368 July 2006
Pushing It: LeBeouf Bros. Towing
LeBeouf Bros. shipyard at Mile 49 on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.
Jon Gonsoulin is not one to rest on his legacy. Jon's grandfather, Earl, began working with the LeBeouf brothers back in 1946 and soon bought into the company. In time, Earl and his two sons, Richard and Jerry, were able to buy the LeBeouf brothers' shares. Earl turned over the helms to his sons in the 1970's. From that time forward, the two brothers continued to strengthen and consolidate the company's position.
In 2005, Richard “Dickie” Gonsoulin purchased his brother's interest in the company. Today the company is solely owned by Dickie with Jon taking an ever more active role in forging the company's present and future growth.
Jon Gonsoulin at work.
The current fleet is comprised of 22 push boats including the recently delivered M/V Merle Gonsoulin and the M/V Sydney Ann. The 74' x 28' sister ships were delivered in 2006 from LaForce Shipyard in Bayou Labatre, Alabama (see Hotips #338 at www.haig-brown.com ). The vessels are powered by a pair of 1000 hp Cummins KTA38 M1 engines turning five-blade 74-inch props through 6:1 Rentjes gears. The boats are earning their keep pushing oil barges on the inland waterways of the United States.
The company's barge fleet includes 3 spud barges, thirty-two 30,000-barrel oil barges and seven double-skinned 10,000-barrel oil barges. Included in the large double skin fleet are 26 asphalt-capable barges with heaters.
The M/V Sydney Ann at LaForce Shipyard in Bayou LaBatre.
The barge maintenance is done at LeBeouf's own yard adjacent to their home office near Bourg Louisiana at Mile 49 on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. It is here that Jon Gonsoulin will build new barges for the company fleet once he has added a high tech array of equipment including an automated one side welding system, NC cutting table and a 600-foot railway connecting to the firm's existing floating drydock. “We will continue to contract work for others but we intend to be our own best customer and expect to amortize the improvements over the first four or five barges that we build,” explained Jon.
M/V Sydney Ann nearing completion.
In addition to the boats recently delivered from the Laforce yard, there are two- 2000 hp boats powered by Cummins KTA38 M1's on order from Intracoastal Iron Works in Bourg. The first of these, the 72' x 30' Katie Gonsoulin, is scheduled for a September, 2006 delivery.
Ray LaForce and Jon Gronsoulin in the wheelhouse of the Sydney Ann.
Note the hull of a sister-ship under construction.
With this kind of ambition and the expanding demand for cost effective transport of petroleum, there is every indication that the Gonsoulin third generation at the helm will continue to push the company growth with the same success as his father and grandfather.
For further information please contact:
Jon Gonsoulin
Executive Vice President
LeBeouf Bros. Towing, L.L.C.
P.O. Box 9036
Houma, LA 70361
USA
Phone: 985 594 6691
Fax: 985 594 0240
E-mail: jong@lebeouftowing.com
Ray LaForce
LaForce Shipyard, Inc.
P.O. Box 107
650 Shell Belt Road
Alabama 36509
Phone: 251 824 2152
Fax: 251 824 7742
Joe Gregory
Territory Sales Manager
Cummins Mid-South
110 E.Airline Highway
Kenner, LA 70062
Phone: 504 468 3535
Moblie: 504 343 8369
Fax: 504 465 3408
Toll Free:1 800 359 4830
Email: joe.gregory@cummins.com
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375-351, 375-351, 350-326, 325-301, 300-276, 275-251, 250-226, 225-201
200-176, 175-151, 150-126, 125-101, 100-76, 75-51, 50-26, 25-0
