General Steamship Company
| Company type | Privately held company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Maritime transportation |
| Founded | 1920 in Houston, Texas, United States |
| Founder | Captain John Barneson, Harry S. Scott, Captain Harry Birkholm, Clarence Belknap |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California , United States |
Area served | International |
| Products | Cargo vessel management, shipping logistics services, ship agency services |
General Steamship Company—known as Gensteam since 1996—was established in 1920 in Houston, Texas as a privately held maritime transportation firm. It manages an international fleet of cargo vessels and operates the Gensteam Operations Desk website to support shipping logistics. The corporate headquarters have since relocated to San Francisco, California.
In its history, Gensteam held partial ownership in American Pacific Steamship Company—initially called Los Angeles Tanker Operators Inc.—which operated T2 tanker ships during and after the Second World War. Both entities fulfilled charter contracts with the Maritime Commission and War Shipping Administration throughout the wartime period.
Divisions
- General Steamship Agencies – the United States operational branch of Gensteam.
- Wheelhouse Shipping Agency – Canadian division formed in 2017 through the merger of Canadian Empire Shipping and Compass Marine.
- Alaska Maritime Agencies – established in 1960 as a joint venture with Kerr Steamship Company to serve Alaskan maritime needs.
This organizational framework underpins Gensteam’s leadership role in North American maritime transportation, fostering ongoing growth and industry presence.
Offices
- Houston, Texas
- San Francisco, California – servicing ports in the San Francisco Bay
- Los Angeles (including Port of Los Angeles, Port of Long Beach, Port Hueneme, Port of San Diego)
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Corpus Christi, Texas and additional Texas ports
- Mobile, Alabama
- Stockton, California (covering Port of Stockton and Port of Sacramento)
- Ports along the Columbia River
- Seattle
- Anchorage, Alaska
- Wheelhouse Shipping Agency Ltd, operating in Western Canada
Gensteam delivers ship agency services encompassing dry docking coordination, military and offshore operations support, as well as management of distressed vessels.
History
The General Steamship Company was founded by Captain John Barneson, Harry S. Scott, Captain Harry Birkholm, Clarence Belknap, among others. Harry H. Scott held the position of President until 1953. During the 1920s, the company expanded its shipping routes to include the US West Coast, Far East, South Pacific, Europe, and the Americas. It endured through the Great Depression and during World War II operated a fleet of 175 vessels for the U.S. Government and Allied forces, including 51 T-2 tankers.
Los Angeles Tanker Operators, Inc.
Incorporated on July 8, 1943 in Los Angeles by Harry H. Birkholm (president), Morgan Adams, A. P. Scott, Eugene Overton, W. Bruce Bryant (General Steamship district manager since 1942), Leander K. Vermille, and Edward D. Lyman. This company managed a fleet of T2 tankers supporting World War II efforts under charters from the Maritime Commission and War Shipping Administration. Crews were company employees while US Navy Armed Guards operated deck armaments.
Notable tanker vessels included:
- Charlotte P. Gilman
- Henry C. Wallace
- Alan Seeger
- John Goode
General Steamship Company vessels
The General Steamship Company either owned or chartered a wide range of ships, including several World War II-era Victory and Liberty vessels such as SS Hobart Baker, Tiger Hill, USS Procyon (AF-61), USS Gwinnett (AVS-5), and USNS Twin Falls (T-AGM-11). Their Victory ship fleet notably featured SS Enid Victory, SS Bates Victory, SS Lawton B. Evans, SS Niagara Victory, SS Waltham Victory, and SS Wooster Victory. Other ships in their possession included Liberty ships like SS William G. Fargo, SS Nampa Victory, SS Phillips Victory, SS Edward E. Hale, and SS Edward J. O'Brien, along with additional vessels such as SS John Evans, SS John W. Searles, and the Liberty ship SS Morgan Robertson.
American Pacific Steamship Company
Initially established in July 1943 under the name Los Angeles Tanker Operators, Inc., the company transitioned to the American Pacific Steamship Company in April 1946 to align with its postwar shift toward dry cargo shipping. Its fleet consisted of T2 tankers alongside other cargo ships, including notable vessels such as USNT Shawnee Trail, SS Mission San Miguel, SS Abraham Rosenberg, SS Alan Seeger, and SS Alexander V. Fraser. The company also managed ships like SS Admiral Arthur P. Fairfield, SS Idaho, T2 tankers such as SS Chadd's Ford and the USS auxiliary tanker USS Cohocton (T-AO-101). Additional assets included vessels like SS Coquille, SS Lookout Mountain, and the auxiliary USS tanker USS Mascoma (AO-83).
Their portfolio further encompassed ships such as SS Mello Franco, SS Milan R. Stefanik, and Liberty ships including SS John Goode, SS Samuel L. Cobb, and SS King S. Woolsey. The fleet was rounded out by vessels like SS William Glackens, the cargo ship SS Henry Villard, and the tanker vessel SS Howard T. Ricketts. This diverse collection of ships underpinned the company's expansion in maritime transportation throughout the mid-20th century.
Los Angeles Tanker Operators Inc vessels
Among the principal vessels operated by Los Angeles Tanker Operators Inc. were:
- USNS Mission Loreto
- USNS Mission Los Angeles
- USNS Mission Santa Clara
- USNS Mission San Rafael
- USNS Mission San Antonio
- SS Hilda Marjanne
- SS Joshua Tree
- SS Verendrye
- SS Charlotte P. Gilman
- SS Inglewood Hills
- SS Alan Seeger
- SS John Goode
- SS Henry C. Wallace