The Madere family has been involved in the marine industry since 1982, when Al and Cathy Madere launched Madere, Inc. with their first deck lugger – M/V Captain Herbert. The vessel was named after Al’s grandfather, Herbert Collette, who instilled in Al a strong work ethic and “never give up” attitude.

The timing of the Madere’s new business venture was not good – as the oilfield was down and interest rates were up. However, Al and Cathy endured the lean times and relied upon each other to pull through. Al was the captain and Cathy was the bookkeeper – but both pitched in to run groceries, supplies, and crewmen to remote locations along the Gulf Coast. With two young sons along for the ride on many jobs, the couple prayed things would turn around and barely managed to make ends meet.

Their perseverance and faith in God would eventually pay off, as the oil market finally improved and more work began to come their way. The Maderes never looked back – and the company is now an established leader in marine logistics, towing, barge rentals, and more.

Today, Madere & Sons Towing is owned and operated by Al and Cathy’s sons – Gene and Chad. These brothers grew up on the family’s boats – experiencing both the good and bad times as their family established itself in the marine industry. In January 2013, a sister company, Deep South Construction & Salvage, LLC was established. Deep South provides marine construction and has the area’s finest dock facility. The brothers are both licensed captains and learned every aspect of the trade from their father, from welding to fabrication to engine repair and more.

As one of the leading businesses in the area, we have made a strong commitment to supporting our community. We truly believe in giving back to our community to help those in need or to lend a hand in improving the overall well-being of our neighbors. Over the years, we have made donations and provided sponsorships for a wide range of charitable causes, fundraisers, and events. We have helped many local schools purchase uniforms and equipment for their sports programs – and have also created a high school scholarship program.

We are grateful for the many years of success our company and family have experienced – and we are thankful to the many people and businesses that helped us along the way. Giving back to our community is something we are honored to do, and we hope our efforts have and will continue to touch the lives of others in ways both small and large.

The Madere Family of Vessels

Many of the vessels in the Madere & Sons Towing fleet are named after family members – carrying on a proud family tradition.

• M/V Captain Herbert: A deck lugger named after Al’s grandfather, Herbert Colette
• M/V Lady Josie: A deck lugger named after Al’s grandmother, Josephine Collette
• M/V Master Dylan: Built by Rodriguez Boat Builders in Bayou La Batre, AL, and named after the family’s first grandson (Gene and Jamie Madere’s son)
• M/V Master Tyler: Named after the second grandson, Tyler Madere (Gene and Jamie’s son)
• M/V Master Landin: Named after the third grandson, Landin Madere (Chad and Judy Madere’s first son)
• M/V Miss Alene: Named after Al’s mother, Alene Madere
• M/V Master Myles: Named after the fourth grandson, Myles Madere (Chad and Judy’s second son)
• M/V Mama Mia: A 25 ft jo-boat named after the only granddaughter, Mia Madere (Chad and Judy’s daughter)
• M/V Tomcat: A 26 ft crew boat named after Cathy’s parents, Thomas and Catherine Huff
• Mama Cat: Mama Cat is named for founding owner, Cathy Madere
• Lil G: Lil G is named for Gene Madere
• Lil C: Lil C is named for Chad Madere