1936-2025: Ton Kooren hada highly successfulcareer in towage, inventing theRotortugconcept for tugboats and founding Kotug International
Ton Kooren transformed the world of towage through his relentless drive for innovation, high-quality tugboats and safety.
He passed away on 13 November 2025 after a successful career in worldwide towage that included inventing the Rotortug concept for tugboats and founding Kotug International.
Mr Kooren was a pioneer and a visionary in towage, and received the Sanmar Shipyards-sponsored ITS Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023 at the culmination of a gala dinner during the TugTechnology 23 conference in Rotterdam in May 2023.
MrKooren developed the innovative Rotortug design of tractor tugboats with three azimuth propellers for exceptional manoeuvrability and a high bollard pull for harbour, coastal and offshore towage and ship escort.
He joined the family tugboat business in the Netherlands in the late 1950s and oversaw its growth into an established tug company in the 1960s.
The company worked on the renowned Deltawerken project in Zeeland, protecting the Netherlands from North Sea surges and flooding.
Mr Kooren started the deepsea towage business Ton Kooren International Marine Services at the end of the 1970s. In the mid 1980s, he started Kotug International to challenge the monopoly of the established tug companies.
