Crowley building boom continues with the weekend launch of the latest Heavy-Lift Deck Barge 455-6

(Portland, Ore.; July 15, 2009) — With Crowley’s vessel construction boom in full swing, shipyard employees, Crowley personnel and distinguished guests paused this weekend to welcome the newest heavy-lift deck barge to the Crowley fleet — the 455-6 — sixth in a series of heavy-lift deck barges slated to be built and put into service by 2013.

Against the backdrop of a Hawaiian-themed christening, Sandi Gresham, the wife of Bruce Gresham of Heerema Marine Contractors in Houston, Texas, christened the barge with a bottle of champagne, launching it into the Willamette River at the Gunderson Marine shipyard in Portland.

The barge is the third heavy-lift deck barge christened by Crowley this year, but is definitely not the last. In September, the company is scheduled to take delivery of the 455-7 and the barge 455-8 by the end of 2009 — bringing the total to five heavy-lift deck barge deliveries this year alone.

Crowley’s heavy-lift 455-series deck barges with 25-foot side shells provide both the capacity and deck strength needed to accommodate larger drilling and production units used for deepwater offshore energy exploration and development. They provide increased deck strength for loads up to 4,200 pounds per square foot.

Jacksonville-based Crowley Holdings Inc., a holding company of the 117-year-old Crowley Maritime Corporation, is a privately held family and employee-owned company that provides diversified transportation and logistics services in domestic and international markets by means of six operating lines of business: Puerto Rico/Caribbean Liner Services, Latin America Liner Services, Logistics Services, Petroleum Services, Marine Services and Technical Services. Offered within these operating lines of business are the following services: liner container shipping, logistics, contract towing and transportation; ship assist and escort; energy support; salvage and emergency response; vessel management; vessel construction and naval architecture; government services, and petroleum and chemical transportation, distribution and sales. Additional information about Crowley, its subsidiaries and business units may be found on the Internet at www.crowley.com.

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