gears from Karl Senner (7.09:1 ratio). Houma Machine & Propeller supplied the vessels’ Michigan Special 76- by 62-inch propellers and cutlass bearings. Seals are by Kemel USA, and shafts are by Houma Machine & Propeller.

The vessels each have tankage for 12,000 gallons of fuel, 4,600 gallons of potable water, 240 gallons of lube oil, 140 gallons of hydraulic oil, 100 gallons of gear oil and two 177-gallon dirty oil tanks.

Southern Power & Equipment supplied a pair of John Deere 99 kW Northern Lights C series generators to each vessel. Duraweld keel coolers are by East Park Radiator, while Eagle Control Systems supplied the alarm system and steering system aboard each vessel. Disalvo Marine supplied the MSD unit aboard each vessel, while Power Specialties supplied the bilge pumps.

On deck, each vessel is equipped with a pair of Wintech deck winches. International Marine Systems supplied the electronics package for the vessels, which included Furuno, Intellian, Standard Horizon, R.M. Young, Ritchie and Alphatron equipment. Donovan Marine supplied the fire safety equipment aboard each vessel. Fendering is by M&M Bumper, and paint is by Houma Paint & Industrial Supply.

While alike on the outside, the three new vessels are a little different from one another on the inside. According to the shipyard, the Patrick L. Morton is outfitted for work in the fleet and therefore lacks galley equipment and uses its first deck bunk rooms as storage. The mv. Teresa Sprouse, though, is outfitted to be a live-aboard, with a fully furnished galley and staterooms. The Gary L. Holman’s second deck stateroom is laid out as a double bunk room, thus offering two additional bunks to accommodate additional personnel.

Walt Cenac with Main Iron Works said it’s been a pleasure to partner with Ingram on the 10-vessel series, with just two vessels to go.

“I want to acknowledge Ingram’s movement in the industry, with their acquisitions and growth and putting these new vessels to work,” Cenac said. “Main Iron Works and the Cenac companies remain committed to the Ingrams and the Ingram family to produce these vessels that are good workplaces for the crew and captains, a safe environment to work on and compliant vessels from a safety and emissions standpoint, representing the Ingram brand as well as the Main Iron Works brand.”

Caption for top photo: Cindy Holman christens the mv. Gary L. Holman, named for her husband, Ingram vice president-barge maintenance. (Photo courtesy of Ingram Marine Group)