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Sep 3, 2003
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RivTow at a Glance
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Issue:
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Sept / Oct 2003
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Author:
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K.E. Heaton
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One of the great family businesses in the marine industry is Rivtow. Today, they are one of the largest towboat operations on Canada’s West Coast.
Cecil and Norman Cosulich the founders of RivTow, lived and learned the marine industry from their father on the tug Celnor.
Bob Cosulich (Cecil and Norman’s father) and Harry Burt had a partnership in which was called Cosulich & Burt Towing. In 1939, Cecil took over. He sold the company tug Coslour and had the Red Fir No. 1 built. She was a 35-foot shallow draft diesel tug. Cecil then changed the name of the company to River Towing.
Norman had joined the Airforce Marine force in 1941 and was a captain by ’44. During those was years, Cecil had continued in the towing business.
Though the business was expanding, times were slow and Cecil sold to Silver Skaggit Logging in 1944.
In 1946, Norman came home and joined Cecil in managing the towing operations of Silver Skaggit. By this time there were 7-9 Red Fir tugs. When their contract with the company was over, Norman and Cecil bought the Silver Skaggit towing operation.
In 1948, Bob Cosulich retired and the old tug Celnor was sold.
During the 1950’s and 60’s, River Towing acquired Roake Marine, Towers Towing, Pioneer Towing and Canyon
Towing. With the acquisition of M.R. Cliff Towboat came the log sorting property on Howe Sound. By 1964 these companies were consolidated into RivTow Marine. The 1970 merger with Straits Towing added chip barges to the mix of work and this company was named RivTow Straits. With the variety of mergers, RivTow was now a well-rounded coastal towing operation.
During the 1970’s, they also added Armour Salvage, Great West Towing and Salvage, major interest in Bute Towing, Point Grey Towing, John Manly and BC Marine Shipyards. They also added part ownership of Westminster Tug Boats.
The towing companies that work the waters have all carved out their own unique niche in the industry. On of the unique aspects of each company are the colors they use to paint their boats. The distinctive green of Rivtow came about by simply mixing two company colors together.
For a time Rivtow was diverse in the sometimes-hard life of the mariner. Only 50 of the company dealt with marine services. The marine section of Rivtow also managed West Coast Manly Shipyard. And for a time the other 50 of the company centered on machinery sales. They represented Komatsu, the second largest heavy equipment manufacturer in the world and also manufactured Dunlop-Beaufort life rafts for Canadian market. The Topper Division also makes floats and markets fish pens and various products for the aquaculture industry. They have since sold off these other interests.
This family owned operation became one of the largest and most respected marine companies on the West Coast. They currently operate more than 100 vessels. They are involved in coastal towing, log salvage, barge transportation and log sorting in B.C. and the US coast. They also tow log booms for the forestry sector and wood chip bins for the pulp mills.
In 2000, the Dutch company, Smit International, purchased RivTow Marine Ltd. Smit, based in Rotterdam, has been in business for over 155 years and has a wide range of marine services. This gives Smit through Rivtow, opportunity for the opportunity for future developments in the Americas.
Written by K.E. Heaton
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