Founded in 1976 by a small group of fleeting professionals, including Cooper/T. Smith’s Gene Dalton, the Greater New Orleans Barge Fleeting Association (GNOBFA) works to promote a close professional relationship between members, disseminate information pertaining to fleeting and the river industry, support member companies, and to improve relations between communities, government regulators, and industry organizations. The Cooper Group is well represented within GNOBFA by Karl Gonzales, Vice President, Plimsoll Marine; Alan Savoie, Director of Marketing and Development, Cooper Consolidated; and Robin Rogers, Office Manager, Cooper Consolidated.
Serving as President of GNOBFA since 1996, Gonzales’ oversight has raised the organization’s prominence not only in the eyes of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), but at the local and federal government level. In addition to his years of service within the organization, Gonzales has been recognized on numerous occasions by the USCG for his dedication to the maritime industry as a whole.
Savoie expounded, “Mr. Gonzales and GNOBFA builds strong working relationships with Captains of the Port. As these individuals are promoted within the hierarchy of the USCG, those relationships continue, helping to strengthen the professional bond between the USCG and the Cooper Group’s operations.”
As Northern Director on GNOBFA’s Board of Governors, Savoie represents the organization at the annual Alternative Security Program workshop held in conjunction with the USCG in Washington, D.C., in addition to serving as co-seminar director.
As is the case with most non-profit organizations, positions on the board and committees are on a volunteer basis. “The individuals that sit on the board,” Savoie said, “are doing so because they believe in GNOBFA’s importance to the industry.”
Karl Gonzales speaks at a GNOBFA meeting
One of the group’s most instrumental members is Rogers, whose dedication to fulfilling the administrative duties of the Board of Governors, including assisting with GNOBFA’s scholarship program and organizing the River and Marine Industry Seminar (one of the industry’s premier seminars), along with numerous other internal programs, provides the organization with years of expertise.
When founded there was no formal line of communication between the fleeting industry and the USCG, and guidelines for properly fleeting barges in the New Orleans area were sorely lacking. Upon establishment, GNOBFA worked in conjunction with the USCG to develop and implement fleeting guidelines that would serve as the foundation for 33 CFR 165.801, the fleeting regulations eventually published by the USCG. In 1994 the organization published Greater New Orleans Barge Fleeting Association’s Streamline Inspection Program, a document widely promoted by the USCG as the standard for fleeting and securing barges on a river.
Recognized as a leading organization for fleeting operations in the Baton Rouge to New Orleans corridor, GNOBFA is looked to by the USCG for guidance before, during, and after crises such as high water, hurricanes, or other calamity that may impact the region’s waterways. The organization’s reputation for being forthcoming and available to address concerns of the industry or the USCG is largely attributed to Gonzales’ commitment to excellence.
The Cooper Group has played a pivotal role in the formation of GNOBFA and, to this day, continues to provide leadership in almost every aspect of its operation.