OK so this is my first time pasting on here but I am looking to find any information on a company called Ukpeagvik Inupiat. The listed a position in Pensacola,FL and would be nice to be closer to home. So if anyone has any info on this company i would really appreciate it thanks
It is Bowhead Holdings Company, more specifically C-Port Marine Service. I’m also applying for them although in key west. I’m hoping someone on these boards has worked for them and can shed some light on how it is to work for them.
what boats do they have?
All I know of are oil spill response vessels and some government vessels. Never seen pictures so don’t know size or any other details
This is one of the large regional Alaska Native Corporations created by the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) for the Inupiat Indians, or “Natives” as they are called in Alaska. Congress set up these corporations as an alternative to the typical tribal structure that has proven to be such a failure. It is based in Barrow, Alaska which is literally the end of the earth and not even a nice place to visit. This is a large company, but it is not publicly traded. Only Inupiat Natives are allowed to be shareholders. The company has significant oil and mineral royalty wealth. See http://www.uicalaska.com/
Like all of the Alaska Native corps with money, they have diversified into investments away from oil and outside Alaska. Typically, they get into various forms of government contracting because they get preferential " disadvantaged minority business enterprise" financing and preferential bidder treatment on government contracts. Qualified, and often not so qualified, shareholders have first rights to all jobs. However, it is uncommon to see Alaska Natives working outside of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.
The transportation arm is based in Seattle. See http://www.uicalaska.com/family-of-companies/uic-marine-services.
Many of the jobs they have are for government contracts in places like Kwaj where security clearances are required.
About Bowhead
Bowhead Transport Company (BTC) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ukpeagvik Iñupiat Corporation (UIC), the Native Village corporation of Barrow, Alaska. Alaska Business Monthly ranked UIC as the 9th largest Alaskan owned and based corporation in 2006. UIC and its family of companies provide a wide range of services in Alaska, the Lower 48, and to Hawaii and beyond. Transportation, Construction, Engineering, Oilfield Services, Technical and Professional Services and Communications are some of the comprehensive services available. More information about UIC is available on the web at www.uicalaska.com or you can contact UIC for a free information package at 907-852-4460 or at PO Box 890, Barrow, AK. 99723.
Bowhead Transportation Company was incorporated in the State of Alaska and began operation effective August 27, 1982. All shares of Bowhead stock are held by Ukpeagvik Inupiat Corporation (UIC). UIC was established under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act and incorporated April 30, 1973.
BTC is organized as a Vessel Operating Common Carrier with a tariff filed with the Surface Transportation Board and available for public viewing. Our main office is located in Seattle, Washington. For a copy of our Bill of Lading click here.
BTC has been in the common carriage barge business for 30 years servicing the coastal villages of the North Slope Borough on the Arctic Slope of Alaska. From Pt Hope, to Barrow, to Kaktovik, we have extensive experience transporting building and construction materials, heavy equipment, container loads of annual stores for the Village services…all landed on the beach and delivered to our customers. A primary goal of BTC has been to provide, at a fair price, the best service possible to these village communities. Year in, year out Bowhead transports 5-7,000 tons of cargo to the Arctic, around the Arctic and back to the lower 48. Bowhead also has experience mobilizing and demobilizing remote site construction and clean-up jobs.
As a Vessel Operating Common Carrier, Bowhead has built two shallow draft Landing Craft (the Sam Taalak in 1997 and the Greta Akpik in 1998) to facilitate our lighterage operations. Combined with our all-terrain, Forklift Loaders, the lighterage/ beach operations take the cargo off the Line Haul Barge for the final half mile to the beach and delivery to our customers. The Line Haul barge is equipped with a 125 ton Manitowoc crane and Hyster 650 forklift for cargo handling aboard, and on and off the Linehaul. Remote site service is a specialty. Utilizing the shallow draft Landing Craft, Bowhead is able to provide service to locations un-navigable by deeper draft tow boats and barges. Bowhead provides a full complement of marine transportation solutions including Common Carriage, Contract and Charter services.
Both landing craft are outfitted with a full complement of cargo handling equipment including all terrain articulating forklifts capable of handling up to 35,000 pounds. Our seasoned crew are experts in their field, each with more than 15 years experience in cargo handling in the Arctic and nearly every other village on the coast of Alaska. We take pride in our ability to complete virtually any job - even under the most adverse conditions.
Through our relationships with various carriers in the lower 48, we have the ability to contract for many different types of vessels depending on the needs of our customers. In addition to our own equipment, our affiliated partners provide access to vessels up to 4000 HP and barges to 330 feet allowing us to complete projects anywhere within the Pacific Rim and Alaska. With this advantage, we are able to be flexible in operations and give our customers the benefit of a very competitive rate structure.
Bowhead is a Minority Business Enterprise.
I received an email today saying their operations team put the position I applied for on hold while they reevaluate their needs.
I received the same email^^^
They probably got an incredible flood of applications as there is no shortage of mariners, and even more wannabe mariners.
For any good paying jobs in Alaska or the Pacific Northwest, they will definitely hire UIC shareholders first, second Alaska residents, third, people with previous Alaska experience, and fourth, people with no Alaska experience (unlikely to be hired).
For the government contract jobs elsewhere, they have to be the lowest bidding “minority business enterprise” to get the contract, so the pay will be quite low, My guess is that they prefer ex-military who already hold security clearances for these positions. They probably advertise for personnel in anticipation of future needs before they have actually been awarded a government contract. Given the low pay, the turnover is probably fairly high.
I worked for them in 2011 but unfortunately they didn’t have enough work to keep me busy. Good people, decent pay. If you get on with a decent contract you will be glad. They wind up with some interesting jobs. Good luck they get two thumbs up from me.
[QUOTE=bmag;106883]I worked for them in 2011 but unfortunately they didn’t have enough work to keep me busy. Good people, decent pay. If you get on with a decent contract you will be glad. They wind up with some interesting jobs. Good luck they get two thumbs up from me.[/QUOTE]
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Thanks for this serious and informative post.
Interesting news released today…wonder what it portends for the future in the Arctic regarding support vessels for offshore operations? Are Crowley and UIC jumping into the game? I hope so!
[B]Crowley in Alaska Arctic JV with Bowhead Transport[/B]
APRIL 25, 2013 — *Bowhead Transport Company, LLC, and Crowley Marine Services, Inc., have announced the formation of a joint venture to provide marine services in Alaska’s Arctic. The new Alaska-based joint venture will operate under the name UIC Bowhead-Crowley, LLC.
Bowhead Transport is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation (UIC), the Alaska Native Village Corporation of Barrow, Alaska.
Both companies have longstanding histories of providing services in the Arctic with Bowhead Transport Company providing common carriage service for 30 years to the coastal communities of Alaska and Crowley providing marine transportation, energy support and petroleum distribution services for over 60 years throughout the state.
The companies’ complementary business models offer clients a comprehensive package for their marine, logistics and transportation needs.
The UIC Bowhead-Crowley joint venture will be mainly focused on the oil and gas industries and supporting their growing needs in the Arctic. Because of the companies’ strong ties to the communities in which they work, they are able to facilitate local hire and provide local expertise.
“This new partnership is really tailored to meet the needs of customers in the oil and gas; mining and minerals; and engineering, procurement and construction management industries,” said Crowley’s vice president in Anchorage, Bruce Harland. “Crowley has provided turnkey marine solutions in the Arctic for many years utilizing the company’s diverse capabilities, assets and world-class project management skills. Our solutions team is very much looking forward to working with Bowhead to provide greater value to customers with multifaceted marine and offshore construction-related projects.”
“We look to provide greater efficiency, lower costs, expanded capabilities and higher value to our customers through the joint venture,” said Jim Dwight, general manager of Bowhead Transport Company. “Both of our companies have a strong commitment to the safety of our employees and those we work with and strive to be good citizens in every community in which we operate.”
Crowley is smart. I think they are partnering with a Native “minority business enterprise” to get preferred bidder status on all the government contracts for new infrastructure in the Arctic. Also, UIC has a lot money, and the government cannot throw money at them fast enough. All the land up there is either owned by the government or the Natives. As far as I know, there is little or no privately owned land at all on the Arctic coast.
Crowley’s strategy appears to be similar regarding offshore oil. Crowley (and Native partners) will build and control all the docks which will be located on Native land. Of course they intend to dominate the boat business in the Arctic the same way that Chouest does in Fourchon. Crowley has 50 year old relationships in the Arctic and a quite a few Native employees.
I would have to agree. Even if they don’t run the boats they will be involved in some kind of charter scam to make money off arctic action one way or another, in addition to the fuel and stores they already handle up that way. I wonder what kind of relationship mista-Gary has with Crowley…
[QUOTE=z-drive;107123]I would have to agree. Even if they don’t run the boats they will be involved in some kind of charter scam to make money off arctic action one way or another, in addition to the fuel and stores they already handle up that way. I wonder what kind of relationship mista-Gary has with Crowley…[/QUOTE]
I would be thrilled to death is Crowley picked up a manning and operations contract for the AIVIQ and NANUK, In fact, the only event that would make me happier would be if Foss got that but I am expecting that after the way the Dept of Interior report ripped a new asshole in Shell and its contractors for lack of local knowledge in the 2012 arctic debacle, that all the parties are seriously talking to each other including Chouest, although it is probably killing Gary to be faced with turning two of his boats over to some other company to run for him.
Chouest has local partners in Norway and Brazil. Perhaps other places too. You can bet ECO is trying to find some Native partners in Alaska. Since those boats you mentioned are already on long term crewed charter to Shell, I wouldn’t expect any changes there. However, I cannot see why any ship owner or operator would not hesitate to take on local partners where it is to his significant business advantage to do so. It will be a lot easier to work with Alaska Native partners than Brazilian partners.
As an outsider, I’d think they have local partners in Brazil and Norway because they most likely, have to for the most part. In Alaska they would only be involved in local partners because they will continue to struggle without the local knowledge and expertise. Not to say they can’t survive but it will be a struggle, and thats from my tugboat in the northeast perspective, as a non-expert on arctic/Chouest operations.
[QUOTE=tugsailor;107161]Chouest has local partners in Norway and Brazil. Perhaps other places too. You can bet ECO is trying to find some Native partners in Alaska. Since those boats you mentioned are already on long term crewed charter to Shell, I wouldn’t expect any changes there. However, I cannot see why any ship owner or operator would not hesitate to take on local partners where it is to his significant business advantage to do so. It will be a lot easier to work with Alaska Native partners than Brazilian partners.[/QUOTE]
There are other Native corporations, Crowley did well. Maybe others will too, this environment is workable, even more so with good planning. Alaskan businesses should be looked at as well.
The North Slope Regional Native Corp is much bigger than UIC, but I cannot think of any other Native Corps in that area that are even a 10th the size of UIC. The most important thing is the ability to site shore facilities on Native land in the right locations. It is also politically important to have Native backing when operating in that area. Native hiring preferences are usually part of the deal.
Crowley and some of the oil companies have long established relationships in the Arctic.
I agree that the easiest way for a company from “outside” to break in is to buy a well respected local company with long established relationships with the local Native communities. Other than Crowley, I’m not sure who that might be.
Mind, this is only a JV between Crowley and Bowhead Transportation which is a tug/barge service. This might be little more than just the formation of a more well capitalized liner service to the North Slope Borough and not the creation of an emerging new offshore player but if I was Tom Crowley Jr. I’d be thinking very hard about how to get into the game in the arctic and I do believe that this is a first tentative move for him to get going albeit a bit late but just a bit and still with plenty of time to become a big player. It will be far better for him to become that player if he has one of the major Regional Native Corporations on the team.