Social
Kirby Corporation has a long history of supporting charity.
Giving Back to Our Industry
Kirby has a long history of supporting foundations, associations, and institutions whose charitable work is related to Kirby’s core values.
Seaman’s Church Institute
North America’s largest mariner’s service agency providing spiritual support, maritime education and legal advocacy to thousands of mariners and port workers
In the last decade, Kirby has donated more than $1 million to the institute
Kirby donated a wheelhouse training simulator to the institute which is used to provide navigational training to 1,600 mariners each year
Many of Kirby’s officers give their time and expertise to help the institute
U.S. Coast Guard Foundation
Focuses on the well-being, education, and morale of the men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard and their families
Kirby has proudly supported this organization for more than 30 years
Regional Associations
The Gulf Intracoastal Canal Association
Texas Waterways Operators Association
Louisiana Association of Waterway Operators
Industry Associations and Foundations
Other Organizations Sponsored
Supporting Our Local Communities
Kirby shares its success with the communities we live and work in by helping to protect the environment, giving charitably, and encouraging volunteerism.
Galveston Bay Foundation
Promotes advocacy, conservation, education, and research related to Galveston Bay. In the last decade, Kirby has donated ~$1,000,000 to the foundation.
Charitable matching donation program
– Kirby matches qualifying employee charitable contributions
– More than 50 nonprofit organizations benefited from this program in 2024
Other organizations sponsored include:
- United Way
- National Multiple Sclerosis Society
- Houston Food Bank
- Numerous customer charitable events
Promoting Women in the Workplace
In addition to supporting local communities and national industries, Kirby is also involved in supporting women’s organizations that help further women’s success in the maritime industry.
WIMOs: Women in Maritime Operations
- WIMOs is dedicated to retaining, advancing and promoting women in the maritime industry through knowledge sharing and continuing education.
- ~22% of eligible employees in the Marine Transportation Group are members.
- Kirby serves in leadership roles at the national level (President) and local level (Treasurer)
“Educate. Engage. Elevate.”
Women Offshore
The Women Offshore Foundation propels women into meaningful careers through access to a worldwide community and professional development resources, while raising awareness among industry leaders and decision-makers about issues affecting women on the water.
“Connect. Share. Inspire.”
Supporting Our Employees and Communities When Disaster Strikes
The Kirby Disaster Relief Fund
- Nonprofit charitable organization that provides support to Kirby employees, families, and communities affected by natural disasters or qualified family hardship
- Kirby matches all employee contributions to the fund at 100%
- Teams and emergency supplies are ready to deploy to affected areas to protect and aid employees and their families when natural disasters occur including hurricanes, tornadoes and flooding
- Kirby has a long history of assisting people and vessels on the water in need
Our people make the difference, and our motto “Do the Right Thing” is a fundamental value. We strive to provide our employees and their families support and resources when they need it most.
In the last three years Kirby and its employees raised
Over $450k
Providing assistance to over 175 Kirby employees
Training and Education
At Kirby, our employees are our most important assets. We believe personal and professional development is necessary for a work
environment to thrive and achieve its best results. Kirby takes pride in training and educating its employees so that they are equipped to
accomplish tasks and grow in vocational and leadership pursuits.
Safety Skills Training
- Environmental
- Health
- Safety classes
- Environmental, health, and safety topics include the following:
- Global Safety Principles
- Universal Waste Rule
- First aid basic and medical emergencies
Leadership & Development Skills
The Company’s leadership and managerial training includes in-person and an on-line training curriculum that is available to both supervisory employees and
those employees that aspire to move into such roles in the future. It includes a series of classes focused on management skills which provide in-depth education in specific subjects such as leadership, strategic thinking, coaching and people development, decision making, problem solving, and communication.
Compliance & Additional Training
- Business Ethics Guidelines
- Anti-corruption
- Cybersecurity Awareness
- Diversity
- Human Rights
Kirby Marine Transportation
Distribution & Services
- The Kirby Training Center utilizes state-of-the-art equipment and instructional aids and has a full mission bridge simulator to provide U.S. Coast Guard (“USCG”) approved certifications and training.
- The marine segment provides a clear career progression for vessel personnel from entry-level deckhand to captain.
- The training at Kirby has continued to evolve since its inception. The pandemic followed by the labor challenges most industries now face has increased the need and opportunity to further enhance our educational offerings. Kirby consistently undergoes stringent review of syllabuses and modifies courses based off student and existing mariner performance.
- Kirby proudly employs individuals from all educational backgrounds. Its training center provides a career path to jobs paying well above the median without requiring a college degree or the associated cost.
2024 Highlights:
- 1600+ certificates were issued for the completion of courses at the training facility, of which approximately 600+ were USCG approved classes
- Graduated 150 Tank Barge PIC Trainee to Tank Barge PIC
- Graduated 25 Apprentice Mates to Pilot
- In Distribution and Service, the Company facilitates training courses via online and Instructor-Led classes that cover a broad range of skills and products.
- Operate 7 Training Centers with internal Instructors.
- Offer multiple career progressions within its numerous job groups.
- Utilizes the latest technology in the Industry
Kirby Distribution & Services technicians training on a Volvo Penta Engine at Houston Training facility
Marine Transportation – Career Advancement
Kirby is Making Inroads in Diversity
Our people are the most important asset we have at Kirby, and our Core Values promote a workplace that values all employees and promotes mutual respect, knowledge sharing, and teamwork. We continue to advance our “People” core value through our ongoing efforts around promoting our culture and workforce development.
Current initiatives include robust hiring and promotion practices, our leadership development training and our management diversity training. These training and development initiatives are provided to managers and employees to support continued advancement and includes coaching, mentorship, and effective feedback.
- Elected first female board member in 2015 and second in 2019, and third in 2023
- Elected a new racially/ethnically diverse board member in 2021
- Women represent 20% of the Executive Leadership staff including:
- EVP, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
- Chief of Human Resources
- Women represent ~18% of the managerial and professional staff
- Includes direct reports to C-suite through frontline supervision