Horizon Lines' Vessels Receive 2011 Jones F. Devlin Awards For Safety From Chamber Of Shipping Of America
CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Horizon Lines, Inc. (OTCQB: HRZL), one of the nation's leading domestic ocean shipping companies, has received recognition from the Chamber of Shipping of America (CSA) for its safety record, as well as for the rescue earlier this year of three stranded sailors by the Horizon Reliance.
CSA presented six Horizon Lines vessels and their crews with the 2011 Jones F. Devlin Award for safety at its 2012 Annual Safety Awards luncheon last month. Together, these vessels have logged 18 total years without a crewmember losing a full turn at watch because of an occupational injury, reflecting Horizon Lines' long-standing commitment to safety.
The CSA Devlin Award recognizes the men and women responsible for safe ship operations. It is presented each year to self-propelled merchant vessels that have operated for at least two years without a crew member losing a full turn at watch because of an occupational injury. The awards were presented to the Horizon Challenger (5 years), Horizon Consumer (2 years), Horizon Eagle (3 years), Horizon Hawk (2 years), Horizon Hunter (3 years) and Horizon Spirit (3 years).
In addition, Captain James J. Kelleher and his crew of the Horizon Reliance were presented with the CSA's Top Honor Safety Achievement Award for the dramatic rescue of three persons from a foundering sailboat during a nighttime storm 400 miles east of Honolulu in February. Michael Bohlman, Horizon Lines Director of Marine Services, accepted the award on behalf of Captain Kelleher and crew from United States Coast Guard Rear Admiral Kevin Cook.
We have been holding these annual award ceremonies since 1958, said CSA President Joseph J. Cox. For that initial year, we honored six vessels having a total of 12 years operation with no lost-time incidents. This year, we gave awards to 1,395 vessels that operated 7,015 years without a lost-time incident. This extraordinary record is directly attributable to the professionalism of our seafarers and the dedication of shore-based company personnel to safe operation.
More than 160 people representing over 80 companies attended the annual luncheon in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The goal at Horizon Lines is zero unsafe behaviors, said Pete Strohla, Vice President and General Manager of Horizon Lines' Ocean Transportation Services group. Our sailors endeavor to prepare thoroughly and stay focused on whatever task is at hand to ensure they remain injury free. Each individual helps ensure an injury free environment and Horizon Lines is proud of their performance.
CSA represents 37 U.S. based companies that own, operate or charter oceangoing tankers, container ships, and other merchant vessels engaged in both the domestic and international trades, as well as other companies that maintain a commercial interest in the operation of such oceangoing vessels.
About Horizon Lines
Horizon Lines, Inc. is one of the nation's leading domestic ocean shipping companies and the only ocean cargo carrier serving all three noncontiguous domestic markets of Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico from the continental United States. The company maintains a fleet of 15 fully Jones Act qualified vessels and operates five port terminals in Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. A trusted partner for many of the nation's leading retailers, manufacturers and U.S. government agencies, Horizon Lines provides reliable transportation services that leverage its unique combination of ocean transportation and inland distribution capabilities to deliver goods that are vital to the prosperity of the markets it serves. The company is based in Charlotte, NC, and its stock trades on the over-the-counter market under the symbol HRZL.