Editorial

While this July eMagazine edition of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News is dedicated to “U.S. Defense Shipbuilding” – and there is a treasure trove of coverage discussing future vessel construction trends and projections within – I would be remiss in my duties by not starting off with nod to a New York and U.S. maritime industry icon, Captain Brian A. McAllister, who died in New York on June 29, 2022 at the age of 89, survived by his wife of 55 years, Rosemary; his sons, Buckley and Eric; and four grandchildren. (The picture above is a personal favorite: Brian pictured with my wife Dawn and I at a USCG Foundation fundraiser in NYC several years ago).

I personally had the pleasure of knowing Brian for nearly 30 years, and as a 26-year-old stepping into this seat and the world of maritime in 1992, he was and remained a pillar of insight, information and guidance. Brian was an endless fount of information and stories on the industry and players within, always quick with a warm hello, smile and amusing anecdote.

A 1956 engineering graduate of the State University of New York Maritime College, he went on to obtain a Chief Engineer’s License before changing careers to work as a Deck Officer. He served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War as Lieutenant Junior Grade and was Executive Officer on the USS Lake County (LST 80).

He was a member and leader of the fourth-generation family maritime company which was founded in 1864. Through his career, a repeated pattern of disaster, opportunity, and personal strength of character enabled him to expand the company. For example, the 1970s and 1980s were characterized by labor strife, with hundreds of incidents of violence between union and non-union seamen reported. Capt. McAllister kept the company running by personally commanding vessels and piloting ship operations in New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk.

In the 1990s, he was involved in acrimonious litigation over control of the company, and in 1998, he became the first sole owner of McAllister Towing since its founding in a transaction that spun off its foreign subsidiaries. He used this reorganization as an impetus to rebuild the fleet, and under his leadership, the company designed and constructed numerous tugboats and ferries equipped with technologies such as flanking rudders, Z-drives, low emission engines, advanced fire-fighting, and emergency response, some in its own shipyard. Capt. McAllister list of board seats, awards and charitable endeavors is long and distinguished.

Today, the company that Capt. McAllister helped to build and expand, is still family-owned and –operated, one of the oldest and most diversified marine towing and transportation companies, operating an extensive fleet of tugs, ferries and barges.