Eckstein Trade & Transport Welcomes The Mv. Tarps

Eckstein Trade & Transport (ET&T), a certified women-owned small brokerage business based in Houston, Texas, recently took delivery of its first tug, the mv. Tarps.

Built by Diversified Marine Michigan, the mv. Tarps is powered by two 6.7-liter Cummins engines, each rated at 305 horsepower and 2,600 rpm. The engines are paired with Twin Disc gears at 2.88:1 reduction. The vessel measures nearly 26 by 14 by 5 feet with a draft of approximately 3 feet, 6 inches and is equipped with a 750-gallon fuel tank.

The vessel honors Tracey Tarpey, ET&T’s first employee.

“She played an integral part in getting us to this point,” Eckstein said. “I think she helped us to the place where we are today.”

ET&T was founded by Kasey Eckstein and Jenna Gaudet in 2022 as their first for-profit venture. The pair founded Women in Maritime Operations Association (WIMOs) in 2017, a New Orleans, La., based nonprofit organization that strives to empower, recruit and educate women in the maritime industry. WIMOs boasts 12 formal and seed chapters with members across 33 states and six countries. The organization hosts more than 150 events worldwide each year while also facilitating a robust mentorship program to help young women advance in their careers.

After five years of success with WIMOs, Eckstein and Gaudet decided to expand their horizons into a for-profit business. In 2022, the pair founded ET&T, a small business owned and operated entirely by women. It specializes in providing marine transportation services to Corps of Engineers and Department of Transportation (DOT) projects.

“It’s very different, but I think Jenna and I are a great ying and yang,” Eckstein said. “We have a similar dynamic to what we had when we started WIMOs. Jenna has financial and operations experience, and I’m on the marketing and front-facing sales side, so it’s a perfect match.”

Eckstein is the third generation of her family working in the inland towboat business, with a river career spanning 12 years. She first dipped her toe into the inland river world by selling barge freight for Marquette Transportation, a company founded by her grandfather, Ray Eckstein. In 2018, Eckstein became the youngest recipient of the Inland Marine Expo’s 40 Under 40 award.

Gaudet is also the third generation of her family in the industry and began her maritime career as a dispatcher at St. John Fleeting (SJF), also founded by her grandfather. She climbed through her roles at SJF until eventually becoming chief financial officer of the business.

According to Eckstein, the mv. Tarps was built with a project in mind. ET&T was approached by a customer with the need for a truckable tug to accomplish lake work, a job ET&T was happy to help with. After a successful 2025, the company decided to take on the project and invest in its first ever tug.

“It was appealing for us to have a long-term project on a lake,” Eckstein said. “It won’t be as hard on our equipment.”

“Our strategy is centered on reinvesting in our business and expanding our capabilities,” Gaudet said. “By doing so, we are reinforcing our commitment to serving our customers as a dependable, long-term equipment provider and partner.”

ET&T is excited to continue building its fleet and expanding its business. With new growth comes the capacity to take on bigger projects.

“Our focus is on slow and steady expansion and strengthening the services we provide to our customers,” Gaudet said. “Each year, we strive to build on that foundation by investing in our people, equipment and operations. We are optimistic about the opportunities ahead and look forward to growing both our marine construction and private marine transportation divisions while continuing to deliver exceptional value to our customers.”

Eckstein explained that while there are projects that are set aside for companies like ET&T, the company isn’t yet big enough to bid on them.

“Right now, we’re subcontracting on U.S. Army Corps jobs, but our goal is to grow a little bit more so that we can be big enough to prime Corps jobs,” Eckstein said. “We would be contracted directly with the Corps of Engineers as a woman-owned small business. There are women-owned small business set-asides out there, projects that are set aside specifically for companies like us, however, we are not big enough yet to take advantage of those. Our goal in the near term is to start bidding on these projects with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.”

ET&T most recently contributed to the Houston Ship Channel shoreline restoration project. According to Ecsktein, the ET&T team moved approximately 100,000 tons of rip rap barges to the Houston Ship Channel.

“We started this company with little capital, but a great deal of determination,” Eckstein said. “The opportunity to serve as a prime contractor for the Corps of Engineers before our fifth year in business would be a remarkable milestone and a reflection of how far our team has come in a relatively short period of time.”

Diversified Marine Michigan, based in Holland, Mich., constructed the mv. Tarps. The shipyard specializes in truckable tugs as well as dredge tender boats, workboats and skiffs.

“It was a smooth process,” Gaudet said. “[Diversified Marine] kept us informed the entire way, and we appreciate their professionalism. They were willing to go above and beyond.”

The mv. Tarps is currently on a short-term charter on Lake Michigan. After its work is complete, it will move on to an 18-month charter in Texas.

Featured photo caption: The mv. Tarps, the first vessel owned by Houston-based Eckstein Trade & Transport (ET&T), at Diversified Marine Michigan in Holland, Mich., following delivery. Built by Diversified Marine, the truckable tug is powered by twin 305-hp. Cummins engines and was constructed to support marine construction and transportation projects. The vessel is named in honor of Tracey Tarpey, ET&T’s first employee. (Photos courtesy of Diversified Marine)