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Moran acquires Bisso to expand Mississippi operations
A US owner with a growing fleet of tugboats has acquired a rival operator to strengthen its operations along the lower Mississippi River
Moran Towing Corp has acquired New Orleans, Louisiana-headquartered Bisso Towboat to increase its fleet of tugs operating in southern US states.
This transaction provides Moran with a modern fleet of azimuth stern drive (ASD) tugboats that assist and dock ships at terminals along the lower Mississippi River.
Moran, founded in 1860, already provides ship assistance services in 17 ports along the US East and Gulf Coasts and has operated in New Orleans since 2006.
Founded in 1890 in New Orleans, Bisso operates the largest fleet of eco-friendly ASD tractor tugs on the Mississippi with 11 tugboats and, at the start of this year, welcomed the latest newbuild, Mr Brian, after the vessel’s construction by Main Iron Works in Houma, Louisiana.
“Bisso has deservedly earned a reputation as a high-quality operator,” said Moran Towing chief executive and president Ted Tregurtha.
“This acquisition reflects our commitment to serve the growing needs of New Orleans and the lower Mississippi River communities where we [will] operate for decades to come.”
Bisso provides services for ships navigating between the mouth of the Mississippi River and Baton Rouge.
Earlier in 2025, Bisso Towboat president Scott Slatten told Riviera that the company had the youngest ASD tractor tug fleet operating on the Mississippi, with an average age of 12 years and emissions reducing technologies on some vessels.
Between 2015 and 2024, the company has taken delivery of six ASD tractor tugs, of which three have selective catalytic reduction (SCR) units to minimise NOx emissions and to comply with US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier 4 standards.
Mr Brian has an overall length of 31 m, a beam of 12 m, a hull depth of 4 m and a bollard pull of 68 tonnes. The vessel’s propulsion system consists of two Caterpillar 3516E main diesel engines generating 1,865 kW each at 1,600 rpm, compliant with US EPA Tier 4 emissions standards, and two Kongsberg US205S Z-drives, each with 2,400-mm four-blade stainless steel propellers in stainless steel nozzles.
For the Moran acquisition, Bisso Towboat was represented by Legacy Capital and Phelps, Dunbar.
Moran has expanded and modernised its tugboat fleet in the US in the past few years by welcoming seven newbuilds from two shipyards: Washburn & Doughty Associates in East Boothbay, Maine, and Master Boat Builders in Coden, Alabama.
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