Crowley’s Roberto Lugo Receives Outstanding Executive Award in Puerto Rico

(Jacksonville, Fla.; June 1, 1999) – Roberto Lugo, Jr., vice president, Crowley American Transport, Puerto Rico, was honored Saturday night in San Juan with the Outstanding Transportation Executive of 1998 award presented by the Association of Sales & Marketing Executives of San Juan.

“This honor is granted to an executive in each industry category who has proven to be an outstanding professional in his field,” said Karen Oliver, president of the association. “It is an honor for us to recognize your excellent work since professionals like yourself enlighten the work and values within our country.”

The award, the second major honor bestowed upon Lugo in the last two years, was presented at a reception at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in San Juan. Other executives in different industries were also recognized there.

Last year, Lugo was awarded the 1997 Thomas Crowley Trophy, Crowley Maritime Corporation’s highest honor. The trophy, a limited edition bronze sculpture depicting young Thomas Crowley as he ferried goods to and from ships on San Francisco Bay in the early 1890s, is presented annually to the employee who has demonstrated outstanding performance, and whose dedication, leadership, initiative and productivity most clearly reflect those of the company’s founder.

Lugo is widely credited with enhancing operating efficiencies at Crowley’s San Juan terminals, the largest in the Caribbean, and with fostering a spirit of cooperation between management and port workers. Labor stability, high productivity and teamwork have allowed Crowley to provide continuous, quality service to customers for many years. In addition, he played a significant role in the contingency planning that allowed Crowley to provide uninterrupted service in the aftermath of Hurricane Georges.

“I am deeply honored to be recognized by the Association of Sales & Marketing Executives of San Juan,” Lugo said. “This award could not have been achieved individually without the hard work and dedication of my team members in Puerto Rico. They are the best in the industry, and I thank them very much for their support.”

Lugo began his career in the shipping industry in 1973, and went to work briefly for Crowley between 1977 and 1979. He rejoined the company in 1986 and spent nine-and-a-half years organizing and managing Crowley’s network of Caribbean island feeder services. In 1996, he was promoted to director of port operations for San Juan before assuming his present position in 1998. His current responsibilities include the overall management of more than 400 employees, 200,000 annual container/trailer moves and approximately 400 vessel calls a year in San Juan.

Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, Crowley American Transport provides cargo common carrier services between Canada, the United States and countries in Central America, South America and the Caribbean. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Oakland-based Crowley Maritime Corp., founded in 1892.

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