With more than six decades of experience, International Tug & Salvage Lifetime Achievement Award winner for 2023 Ton Kooren shares his knowledge, wisdom and insights. He is the founder of Kotug International, one of the world’s largest and most active tug owners, and inventor of the Rotortug design that revolutionised ship towage in Europe in the 1990s.

Mr Kooren (87) is the third generation of the Kooren family in the towage business. He is renowned for bringing innovation to the international tug business with the invention of the Rotortug. Tugnology is how he describes his inventions. His unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation has revolutionised the way the towage industry operates. Mr Kooren provided ITS with his lessons from a lifetime in towage.

My entry into the tug and towage industry

At the age of six, during the second world war when my school was closed, I went sailing with my uncle Henk Kooren as captain on board his steam tug, named Corrie.

My best moments in towage

Executing a project in Mexico transporting construction material with tugs and barges. With the money I earned, in 1987 I was able to acquire six tractor tugs (Z-Pellers) in the USA. Equal to this is my invention of the patented and Ship of the Year award-winning Rotortug in 1999.

My worst moments in towage

Capsizing of tugs Frans and Tilly and the fire on board tugboat Antonie Jr (all working in my father’s fleet), unfortunately all incidents where crew have died. The other is the failure of the collaboration between me and my three brothers, resulting in me leaving my father’s company in 1977.

RT Borkum is Kotug International’s training tugboat moored in Rotterdam (source: Kotug)

My biggest achievement

Acquiring six nearly new, highly manoeuvrable and powerful tractor tugs out of bankruptcy in the US. This enabled me to break the virtual towage monopoly in the Port of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, in 1988 and paved the way for innovation and healthy market forces in European harbour towage. The tugs sailed on their own keel from the US to Rotterdam, with three tugs towing the other three tugs.

My most memorable moment

Handing over the management of Kotug International to my son Ard-Jan Kooren in 2002.

Who/what I learned most from

I learned most from my dad, Adriaan Kooren, and in particular what you should do as well as what you should not do.

My ultimate pleasure

To build up a great company, together with a great team of colleagues in the offices as well as on the tugboats.

My favourite tugboat

Definitely RT Magic. It was built in a series of four Rotortugs in 1998 and 1999 and was awarded Ship of the Year in 1999, due to the new concept in tug design and its unique propulsion system – utilising three main engines, each driving a fully azimuthing rudderpropeller.

Two of these thrusters are positioned forward of the midship section frame and one aft replacing the traditional skeg. This arrangement offers, among other benefits, several significant advantages, next to being the safest tug there is. It could turn rapidly in its own length, applying all its bollard pull in any direction and was able to tow over the bow and stern.

My favourite location

For the business: Rotterdam. It is a unique deep-draught port, able to handle any type of vessel with all types of goods and commodities leading in efficiency and innovations.

Privately: skiing in Austria.

My one regret

I luckily do not have any. I am very happy with my life, my marriage with Elsje, my children Ard-Jan and Elzelien, my grandchildren and my great grandchildren. And last, but not least, I look back on a happy career in the maritime industry, meeting nice people and being blessed to work with great colleagues over the years. I am a happy and fortunate man.

My advice for a young person in towage

It is a great and challenging industry. With a good nautical or technical education, and with the right business skills and motivation, you will have lots of opportunities in the maritime industry worldwide.

The 27th International Tug & Salvage Convention, Exhibition & Awards will be held in association with Caterpillar in Dubai, UAE, 21-23 May 2024. Use this link for more details of this industry event and the associated social and networking opportunities; and this link to book your ticket for the exhibition, social gatherings and awards night.

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Ton Kooren receives ITS Lifetime Achievement Award (source: Riviera Maritime Media)

ITS Lifetime achievement award winner: Ton Kooren provides insight

Kotug International founder and innovator provides his exclusive insight and memories from a life in towage and salvage