PADNOS Welcomes First Shipping Vessel of the Year to Holland Harbor
Mitch Padnos greeted the captain of the Undaunted with the traditional gift of wooden shoes
HOLLAND, Mich. – March 25, 2024 – On Friday morning, PADNOS welcomed the first ship of 2024 to Holland Harbor. Mitch Padnos, a third-generation Padnos family member, and Scott Wolters, Senior Logistics Manager, greeted Captain Daniel Hobbs of the Undaunted with a pair of wooden shoes.
“We are very happy to greet Captain Hobbs and the Undaunted to Holland this year and carry on this important tradition on behalf of the Holland community,” said Mitch Padnos. “Each of these barges can carry a load that would require 200 trucks to transport by roads. Maritime shipping allows us to reduce carbon emissions, preserve highways from wear-and-tear and increase safety for drivers. PADNOS has operated on the waterfront since the early 1960s and we are committed to being careful, committed stewards of Lake Macatawa and Lake Michigan as we continue to find ways to innovate, lead and make a positive impact in this world.”
Welcoming the first shipping vessel of the year is a time-honored tradition in Holland – and many other ports around the world – that serves as a reminder of the importance of maritime trade, recognizes the crew’s efforts and marks the end of winter. Wooden shoes are the traditional gift for this ritual because they symbolize the Holland community and its historic ties to its namesake country; this pair was purchased from Veldheer’s Tulip Farm in Holland, Michigan.
The Undaunted, a tugboat that was part of the United States Navy’s fleet from 1943 to 1947 and was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II, arrived pushing a barge named Pere Marquette 41. The barge was loaded with shredded metal from automobiles and other durable goods from PADNOS’s processing yards before heading to its next port of call near Chicago.
About PADNOS
Founded in 1905, PADNOS is a fourth-generation, family-owned company with diverse processing capabilities to create real recycling solutions for ferrous and nonferrous metals, end-of-life vehicles, paper, plastics and electronics. PADNOS operates 28 locations with over 1,000 team members.
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Alli Cooke
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acooke@lambert.com
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