Page 42 - Port of Baltimore - September/October 2018

PORT BUSINESS
(Top left) Preston Hartge, Operations Manager, and Jeff Smith, President, meet in the yard at Galesville. (Top right) The crew at the launching of one of three tugboats built by Smith Brothers. (Bottom) Smith Brothers recently assisted in
the transport of the Air Force One replica up the Potomac River to National Harbor.
of the seaplane ramp at what is now Dundalk Marine Terminal, worked on the Harbor Tunnel and built bridges all around I-695 and across the state.
As the original brothers retired, Jeff Smith’s father, Kenneth, bought them out until he was the sole owner. By the mid-1990s, contracting became very competitive with many out-of- state companies bidding on local work.
“We decided that if we couldn’t beat them, we could rent to them,” Jeff Smith said. “So we gradually shifted focus to renting the barges and heavy marine equipment we once used to build with to the contractors who were once our competitors.”
Smith Brothers then began building their own barges to expand the rental fleet. Preston Hartge, Jeff Smith’s childhood friend, is a U.S. Navy vet and licensed tug captain who returned to Galesville and joined the company. With his expertise, Smith Brothers expanded its tug service, and they have built three vessels.
“We had barges scattered all over the place that needed delivery and picking up, and I told Jeff, ‘we need
a chicken chaser to keep this flock
in line!’” said Hartge. “He took on
the project of building the first tug, Megalodon, named for the prehistoric shark that roamed the Chesapeake. We have since expanded our rental fleet to include a dozen truckable tugs and 50 truckable barges in addition to the waterborne equipment.”
Today, Smith Brothers operates three tugboats in the region. The
U.S. Coast Guard has recently implemented a new inspection regime for vessels of this type. One of the company’s tugs, Capt. Kenneth, was built right in their own yard four years ago. During the build, the company worked closely with the Coast Guard to ensure that the boat would comply with the new rules.
“We are very proud of our tugs and, in fact, the Kenneth is on track to be one of the first tugs in Baltimore
to receive its Certificate of Inspection,” said Hartge.
Smith Brothers has been part of the Galesville community for more than 100 years. The Smith family has been in the area since the turn of the 19th century. Jeff Smith’s grandmother was the post-mistress in Galesville, and his uncle is the honorary “mayor” of the unincorporated village.
Smith Brothers has been the major employer of the village for decades. During the height of its contracting operations, the company had eight crews of men working on jobs and several men in the yard.
“This was my backyard and my children’s backyard,” Jeff Smith said. “We have a tradition of working and playing on the bay. I am an avid crabber, and my daughters are sailors. We are
[40] The Port of Baltimore ■ September/October 2018