Radoje “Rod” Vulovic, 67, a founder and chief operating officer of U.S. Ship Management, died Friday in Charlotte, N.C., after a prolonged illness, his business partners announced.
Vulovic was a former Sea-Land Service executive who was well-known for his activities in the maritime industry. Vulovic joined Sea-Land as a naval architect in 1978. He became Sea-Land vice president for ocean transportation services, responsible for the construction, operation and maintenance of the company’s ocean fleet.
In 1999, when A.P. Moeller-Maersk bought Sea-Land’s international operations, Vulovic formed USSM with Jay Keegan, who would be chief executive. The company operated 19 U.S.-flag container ships in the Maritime Security Program. Under the program, carriers receive an annual subsidy to operate vessels under the U.S. flag.
Vulovic was a member of the American Bureau of Shipping, the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, and was chairman of the maritime board of the Transportation Reseach Board.
Vulovic is survived by his wife Vlasta, two children, a brother and a sister. The family plans a remembrance at their home on June 28 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Memorial donations may be sent to the Presbyterian Hospice and Palliative Care, P.O. Box 33549, Charlotte, N.C. 28233-3549.
