Our History

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Our history and corporate milestones

With more than 210 tugboats operating in 13 countries, SAAM Towage is the largest operator of towing services in the Americas.

SAAM Towage is one of two divisions of the SAAM Group, a multinational conglomerate employing over 4,000 people. It is listed on Chile’s Santiago Exchange and is part of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index Chile and DJSI MILA.

SAAM Towage offers safety, reliability, and operational excellence.

60-year trajectory
13 countries
  • 2024

    Service provision agreement with Empresa Nacional del Petróleo (ENAP), which will allow Chile to be the first country in Latin America to have an electric maritime tugboat.

    Start of operations of the company’s first two electric tugboats in the Port of Vancouver, Canada.

  • 2023

    Closing of purchase of 21 tugboats in Brazil.

  • 2022

    Acquisition of the tugboat operations of Ian Taylor in Peru and Standard Towing and Davies Tugboats in Canada.

    Agreement with Teck and Neptune for the construction of the first two electric tugs in the SAAM Towage fleet.

  • 2021

    Relaunches operations in Peru and enters El Salvador.

  • 2020

    Signs Agreement to purchase 70% of Intertug, the largest tugboat operator in Colombia.

  • 2020

    Integrates operations acquired from SMIT Boskalis. Expands SAAM’s operating model to all companies in Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and Panama.

  • 2020

    Broadens special services, strengthening rescue and emergency response capacity.

  • 2019

    The entity SAAM Towage is formed on October 30th, using one common operating model, name, and image for SAAM’s nine towage operations in the Americas.

  • 2019

    The first Tier III tug in our fleet and the first in Canada begins operating at the Ridley Island Propane Export Terminal (RIPET).

  • 2019

    SAAM closes a deal to acquire the entire operation owned jointly with Boskalis.

  • 2018

    Signs first regional towage contract. SAAM Towage Chile is recognized by Huella Chile for measuring and verifying its greenhouse gas emissions (GHG).

  • 2014

    Work begins with Consorcio Puente Chacao to provide support to construct a bridge to connect the island of Chiloé with continental Chile.

  • 2014

    Joint operations with SMIT Boskalis begin in Brazil, Panama, Mexico, and Canada.

  • 2012

    Sociedad Matriz SAAM S.A. is formed as a spin-off of CSAV.

  • 2006

    Towage operations begin in Costa Rica and Guatemala.

  • 2005

    Company enters Brazil (Tug Brasil).

  • 1996

    Operations start in Mexico.

  • 1995

    Operations begin in Ecuador with the formation of Ecuaestibas.

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