ABOUT US SAFETY OUR FLEET MEDIA GALLERY CAREERS Safety Culture At Interlake, there is nothing more important to us than the health, safety and well-being of our employees and their families. Learn More "We deliver our commitment to a customer-first philosophy through our core values of Integrity, Respect, High Performance and Accountability." Mark Barker President – Interlake Steamship Company Thank you for visiting The Interlake Steamship Company. We are a family-owned company tracing its history more than 100 years on the Great Lakes, but now we are a modern marine transportation business that is made up of 400 company family members who make us who we are today. Please explore our website to learn more about the exciting things we have been doing to ensure our fleet is on the forefront of technology and environmental stewardship while delivering the essential cargoes our customers require to drive the economy of the Great Lakes region and the nation. We are honored to partner with some of the best steelmakers, power generation companies, aggregate suppliers & users, and others that choose to move their raw materials on lake freighters — the most environmental and efficient mode of transportation. I have had the honor and privilege to support our teams on land and by sea in delivering innovative solutions for our customers. Without question, our history is rich in tradition and accomplishments, but I am excited about the future and where we are headed to meet the new demands for logistics in the Great Lakes and beyond. So come explore who we are, what we can do and let us find a solution for you. Latest News View All November 1, 2021 Freighter Ship Launched at Bayshipbuilding It’s been almost four decades since a new bulk carrier ship joined the Great Lakes fleet, a hiatus broken last Thursday after workers opened the valves to flood the dry dock at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay to launch the Mark W. Barker. “This is a huge milestone for all of us to be able to put the boat in the water for the first time,” said the vessel’s namesake, Mark Barker, president of Interlake Steamship, which commissioned and owns the ship. The 639-foot-long, 75-foot-wide bulk freighter received full maritime honors Oct. 28, including a large crowd, speeches and the crack of a ceremonial bottle of champagne against the bow of the ship above the vessel’s nameplate. Read More May 12, 2021 Boarding a freighter in the Soo Locks to deliver 5 doses of COVID vaccine SAULT STE. MARIE—In hard hats and safety vests, the two women shimmy up aluminum boarding ladders onto a converted World War II tanker. The rumble of the ship’s 8,040-horsepower engine makes conversation near-impossible on this blue sky morning. But public health workers Charity Zimmerman, a nurse, and Jill Schaefer, a clerk, know the drill on these steel giants that travel through the Soo Locks, the iconic commercial squeeze point between lakes Huron and Superior. Read More Featured Video View All ⚓Launching the M/V Mark W. Barker⚓ Launch of the First U.S.-flagged Great Lakes Bulk Carrier in Nearly 40 years Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding and The Interlake Steamship Company hosted a launch ceremony Oct. 28, marking the latest milestone for the new 639-foot M/V Mark W. Barker. The first U.S.-flagged Great Lakes freighter to be built on the Great Lakes in nearly 40 years, the M/V Mark W. Barker – while still under construction – was “launched” or otherwise floated in the water in the large drydock at the Sturgeon Bay shipyard. A formal maritime tradition, a launching ceremony honors the first time a boat is transferred from land to water. The public event is a way of celebrating and blessing the new ship and its crew to bring it good fortune on its future voyages. “Today is truly gratifying for our company to commemorate the first time the completed hull of our new ship has touched water,” said Mark W. Barker, President of The Interlake Steamship Company and namesake of the new vessel, which is the first new ship constructed for the maritime company since 1981. Read Full Story Interlake Links Careers Media Our Solutions Newsroom Fit-Out Schedule External Links Lake Carriers' Association The Great Lakes Seaway Partnership US Coast Guard Documentation and Licensing National Museum of the Great Lakes Interlake Apparel Don't miss the boat! Stay onboard with Interlake: The Interlake Steamship Company 7300 Engle Road Middleburg Heights, Ohio 44130 Main: 440-260-6900 Fax: 440-260-6945 © 2019 The Interlake Steamship Company. All rights reserved.