James Butcher and Captain S. Y. Kuo To Receive 2009 Connie Awards from Containerization & Intermodal Institute

NEWARK, N.J. (September 14, 2009) - The Containerization & Intermodal Institute (CII) will present the 2009 Connie Awards this year to James E. Butcher, Chairman of Höegh Autoliners, Inc., and to Evergreen's Vice Group Chairman Captain Shiuan Y. Kuo. Each recipient will be honored for his significant influence in containerization in worldwide trade and transportation, according to Allen Clifford, CII President.

A graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, in 1970 Jim Butcher served as Third Mate with the U.S. Military Sealift Command for one year before joining the Luckenbach Steamship Company in New York. He moved to Höegh Autoliners as Operations Manager when the Oslo, Norway, carrier opened its U.S. subsidiary in 1973 and was a founding member.

A qualified master mariner, Captain Kuo joined Evergreen in September 1970, just two years after the company was founded. He served aboard several of the company's vessels before coming ashore in 1974. In mid-1975, he was transferred to the company's New York office and was instrumental in establishing Evergreen's initial full container service between the Far East and the East Coast of North America.

We had an overwhelming vote to honor these two candidates for this prestigious Connie Award, said Mr. Clifford. This is an awesome year for CII-a first ever Connie dinner in Long Beach to honor two deserving candidates and now, our annual December event to salute the lifelong careers of two real sailors who have made significant imprints on the transportation industry. Mr. Clifford noted that CII, founded in 1960, will mark its 50th anniversary next year.

From its small start Autoliners Inc. (now named Höegh Autoliners Inc.) grew over the years, and now in 2009 it has 90 employees in several locations (New York, Baltimore, Wilmington, DE, Jacksonville, Chicago and Galveston).

Mr. Butcher earned his MBA at Long Island University in 1975, with further post graduate education at International Institute for Management Development (IMD), Lausanne, Switzerland in 1992. In 1977 he became Vice President, in 1993 Executive Vice President, and in 1999 President. He was named Chairman of Höegh Autoliners Inc. in April 2009, and also serves as Chairman of the other Höegh companies Alliance Navigation LLC and Port Dolphin Energy LLC. He and his wife have two sons, and live on Long Island.

Höegh Autoliners Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of Höegh Autoliners AS, an Oslo Norway based global ocean carrier specializing in the transport of vehicles and other rolling cargoes.

After establishing the U.S. services, Captain Kuo transferred to London in

1979 overseeing the launch of the company's North European service. He returned to the United States in 1980 as President of Evergreen America Corp. and stayed on the U.S. East Coast until 1998. His last two and a half years in the U.S. was as Chairman of Evergreen America Corp. During that time he also served as a Director of the Container Carriers Council (CCC) and the New York Shipping Association (NYSA).

In 1998, Captain Kuo returned to Taipei as Chairman of Evergreen Sky Catering Corporation, which was followed by his appointment as Chairman of Evergreen Marine Corporation (Taiwan) LTD. He returned to the United States in 2004. Captain S.Y. Kuo was named Vice Group Chairman of the Evergreen Group in June 2002 by Evergreen Group Chairman Dr. Y. F. Chang (Connie 1997

recipient) with responsibilities for activities in the Americas, from the company's U.S. headquarters in Jersey City, NJ. At that time, he was also Chairman of Evergreen Marine Corporation (Taiwan) Ltd.

Captain Kuo and his wife live in New Jersey and have two daughters and three grandchildren.

In addition to the Connie awards, CII will carry out its industry education mission by presenting scholarships to maritime academy cadets. This includes awarding the Thomas B. Crowley Scholarship to midshipmen at the U.S.

Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, funded and managed by Crowley Maritime Corp.; the New York Container Terminal Scholarship to a midshipman at the SUNY Maritime College at Fort Schuyler, funded and managed by New York Container Terminal; the CII Scholarship to a Kings Point cadet, which is funded by Connie proceeds and is managed by CII; and a BSY Associates Scholarship to a college student studying logistics, which is funded by BSY Associates of Holmdel, NJ.

CII is dedicated to promoting the international intermodal industry in education outreach. Sponsorships at $2,500 each will include one table of ten. The CII Connie Awards luncheon is $150 per ticket or $1,500 per table of ten. Tickets and other sponsorships are available. For more information, contact Barbara Yeninas, Executive Director, at (732) 817-9131 or execdir@containerization.org or contact Events Director, Kimberly McCloskey, at Kimberly@bsya.com.

About CII

The Containerization & Intermodal Institute (CII), founded in 1960, is dedicated to providing educational opportunities for transportation industry professionals and the public via a neutral forum for discussion. CII provides these opportunities through existing programs and initiatives, including seminars, scholarships, award programs, educational outreach and historical education. For more information, visit www.containerization.org.