Seaboard’s Lynch remembered as “visionary”

Seaboard’s Lynch remembered as “visionary”

Seaboard’s Lynch remembered as “visionary”

Lynch

   John Lynch, 76, president and chief executive of Seaboard Marine in 1992-2005, died last week after a brief illness, the company said.
   Lynch joined the company in 1988 and during his tenure the company grew from a small roll-on/roll-off carrier operating in Central America, to a carrier providing services to 25 different countries.
   'John was a visionary. He saw the potential of trading partners throughout the Caribbean and Latin America and had a great sense of timing and understanding of when and how that Seaboard could most profitably penetrate such markets,' said Edward Gonzalez, Seaboard Marine’s current president and CEO. 'Although strong-minded, he was a keen listener to both employees and customers alike. Started in 1983, we are still a relatively young company and it was due to John's strong leadership for so many of these critical growing years that Seaboard Marine has been so successful.'
   After attending the University of Southampton School of Navigation, Lynch began a 55-year maritime industry career as an apprentice on a commercial vessel, where he rose through the ranks to chief mate. He joined Grace Line in 1957 and served as country manager in Panama, Colombia and Chile. He later joined New York-based Pan Atlantic Line in 1972 and served as its president before joining Seaboard Marine.
   His accomplishments at Seaboard Marine included starting new trade lanes from the Port of Miami to the Caribbean and South America.
   Under Lynch's guidance, additional port calls were added throughout the United States and the Caribbean Basin and the fleet grew from six small vessels to more than 30 ships with annual revenues surpassing $500 million in Lynch's final year as president. Today the company has about 40 vessels and had sales of $958 million in 2008.
   The company is a division of Seaboard Corp., which is also involved in agribusiness. Seaboard Marine's facilities include a private terminal of nearly 80 acres at the Port of Miami where it says it carries more cargo than any other carrier. It also operates from its Jacintoport in Houston, New Orleans, Brooklyn, and Fernandina Beach, Fla.
   A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m., Oct. 7 at the St. Raymond Church located at 3475 SW 17th St., Coral Gables, Fla.