It has been another exciting year for Sterling Fuels Limited in its longstanding partnership with Port of Windsor. All of Sterling’s infrastructure projects at its Windsor site are now largely completed: docks have been upgraded with new cranes, a package platform, a new warehouse and greatly enhanced distribution equipment for bulk and packaged ExxonMobil Marine lubricants. The Sterling Fuels Port of Windsor facility is now the premier “One Stop” shop on the Great Lakes for marine fuels, lubricants, and associated services.
Sterling Fuels strives to provide the highest level of customer service, having adopted IMS and ISO 9001 standards to ensure maintenance and improvement of its operational standards. More importantly, each of its staff has adopted the Sterling Fuels “Culture of Excellence”.
Completion of a new rail facility in partnership with Windsor Port Authority and Sterling’s sister company Miller Aggregates makes its Windsor site truly multi-modal with the ability to handle aggregates, asphalts, fuels, lubricants and package materials by ship, rail and truck.
From its Port of Windsor site, Sterling Fuels also operates a Fuel Distribution Center to service land-based retail, commercial and wholesale fuels and lubricant customers in the Windsor/Essex area and beyond. A team of highly trained and knowledgeable marketing and technical professionals can provide solutions to any fuel, lubricant, or coolant requirements to its many marine and land-based customers. Sterling is “The Fuels and Lubricants Specialist” and provides “Best in Class” products, service, and technical training from its new office, warehouse, and training facilities.
Partnership is key to Sterling Fuels’ success. Its partnership with Windsor Port Authority has been long and prosperous. Over the past couple of years, Sterling has broadened its marine presence to include fueling operations in the ports of Sarnia and Hamilton and, most recently, in the port of Halifax. In each case the company is working closely with strong partners to enhance its operations and to elevate the offering of each of the ports that it now operates in.
Sterling has partnered with Imperial Oil in Sarnia to operate the ship bunkering facilities at the refinery dock. The coordination of activities at Sterling’s Windsor and Sarnia docks for fuel and lubricants allows maximization of efficiencies at both facilities, saving its marine customers time and money in the process.
Sterling Fuels acquired Port of Hamilton-based Provmar Inc. two years ago. Since its acquisition, Sterling has replaced an ageing fuel barge with the new Sterling Energy, a modern double hulled lightering ship complete with onboard inline fuel blending capabilities. Sterling is currently working in partnership with its parent company McAsphalt Industries and Port of Hamilton to construct new fuel storage facilities to expand its capabilities for ship bunkering in the port of Hamilton and the surrounding area by lighter and truck.
Sterling Fuels has now extended its reach to the port of Halifax in Nova Scotia. Strong partnerships have once again made this move into the East Coast market possible. Having demonstrated its willingness and ability to successfully manage marine bunkering operations elsewhere, Sterling was the logical candidate to take on that task at the Port of Halifax when Imperial Oil closed its Dartmouth refinery.
Sterling Fuels had to draw on many relationships to provide a ship bunkering solution for the port of Halifax. The Algoma Dartmouth was chartered to provide lightering services. A light oils supply agreement was put in place with Imperial Oil, storage tanks were leased in Port Tupper, and agreements were put in place with offshore suppliers to provide a reliable source of bunker oil. Sterling is adding fuel storage facilities in the Eastern Passage in concert with its parent company McAsphalt Industries and Halifax Port Authority. Today, Sterling operates a successful and much needed marine fueling operation in the port of Halifax, and looks forward to expanding to land-based opportunities.
Strong partnerships have played a large part in Sterling’s success, and the company is grateful to Windsor Port Authority for the opportunities that their partnership has provided.
Note: The above article was submitted by Sterling Fuels Limited