The company said it has also began conversations to secure the Kapalama Container Terminal in Honolulu.
“TOTE is excited to bring our best-in-class service to the people of Hawaii,” Anthony Chiarello, president and CEO of TOTE, said in a statement. “TOTE’s presence on the islands will provide market stability and introduce new environmentally advanced vessels that will greatly benefit the islands.”
TOTE is a subsidiary of Salchuck, whose companies serving Hawaii include Aloha Air Cargo, Aloha Tech Ops, Foss Maritime, Young Brothers, Hawaii Petroleum, Minit Stop and Ohana Fuels.
Philly Shipyard announced in June that it will construct four new container vessels to service the U.S. Mainland-Hawaii trade route, but did not reveal the new operator. The route is currently dominated by Pasha Hawaii and Matson, both based in Honolulu.
Shortly after the April announcement, Matson released a statement emphasizing its stance as a “market leader.”
“Matson is the market leader and has been the primary carrier to Hawaii for more than 135 years,” the company said. “Matson has a fleet renewal program already in place including four new ships that will allow it to continue its leadership position in the market. Matson’s mission – to move freight better than anyone – will not change.”
In order to comply with new environmental regulations taking effect in 2020, shipping companies are beginning to phase out their container ships in order to meet the International Maritime Organization’s design efficiency standards.
Philly Shipyard says the new vessels will enter service in early 2020 and 2021, “just in time to meet the deadline and maintain trade capacity.”
TOTE currently provides twice-weekly routes to Alaska, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
