Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding Delivers ATB to Wawa

Shipyard workers in the chilly Great Lakes region now have a proud connection to a privately held, family business that’s growing in the warm waters off the Gulf Coast.

Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding 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 two percent 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.

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.”