Page 142 - Peterson 85 Years and Going Strong

MARINE IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
The Pacific Northwest hosts two of the largest ports in the United States, which makes Peterson’s Oregon/Washington territory a core part of its marine business. The region is rich in vessel opera- tors and shipyards, with a lineage going back more than a half century. The greater Portland area has several major shipyards that do both vessel repair and new construction. “Arguably Peterson’s most loyal marine customer is Tidewater Barge Lines,”
says Barrett Carpenter, Peterson marine sales rep since 2014. Located in Vancouver, Washington, they operate sixteen push tugs and seventy-eight barges on the Columbia and Snake River system between Longview, Washington and Lewiston, Idaho. Almost all their vessels are powered with Caterpillar propulsion engines and gen-sets.
In 2013 Tidewater purchased three ship sets of main engines, generator sets, and marine gearboxes for their new Point Class push tugs. “Each vessel is
Top left, clockwise: Diversified Marine along the Columbia River in Portland, OR; Peterson marine techs work on the USNS Mercy hospital ship at Vigor Shipyards in December 2020; Vigor Shipyards on Swan Island in the heart of Portland in 2020
140 | PETERSON: 85 YEARS AND GOING STRONG