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ATLANTIC TOWING


GEORGE HILL: A CAREER AND A HALF


Atlantic Towing recently bid a bittersweet farewell to George Hill, who served with the Irving group for 44 years, and encompassing Atlantic Towing directly for 35 of them. George, considered to be ambitious, fair, honest and focused, was once the General Manager of Kent Line, and is considered to be a major player in the growth of Irving’s marine industry through the large scale construction projects at Saint John Shipbuilding and developing the design for East Isle’s tugs. He has mentored and contributed to the success of many. Those who have had the chance to get to know George on a personal level know that he is caring, empathetic and always keen to lend a helping hand.


George was born and raised in Tynemouth, Northern England. He had a memorable childhood, including recollections of World War II.


At 15, George left school to begin an apprenticeship study program at Newcastle Upon Tyne University. He later earned degrees in architecture and engineering.


George met his wife, Joyce Mewes, when George was in his twenties. Their first date was attending an Ella Fitzgerald concert together, and the happy couple has been married for 54 years. After receiving a job offer from Irving in 1973, the couple moved to Canada with their two daughters, Alison and Rachel in tow.


Rick Hamilton, Atlantic Towing’s Coastal Superintendent, has known George for over 30 years. They first met on a site-visit George often made to the vessels. At that time George would oversee various projects that Rick was working on.


“George is a very intelligent man, kind and both dedicated and confident in his work,” says Rick. “He was always the guy that you could


Family and Colleagues Reflect on a Legendary 44-year Career bounce an idea off of, and you always knew that you had his support.”


“One of the things I liked best about working with George is that he always asked for your input on projects that he was working on,” adds Rick. “In doing this, he always made you feel that you were adding value and contributing to the company’s success.”


In 1979, Rory Ervin, senior marine project manager with Atlantic Towing, was hired by Hill to become the first engineering management trainee at Saint John Marine Consultants, the engineering design house/ drawing office for the Saint John Shipbuilding and Dry Dock.


For Rory, George was ultimately the last word for configuration and outfitting details on countless special projects. They were collaborators until George’s retirement in May, 2016.


“He was always willing to provide advice or be a sounding board for any ideas you might have,” says Rory. “He is an amazing person to interact with, whether as an advisor, mentor, colleague or friend.”


In the mid-nineties when Atlantic Towing was expanding their tug fleet, George became project leader and started the development of Z Drive tug building at East Isle Shipyard (EISL).


George was instrumental in developing the design and versatility of these tugs. He worked with world renowned vessel designer Robert Allen on the west coast of Canada for completing an adapted but newly designed tug based off his [Robert Allen] design. This led to a total 37 tug builds for EISL that would redefine Atlantic Towing and eastern Canadian tug fleets, with orders as far afield as Panama, Denmark, and the Dominican Republic.


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