Glenn Hong, head of Young Brothers Ltd., the state’s largest interisland cargo carrier, is leaving the position to join parent company Saltchuk on Jan. 1.

Hong, 69, joined Young Brothers in 1991 as vice president of finance and government affairs, and the next year became president, leading the fleet’s modernization to “meet neighbor island cargo needs into the next generation.” He previously worked at Hawaiian Electric Industries.

“I’ve deeply valued the opportunity to serve Hawaii by maintaining and even enhancing Young Brothers’ 117-plus year legacy as the leading shipping company connecting our island state,” Hong said in a news release. “I look forward to pursuing a new role with Saltchuk and helping to support its family of companies in the islands.”

Saltchuk acquired Young Brothers and Hawaiian Tug &Barge from Hawaiian Electric Industries in 1999. The Seattle-based company also assumed control of Hawaii Petroleum, Minit Stop and Ohana Fuels, as well as Aloha Air Cargo over the past decade. TOTE, a subsidiary of Saltchuk, said in August it plans to start a new shipping service in 2020 from the mainland to Hawaii and has signed a letter of intent to order four ships from a Philadelphia shipyard.

Hong will be the managing director of Saltchuk Hawaii, promoting all the company’s brands throughout the islands.

Young Brothers, which operates six tugboats interisland, anticipates investing more than $180 million in new vessels and equipment by the end of 2018. That includes four large 11,700-ton capacity barges and a 5,600-ton multideck barge to transport vehicles already in operation. In addition, four 6,000-horsepower tugs are scheduled to begin service next year.

The company said the investments will improve operational efficiency and reliability for Hawaii customers.

“This is a extremely significant capital investment for Young Brothers in providing reliable service to the neighbor islands for many decades,” Hong said. “Moving to Saltchuk, I won’t have operational responsibilities. (The move is) to represent Saltchuk and to make sure they have a good Hawaii perspective as they grow existing businesses.”

Saltchuk’s marine services business, Foss Maritime, is expected to name Hong’s successor within the next few months.