Thorne Led Largest U.S. Ferry
Operation. Arlington, Va. -- April 2, 2007 --Mark Cleveland, President and CEO of SeaBridge Inc., today announced four new members of the company's board of advisors. They include Michael G. Thorne, John G. Peterlin III, David E. Ware and Henry (Hank) Hoffman.
Gathering this substantial expertise in ocean, land, intermodal and ferry
transportation is another milestone for SeaBridge. The company owns advanced ship designs for several very fuel-efficient short-sea vessels and plans to initiate operational services later this year. SeaBridge will provide shippers and logistics companies new options to bypass increasingly congested coastal highway corridors. Ultimately, cars and trucks will drive on and off SeaBridge vessels, under their own power, and then drivers and passengers will be able to relax in cruise-style comfort while en route to their destination.
The first advisory board appointee, Michael G. Thorne, retired from the Washington State Ferry System as Director and CEO in 2004. The system operates the largest fleet of passenger and vehicle ferries in the U.S. — the second largest ferry fleet in the world. Earlier, Thorne served as Executive Director of the Port of Portland, a regional port authority responsible for the marine terminals, airports and business parks of Portland, Oregon.
Captain John G. Peterlin III is Senior Director of Marketing and
Administration for the Port of Galveston, Texas. Peterlin has extensive experience in ocean transportation, logistics, truck brokerage and international trade development. Peterlin was the founder and President of Gulf Bridge Ro-Ro, an operator of roll-on/roll-off marine transportation services for U.S. Gulf freight. He is a U.S. Coast Guard Licensed Master Mariner and a graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
David E. Ware, a noted intermodal transportation executive, most recently served as AVP of the Quality Service Center for CSX Intermodal, a national,
rail-based transportation company, where he managed one of the nation's largest fleets of rail cars, containers, chassis and lift equipment. Earlier, Ware developed and managed a 400-power-unit intermodal trucking operation for CSX.
Henry (Hank) Hoffman is Chairman of the Board of an innovative wireless technology company, SiriCOMM. Hoffman served as President and COO of Tri-State Motor Transit, the nation's largest transporter of munitions for the U.S. Government. He honed his trucking operations expertise with truckload giant Schneider National and LTL leader Viking Freight System, now part of Fedex Freight. Hoffman is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
"We are so pleased that Mike, John, David and Hank have agreed to serve on our board of advisors. They bring proven talent and skills to the precise challenges SeaBridge confronts in launching an exciting new transportation service with such enormous potential for public benefit and profit," Cleveland said.
Other members of the SeaBridge board of advisors include: management process and planning expert John M. Bernard, Senior Vice President, Operational Excellence for Standard Insurance Company; transportation executive Sean Kish, Chairman of Evergreen Transportation; William Klehm III, an expert in leveraging the value of intellectual property and the President and CEO, Fallbrook Technologies, Inc.; transportation and logistics executive Reggie Dupré, founder of Dupré Transport and President of Dupré Investments; and John Bendel, president of Bendel & Bendel Inc., a communications and
media-relations company.
"Our board or advisors, board of directors, and management team comprise a unique blend of senior leaders in the trucking industry, marine and port operations, ship design, military logistics and government sectors. These executives have founded and directed profitable transportation, marine, and
logistics businesses creating billions of dollars in shareholder value. Together, we plan to do that again with SeaBridge," Cleveland said.
SeaBridge is positioned to be the first-to-market provider of scheduled, long-distance coastal ocean freight and passenger ferry service in the United States. SeaBridge will operate a fleet of high-speed ferries serving transportation providers and the traveling public along the east and gulf coasts. It will offer an attractive and very practical alternative to clogged highways for truckers and motorists and will reduce rail and highway congestion in an environmentally friendly and profitable manner.
SeaBridge, Inc.
2009 14th Street, Suite 600
Arlington, Virginia 22201-2514
Tel: 703.525-5195
Fax: 705.525.5122
Email: info@seabridge.net