HISTORY

The Savage Story

In 1846, Captain James McKay Sr., Arthur Savage's maternal Great, Great Grandfather sailed into Tampa Bay and pioneered commercial shipping on the west coast of Florida. For the next two generations he and his son developed regular commercial shipping into and out of Tampa Bay. Later, their cousins, the Lykes family, would take over the ship owning side of the business and built what would become one of the largest ship owning companies in the world.  In 1929, Arthur Russell Savage, the company founder, was transferred to Tampa by The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad to become the Superintendent of  Port Tampa, Tampa's only deep water port at the time.  At the onset of WWII, Mr. Savage joined the US Army Transportation Corps where he eventually became a Lieutenant Colonel and the Port Commander of Antwerp. Upon returning from the war, Mr. Savage elected to leave the railroad and start his own firm, the A. R. Savage Company - and he thus established a legacy. This legacy was carried on by his son W.O. "Bill" Savage and the company was renamed to A. R. Savage & Son. After Bill's death in 1982, his wife, Shirley Savage, Capt. McKay's Great Grand Daughter took over the company as President. Today, Arthur R. Savage, the founder's grandson, now represents the third generation to lead what has become the largest ship agency and intermodal shipping company on Florida's west coast, serving clients worldwide. The Savage family's tradition of excellence and commitment to superior customer service will continue on into the future’Ķ