Foss vessel

Foss keeps regional headquarters in Portland and has operations in Rainier and Astoria. It has vessels working from Astoria to beyond Portland and towing to Alaska, California and the Washington coast.

Regional news outlets reported in April that Seattle-based Foss Maritime had announced its intention to leave operations in the Columbia and Snake rivers to Tidewater Barge Lines, consolidate in the Puget Sound and lay off 60 of its workers.

Now Foss tells a different story.

“Foss Maritime Company had never reached a decision to exit the Columbia/Snake River (CSR) markets,” said Scott Merritt, senior vice president of operations, in a news release, adding that his company had entertained offers but never made a deal.

“Earlier this year, we let our employees know that market conditions had made it difficult for us to remain profitable in the Columbia/Snake River area so we were reviewing our options.”

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