Posted on: Wednesday, February 2, 2005
OceanBlue may start shipping to Mainland
By Lynda Arakawa
Advertiser Staff Writer
OceanBlue Express Inc., a company that just formed last fall, may soon announce plans to start a shipping service between California and Hawai'i.
The company is not commenting on its plans, but it has held preliminary talks with the state Department of Transportation and is being represented by a local public-relations firm.
OceanBlue was registered to do business in California last November by Timothy Repp and incorporated in Delaware in October.
State Department of Transportation spokesman Scott Ishikawa said the state and OceanBlue officials had a couple of "preliminary" discussions, but that the department would not comment further on the talks. OceanBlue would need approval from the department's harbors division to dock in Hawai'i, and so far has not filed an application for harbor use, Ishikawa said.
The company posted job listings on the Yahoo! Web site last month, looking for sales managers to handle "the transportation business of customers shipping between California and Hawai'i."
Calls to company officials yesterday were answered by Honolulu-based Becker Communications. Ruth Ann Becker, president of Becker Communications, declined to comment on OceanBlue's plans but said there may be an announcement soon.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Monday that OceanBlue may purchase two ships under construction at the Kvaerner Philadelphia Shipyard, which sold two ships in 2002 to Matson Navigation Co.
The paper said C. Bradley Mulholland will be the CEO of OceanBlue. Mulholland was CEO of Matson when it bought two ships from Kvaerner Philadelphia Shipyard in 2002 for $220 million. Mulholland was Matson's vice chairman when he retired in January 2004, after 38 years with the company.
Matson spokesman Jeff Hull said he was aware that Kvaerner Philadelphia Shipyard is seeking a buyer for the two vessels under construction.
Should OceanBlue enter the market, it would compete against Matson and Horizon Lines, the state's two major shippers, as well as Pasha Hawaii Transport Lines, which begins service here in March.
Pasha Hawaii will provide roll-on/roll-off service for vehicles and other heavy or oversized cargo between the West Coast and Hawai'i.
Reach Lynda Arakawa at larakawa@honoluluadvertiser.com or at 535-2470.
