Grand River Navigation

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Traverse City, MI
Grand River Navigation

At Grand River Navigation Company, our people are at the heart of everything we do. Grand River Navigation Company, Inc. is the U.S.

From our vessel crews to our shoreside teams, we are united by a shared commitment to safety, teamwork, and looking out for one another every day. operating subsidiary of Mainstay Maritime, Inc. and a leading provider of dry bulk marine transportation on the Great Lakes. Founded in 2000, Grand River has grown into one of the region’s largest vessel operators, providing safe, reliable, and efficient transportation services to customers throughout the Great Lakes. Grand River operates a fleet of ten self-unloading bulk carriers, including three articulated tug-barge units. The fleet transports a diverse range of dry bulk commodities, including limestone, iron ore, coal, salt, grain, and other essential raw materials for customers in the construction, steel, electric utility, and food industries. Grand River is a market leader in the Great Lakes River Class segment. Our River Class vessels are well suited to serving ports and waterways with dimensional or operating restrictions that limit access by larger vessels. This capability, combined with our self-unloading fleet and experienced mariners, enables Grand River to provide flexible and dependable transportation solutions throughout the Great Lakes.

11/06/2026

Navigating through the fog.

These photos offer a glimpse into what our Captains experience along the way. Navigating these vessels takes tremendous knowledge, concentration, and confidence, especially when Mother Nature makes the job that much more challenging.

📍 Downbound St. Marys approaching the Poe Lock.

📍 Downbound at Mission Point.

📍 Downbound a little way above The Rock Cut.

📍 All Cleared Up – Downbound at The Rock Cut.

Rain, snow, wind, or heavy fog, our Captains and crew are out there doing what they do best. We are incredibly proud of the dedicated professionals at the helm who work hard every day, in all kinds of weather, to keep our vessels and cargo moving safely.

10/29/2026

You’re looking at master-level vessel handling. 🧭✨

Maneuvering a Great Lakes freighter through restricted waters leaves zero room for error. But with 100% of our captains serving as dedicated Great Lakes pilots, complex maneuvers like this are just another day at the office.

Grand River Navigation: We can go where the big ships go and also where they can't! 💪
Thanks to Captain Anthony for the great video!

10/18/2026

Ashtabula/Defiance Crew Bonding at its finest! Nothing says team spirit quite like the crew shaving matching mustaches! 🤣

It’s funny, you don’t hear too much from the Ashtabula crew… until you receive a photo like this! 😂 Love it, guys! Keep the laughs and hard work coming! 👏💪

10/16/2026

🚁🌊 A great view and an even greater partnership!

📸 Photo courtesy of our friends with the Coast Guard, captured before we kicked off helicopter airlift training drills together heading into Lake Erie!

While this may not have been taken by one of our crew members, it represents something we’re proud to be a part of: the relationships being built between our teams through these joint training opportunities. 🤝

By training together, learning from one another, and building trust, we’re strengthening the partnerships that matter when it counts most. At GRN we're grateful for the opportunity to work alongside the Coast Guard as we continue to learn, grow, and prepare together.

Here’s to stronger partnerships, safer operations, and many more successful trainings ahead! 💪🚁

10/12/2026

A long history, shared waters, and a Great Lakes legacy that continues. This Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Grand River Navigation recognizes the history of these waters and the people and mariners whose connections to them endure. ⚓

10/08/2026

There’s something pretty special about the pride this crew takes in their home away from home. ⚓️ Here are some before and after shots to feature that!

The Calumet crew has been putting in some serious work — scraping, prepping, painting, and bringing some much-needed love back to the house and decks. It’s not always glamorous work, and it certainly isn’t always easy, but the results speak for themselves.

These are old boats. They’ve got some miles, some stories, and plenty of character. But our crew doesn’t let the age of the boats define the work they put into them. They show up, they work hard, and they take pride in making them better than they found them — because they care about the place they call home for half the year.

Old boats. Hard work. Good people. A whole lot of pride.
Cheers to our Calumet crew and all the work they've done on this project this year! ❤️⚓️💪

10/06/2026

A career on the Great Lakes starts here.

Grand River Navigation is proud to offer a pathway for the next generation of Great Lakes mariners through our Maritime Apprenticeship Program with MITAGS.

No previous maritime experience is required. If you’re ready to learn, work hard, and build a rewarding career on the Great Lakes, we encourage you to apply.

Applications are now open for the 2027 program.

https://www.mitags.org/maritime-apprenticeship-programs/grand-river-navigation-apprenticeship-program/

09/27/2026

A little US Coast Guard Air Station Detroit training on the St. Clair River! 🚁⚓️

The American Mariner got a front-row view as the U.S. Coast Guard Great Lakes conducted helicopter training alongside the vessel. Always a pretty incredible sight to see these exercises happening right on the Great Lakes.

A few views from the training — plus one video from the Manitowoc!

09/25/2026

Another beautiful morning on the Great Lakes. 🌅

Thanks to Chief Bill for capturing and sharing this spectacular sunrise from aboard the ATB MAUMEE on Lake Michigan.

09/24/2026

Happy World Maritime Day 2026 ⚓

This year's theme is From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence.

Behind every regulation, standard, and safety procedure is a crew putting it into practice — on deck, in the engine room, on the bridge, and throughout the shoreside operation.

Today, we recognize the people who turn those standards into everyday action and keep the work of the maritime industry moving forward.

Here’s to our GRN crews and everyone across the maritime industry who keeps the Great Lakes moving. 🌊

Address

561 E Western Avenue
Traverse City, MI
49442

Website

http://www.mainstaymaritime.com/, https://www.ziprecruiter.com/co/Grand-River-Navigation/Jobs?id=84PV4Y0rJwLXJ38Mdkrihs0

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