Horizon Lines Receives Vessel Awards for Safety and Stewardship

CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Horizon Lines, Inc. (NYSE: HRZ), America's leading containership operator and integrated logistics company, has received recognition from the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and the Chamber of Shipping of America (CSA) for its record of safety and stewardship.

Horizon Lines was honored by the USCG's Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue System, known as Amver, for its invaluable support of the voluntary program over the years.  Separately, the CSA presented Horizon Lines with the 2009 Jones F. Devlin Awards at the chamber's recent Annual Ship Safety Awards luncheon, which recognizes the women and men responsible for safe ship operations.

"It is an honor to be recognized by the maritime industry for long-standing safety records and support at sea," said John V. Keenan, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Horizon Lines. "We are especially proud of the Horizon Lines crewmembers' dedication and highest regards for safety in daily operations."

At the Amver Awards ceremony, Vice Admiral David Pekoske, Vice Commandant of USCG, congratulated the winners, including the Horizon Producer, a 720-foot ocean-going container shipping vessel, which received Amver's first-ever medal awarded for 35 consecutive years of participation. Other Horizon Lines vessels recognized by Amver with years of continual participation were: Anchorage (26); Navigator (26); Pacific (26); Trader (26); Enterprise (22); Kodiak (22); Tacoma (22); Spirit (20); Reliance (19); Discovery (1); Eagle (3); Falcon (3); Hawk (3); Hunter (3); Tiger (3).

Amver is a unique, computer-based, global ship reporting system used worldwide by search and rescue authorities to arrange for assistance to persons in distress at sea. Awards are given to vessels that send position reports and are available to divert a minimum of 128 days per year. More than 19,000 vessels representing hundred of countries are enrolled in the Amver network.

At a separate event held in early June, Horizon Lines received the Jones F. Devlin Awards for safety presented by the CSA for vessels with consecutive years without incident: Anchorage (3); Challenger (3); Discovery (2); Tiger (3).

Self-propelled merchant vessels that have operated for two full years or more without a crewmember losing a full turn at watch because of an occupational injury are eligible for the Jones F. Devlin Award.  To qualify, a vessel must be in operation with a full crew. Days in protracted lay-up resulting in crew reduction are not considered days in operation.

Joseph Cox, CSA President, said: "We have been holding these annual award ceremonies since 1950. For that initial year, we honored six vessels having a total of twelve years operation with no lost-time incidents. This year, we gave awards to 1,094 vessels that operated 7,108 years without a lost-time incident. This extraordinary record is directly attributable to the professionalism of our seafarers and the dedication of shore-based company personnel to safe operation."

CSA represents 33 U.S. based companies that own, operate or charter oceangoing tankers, container ships, and other merchant vessels engaged in both the domestic and international trades and other entities that maintain a commercial interest in the operation of such oceangoing vessels.

About Horizon Lines

Horizon Lines, Inc., is the nation's leading domestic ocean shipping and integrated logistics company. The company owns or leases a fleet of 20 U.S.-flag containerships and operates five port terminals linking the continental United States with Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, Micronesia and Puerto Rico. The company also manages a domestic and overseas service partner network and provides integrated, reliable and cost competitive logistics solutions. Horizon Lines, Inc., is based in Charlotte, NC, and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol HRZ.

SOURCE Horizon Lines, Inc.