Quebec-based shipping company Desgagnés was named Company of the Year at the 2018 Lloyd’s List Americas Awards gala event on May 23, in Houston, Texas.
This distinction is awarded for outstanding performance as the most dynamic success story or development by a business operating primarily in the marine sector.
The jury made up of 12 members issued from the maritime sector looked for the most dynamic success story or development by a business operating primarily in the maritime sector. They evaluated, beyond just scale, the company that best innovated and adapted in the past 12 months’ rapidly changing market conditions. Nominations were also judged based on their advancements in strategy, profitability, efficiency and corporate social responsibility.
In addition to these elements, the jury considered that, in 2017, Desgagnés introduced its new generation of polar-class dual-fuel/LNG tankers, setting new standards in the marine transportation market, in Canada and worldwide. This new technology required significant changes to onboard equipment, procedures to be implemented, and training and certification of seafarers. It also propels the development, with suppliers, of liquefied natural gas bunkering solutions through new equipment and land infrastructures, and the creation of new fuelling procedures.
Several representatives of the company were present at the gala, including the Chairman of the Board and CEO of Desgagnés, Louis-Marie Beaulieu, who said he was very proud to receive this recognition, which he nevertheless wishes to attribute to the achievements of his team, undeniable factor of the success of Desgagnés.
About Desgagnés
Desgagnés is headquartered in Quebec City, but serves its customers mainly from its two offices in the Montreal area. It is a conglomerate that has specialized in the marine transportation of liquid bulk, general cargo, solid bulk, and passengers since the 19th century. Its activities also extend to ship repair as well as the rental and operation of heavy machinery. Desgagnés owns and operates a fleet of more than 20 vessels, offering a total of more than 350,000 tons deadweight or a total capacity exceeding 435,000 m³. Its ships crisscross the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System, the Canadian Arctic, the east coast of Canada and the United States and oceans around the globe. With sales of close to $300 million, Desgagnés creates over 1,100 direct jobs in the high season with a payroll of over $80 million, and generates several tens of millions in economic spinoffs annually.