Russ A. Settoon, left, is presented with a crystal plaque praising him as a visionary leader. With him are Rodney Estay, Stephanie Aucoin, Mandy Rousseau, John Boudreaux and Tana Indovina.
Jennifer and Russ Settoon pose for a picture during a recent anniversary celebration.
Settoon Towing marks 50 years
Staff Report
Settoon Towing of Pierre Part is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
According to information from the company:
The company was founded by Fred A. Settoon from Bayou Pigeon. He was the son of a timber manager who also did some commercial fishing.
Fred Settoon trained as a welder and started his own welding company to find work in the south Louisiana oilfield. His business was oilfield construction and building small boats and barges.
In 1968, he bought a small fleet of tugs, barges and crew boats and formed Settoon Marine, which supported and complemented the oilfield construction and shipyard business of Fred Settoon Inc.
Russ Settoon, the youngest son of Fred and Shirley Settoon, started his own marine company, Settoon Towing, in 1994. Two years later, he bought Settoon Marine and merged it into Settoon Towing. At that time, the company had three boats and four barges.
Although he was only 23, Russ Settoon had a different vision for the company. For the next 15 years, he focused Settoon Towing on new transportation endeavors and increasing the size of the fleet and the services provided.
Settoon Towing took on a partner, Plains All American, in 2006 to form an alliance in crude oil, gathering and transportation.
Settoon Towing embarked on an aggressive growth plan for the next 10 years, nearly tripling its fleet.
“The success of this company has also been due in large part to its strong relationship with its customers over the years,” the company said. “Russ Settoon has long considered the business with his customers as a ‘relationship business.’”