McAllister Towing Celebrates 160 Years While Focusing on the Future

The maritime community came together last week to mark the 160th anniversary of the founding of McAllister Towing, a leader in ship docking, towing, and maritime transport. From humble beginnings with an Irish immigrant working with a sail lighter moving cargo from Brooklyn to Manhattan, the company has grown to operate from 13 locations along the U.S. East Coast from Maine to Florida, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Being in operation continuously for 160 years makes the company one of the oldest marine towing and transportation companies in the United States. It is also one of only a handful of family-owned companies still in business that date to the 1860s or before. Today it is headed by Chairman and CEO B. Buckley McAllister, the great-great-grandson of founder Captain James McAllister. Three additional fifth-generation members of the McAllister family are also employed by the company.

“The passion for the business is the glue that holds the company together,” said Captain. A.J. McAllister III, Senior Vice President of Sales, during the gala event. 

The company has grown dramatically. They highlighted doubling employment and today, the company operates more than 60 tugboats, crew boats, and barges and is involved in the traditional docking and towing business, but has also grown into LNG services, LNG bunkering, and supporting the offshore wind farm industry. Its ferry subsidiary, the Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Company transports passengers and vehicles across Long Island Sound with volumes having grown from 35,000 cars to half a million annually.

 

Grace McAllister demonstrated her maneuverability during the celebration (Allan Jordan)

 

“The sector has gone through a lot of consolidation,” highlighted Gary Field, Head of Underwriting & Head of Americas Syndicate for the P&I Club Steamship Mutual. He notes that McAllister has remained “blue chip” focused on its people and mission of safety and reliability. 

There are many achievements in the long history of the company. It inaugurated one of the first deep-sea tug-barge combinations a hundred years ago hauling molasses from Cuba to New Orleans and also introduced the first diesel-powered tug to New York harbor in 1927. In more recent times, McAllister helped pioneer the development of the Kort Nozzle, Flanking Rudder tugs that dominated the 1960s and 1970s and now has modernized its fleet of tugs by building Z-drive tractor tugs with the latest firefighting equipment and capabilities. McAllister reports it was the first to deploy tractor tugs and today’s fleet of 60 vessels includes 38 tractor tugs.

The modernization of the fleet continues with the introduction at the beginning of 2024 of Grace McAllister, which with over 6,700 hp and more than 85 tons of bollard pull the company says is one of the most powerful tugs working in the Port of New York – New Jersey. At a length of 93 feet, she is outfitted with Tier IV Caterpillar engines and twin Schottel Z-drive units and also received a Low Emission Vessel class notation for ABS. The fleet modernization has pioneered the use of Tier IV engines and with oil spinners has saved 20,000 gallons of oil since 2016, while ongoing efforts focus on achieving net-zero emissions.

 

McAllister's modern fleet includes more than 60 tugboats, crew boats, and barges with 38 Z-Drive tractor tugs (McAllister)

 

Testimonials to the company included speeches by Jennifer Carpenter, President & CEO of The American Waterways Operators, Liz Burdock, President & CEO of the Oceantic Network, Stephen Lyman, Executive Director of the Maritime Association of the Port of NY & NJ, Joey D'Isernia, CEO and Chairman of Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Captain Jonathan Andrechik, U.S. Coast Guard Commander Sector New York, and others. One theme they all touched upon is that it is a company that is focused on its people. In addition to the generations of McAllisters, the company is proud to highlight multi-generational employees who work across the operations.

“This event was more than just a celebration of McAllister’s history—it was a reflection of the partnerships, camaraderie, and shared values that have carried us through the decades,” said Alessandra Tebaldi, Esq., Executive Vice President & General Counsel of McAllister. “We are proud to honor McAllister’s legacy while looking forward to a future guided by innovation, resilience, and commitment to excellence.”

 

B. Buckley McAllister highlighted the family legacy, and focus on safety and reliability (Maritime College)

 

Speaking humbly of the achievements and thanking everyone for their support and dedication, Buckley McAllister pointed to the spirit that builds on the immigrant roots of the company. 

“The scale of shipping is growing exponentially,” notes Buckley McAllister. He says they remain focused on the needs of the customer and providing a reliable service to meet customer’s needs.

The company recently took delivery of its newest passenger-auto ferry, the Long Island, built by Eastern Shipbuilding Group. State-of-the-art, the ferry includes EPA Tier IV-compliant main engines, increased crew capacity, and upgraded furnishings. It will enable a consistent three-vessel service during peak travel periods to expand capacity on the route between Port Jefferson, New York, and Bridgeport, Connecticut. For the tug operations, the company highlights it will add more than 13,000 hp to the fleet as it has two new tractor tugs on order from Maine-based shipbuilder Washburn & Doughty.

 

New passenger-car ferry Long Island was recently completed by Eastern Shipbuilding for McAllister's subsidiary (ESG)

 

The McAllister’s dedication extends to the industry. Captain Dominique Smith, President of Tradewind Towing, highlighted the work of Buck McAllister and the company to “elevate the maritime industry,” for generations to come. 

The family and company have a long association with the State University of New York Maritime College. Rear Admiral John A. Okon, USN (ret), President of Maritime College, said the college and its students were “incredibly grateful,” announcing a $2.5 million pledge from McAllister. He said the pledge will “help our community rise together, driving innovation and opening new horizons for educational growth and collective leadership in towing. Through this pledge, we will name our full Mission Tug Simulator the Captain Brian A. McAllister ’56 Tug Simulator.”

Throughout the celebration, it was highlighted that the steps the company is taking today will set the foundations for future generations of McAllister and the families that work for the company. The vessels that are being built today, it was noted, will be in service as the company is led forward by the eighth generation.