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PORT LABOR FORCE PREPARES FOR NEW MILITARY CARGOES;
ILA TRAINING TO HANDLE TANKS & OTHER MILITARY HARDWARE
Philadelphia, December 26, 2002--
The Port of Philadelphia’s recent designation as a Strategic
Military Port is already generating exciting developments for the
city’s working waterfront. On December 17-19, dozens of International
Longshoreman Association (ILA) members were provided hands-on training
in driving, loading/unloading, cargo lashing, and general troubleshooting
related to the specialized military cargoes that will soon be moving
through South Philadelphia’s Packer Avenue Marine Terminal
and other Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA) facilities.
Funding for this training program- which
was coordinated by PRPA, Greenwich Terminals (operator of the Packer
Avenue Terminal), and the ILA- was secured by Pennsylvania State
Representative Bill Keller, a longtime proponent of the effort to
have Philadelphia named as the nation’s 14th Strategic Military
Port. The training instructor was United Defense (UDI), a publicly-traded
military contractor. The December 17-19 training sessions took place
at UDI’s York, Pennsylvania facility, with classroom follow-up
at Packer Avenue Marine Terminal.
As these initial training sessions concentrated
on the movement of military vehicles, those participating in the
sessions had the opportunity to maneuver and drive the U.S. Army’s
Paladin Tank, as well as other large pieces of military equipment.
Actual military cargoes will begin moving through the Port of Philadelphia
in the very near future.
The Philadelphia
Regional Port Authority (PRPA) is an independent agency of the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania charged with the management, marketing, and promotion
of publicly-owned marine terminals located along the Delaware River
in the City of Philadelphia, as well as planning and protecting
maritime-industrial activity in the port district. PRPA was created
by an act of the Pennsylvania legislature in 1989.
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PHILADELPHIA REGIONAL PORT AUTHORITY REACHES AGREEMENT
WITH CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, IKEA, CSX, CONRAIL & GOLDENBERG GROUP
PACT ADDRESSES PORT CONCERNS AND CLEARS THE WAY FOR CONSTRUCTION
OF IKEA STORE AT SNYDER AVE. SITE
Philadelphia, December 12, 2002—Brian
Preski, Esq., Chairman of the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority
(PRPA), today announced that PRPA has reached an agreement with
the City of Philadelphia; rail carrier CSX; Conrail Joint Assets
Corporation; commercial developer The Goldenberg Group; and furniture
retailing giant IKEA that will clear the way for an IKEA Superstore
to be built at the former CSX rail yard at Delaware & Snyder
Avenues in South Philadelphia. Most importantly, Chairman Preski
noted, the agreement addresses PRPA’s concerns about assuring
the availability of critically-needed space for future maritime-industrial
growth at the Port of Philadelphia.
“As we repeatedly stated in the past,
the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority was always in favor of
IKEA coming to Philadelphia,” said Mr. Preski. “Our
concern was only that we didn’t attract IKEA to Philadelphia
in such a way that would compromise the viability of Pennsylvania’s
international seaport and the thousands of people the Port of Philadelphia
puts to work. I am therefore happy to announce that we have reached
an accord with all interested parties involved in this issue, which
will allow PRPA to withdraw its objection to the re-zoning of the
Delaware & Snyder Avenue site favored by IKEA from industrial
to commercial status.”
Critical to addressing PRPA’s concerns
about IKEA constructing its proposed Philadelphia outlet on a 44-acre
site in the heart of the maritime-industrial district was an agreement-
negotiated between PRPA, CSX, Conrail Joint Assets Corporation,
The Goldenberg Group, the City of Philadelphia’s Department
of Commerce, and various local and state legislators- to make available
to PRPA other sites and acreage in the port-industrial district.
These include Piers 122 and 124, located immediately south of PRPA’s
Packer Avenue Marine Terminal, and the former Conrail site known
as the “Whiskey Yard”, also located in the vicinity
of the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal. The 106-acre Packer Avenue
Marine Terminal is the Port of Philadelphia’s largest and
busiest maritime facility.
The sites and acreage mentioned above total approximately
66 acres, and the agreement negotiated today calls for PRPA to purchase
these designated lands using a $7.5 million special fund established
by CSX and The Goldenberg Group, the real estate concern assisting
IKEA in its plan to establish a Superstore on the Delaware River
waterfront. $5 million of this fund is to come from a $15 million
Port Development Fund established in 1997 when Conrail was acquired
by rail carriers CSX and Norfolk Southern, with the remaining $2.5
million contributed by The Goldenberg Group.
In making this $7.5 million available to PRPA,
the state agency would not have to utilize its own limited operating
and capital funds, currently committed to other port improvement
and infrastructure projects, to acquire the identified properties.
The 1997 Port Development Fund was in fact intended to help advance
maritime industrial development at the Port of Philadelphia.
“Acquiring land for future port-industrial
use is something that active, busy ports do all the time as part
of their strategic plans,” said PRPA Executive Director James
T. McDermott, Jr. “That is why we were so concerned about
losing the land at Delaware & Snyder Avenues to commercial interests.
But in acquiring this new acreage in the vicinity of our most active
marine terminal, we believe, at least for the foreseeable future,
that the Port of Philadelphia has adequate space to grow. Therefore,
I am certainly pleased that PRPA can now, in good conscience, withdraw
our objection to the re-zoning of the entire 44 acre site favored
by IKEA from industrial status to commercial status, permitting
the IKEA project to proceed forward. At the same time, in acquiring
these new lands in the vicinity of the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal,
we can now begin the process of expanding our busiest maritime facility.”
In today’s announcement, Chairman Preski
made it a point to praise the elected officials who helped to officiate
the agreement that will result both in bringing IKEA to South Philadelphia
and strengthening the future viability of the Port of Philadelphia.
“In particular, I must single out the contributions of Pennsylvania
State Representative Bill Keller, Pennsylvania State Senator Vincent
J. Fumo, and Philadelphia City Councilman Frank DiCicco during our
recent proceedings,” said Mr. Preski. “With sensitivity
to the concerns of all the parties at the table, and to the ultimate
needs of their constituents, these legislators were instrumental
in helping to craft a resolution that we are all happy to ratify.
In the world of corporate negotiation, it may be a cliché
to talk about a win-win scenario, but I can honestly say I believe
we have one here.”
PRPA will keep both general and industry-related
media outlets informed as the agreement described here is implemented.
Further details about PRPA’s plans for the various lands and
acreage central to the agreement will also be provided.
The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA)
is an independent agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania charged
with the management, marketing, and promotion of publicly owned
marine Terminals located along the Delaware River in the City of
Philadelphia, as well as planning and protecting maritime-industrial
activity in the port district. PRPA was created by an act of the
Pennsylvania legislature in 1989.
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PHILADELPHIA REGIONAL PORT AUTHORITY SELECTED AS
STRATEGIC MILITARY PORT BY DEFENSE DEPARTMENT PHILADELPHIA ONE OF
FOURTEEN U.S. PORTS TO AID MILITARY IN TIMES OF CRISIS
Philadelphia, October 18, 2002--
Brian Preski, Esq., Chairman of the Board of the Philadelphia Regional
Port Authority (PRPA), today announced that PRPA has been selected
as a Strategic Military Seaport in the U. S. Northeast Corridor
by the Defense Department’s Military Traffic Management Command.
“This is an exciting and important
day for the Port of Philadelphia,” said Chairman Preski upon
learning of Philadelphia’s selection via faxed letter from
the Department of the Army on October 17. “The Philadelphia
maritime community has been working toward this day for over three
years. This designation will not only benefit our nation’s
military preparedness, it will also benefit the economy of the greater
Philadelphia region.”
Strategic Military Seaport designation is assigned
to those U.S. seaports that the Department of Defense intends to
utilize for the quick movement of military equipment and personnel
overseas in times of crisis, and for military exercises. The designation
is given to a seaport only after an intense evaluation process by
the Department of the Army’s Military Traffic Management Command
(MTMC) and the Department of Transportation’s U.S. Maritime
Administration (MARAD). In their deliberations, MTMC and MARAD closely
evaluate how a port’s facilities, capabilities, inland access,
and geographic location can serve the needs of the U.S. military
when timely deployment of equipment and personnel is essential.
Before the Department of the Army’s announcement,
of the hundreds of full-service commercial seaports in the United
States, only thirteen were designated Strategic Military Ports.
Philadelphia will now be the fourteenth.
“Congratulations on your port’s
selection as a Strategic Seaport in the Northeast Corridor,”
said Major General Ann E. Dunwoody in her October 17 letter to PRPA
Executive Director James T. McDermott, Jr. “The Military Traffic
Management Command (MTMC) looks forward to establishing and maintaining
a mutually satisfying partnership with you and your staff. Our first
order of business will be to arrange a visit with you to establish
a Port Readiness Committee and to develop a Port Planning Order.”
The designation identifies the excellent facilities
and capabilities of the PRPA and the commitment of the men and women
who work at the Port of Philadelphia. “This has been a collective
community effort,” said Mr. McDermott. “This is a port
family that knows how to work together to achieve success. Today’s
announcement also confirms that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s
investment in our port infrastructure produces great economic development
returns for the state.”
The benefits of Strategic Port designation to
a U.S. seaport are numerous and significant. They include: increased
federal investment in the port district; improved access to federal
security and port infrastructure funding; dramatically increased
cargo volumes during periods of military deployment; and the establishment
of an ongoing partnership between the seaport and the Department
of Defense, resulting in the development of joint projects benefiting
both the military and the commercial port. In addition, seaports
designated as Strategic Military Ports frequently benefit commercially
in another important way: when their quick ability to handle surge
military shipments demonstrate their efficiency to commercial steamship
lines and other shippers.
Chairman Preski also praised the efforts
of the region’s congressional and legislative officials for
their role in attaining this important designation. “Without
the leadership and encouragement of Pennsylvania’s bi-partisan
legislative leaders, this never would have happened. I particularly
commend Senator Arlen Specter, Senator Rick Santorum and Congressmen
Robert A. Brady, Curt Weldon, Chaka Fattah, Joe Hoeffel, Robert
Borski, Bill Shuster, with a particular word of thanks to Congressman
John Murtha, whose longtime support of the Port of Philadelphia
and it military capabilities is deeply appreciated. On the state
level, I want to acknowledge the work of State Representative William
Keller and State Senator Ted Erickson, co-chairs of the Pennsylvania
Legislative Port Caucus for their tremendous support and advocacy
of the Port of Philadelphia, and, in particular, the Strategic Port
initiative.”
The Philadelphia
Regional Port Authority (PRPA) is an independent agency of the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania charged with the management, marketing, and promotion
of publicly-owned marine terminals located along the Delaware River
in the City of Philadelphia, as well as planning and protecting
maritime-industrial activity in the port district. PRPA was created
by an act of the Pennsylvania legislature in 1989.
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Port of Philadelphia selects firm to provide new
container cranes
at Packer Avenue Marine Terminal
Philadelphia, June 14, 2002—James
T. McDermott, Jr., Executive Director of the Philadelphia Regional
Port Authority (PRPA) is pleased to announce that Hyundai Heavy
Industries Company, Ltd. has been selected to build two new Post-Panamax
Ship-to-Shore container cranes and install them at PRPA’s
106-acre Packer Avenue Marine Terminal within 15 months.
Responding to PRPA’s request to the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the release of capital budget funds
for needed port improvements, former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge
released $10 million on June 5 of last year for the purchase of
the two new container cranes for its busiest facility, a priority
request by the Port. Upon release of the funds, PRPA immediately
began the process of identifying and selecting a firm to provide
the cranes.
Upon releasing the funds last year, Governor
Ridge remarked, “The Port of Philadelphia is Pennsylvania’s
international seaport. It is our direct link to markets around the
world. So it is essential that its facilities keep up with today’s
technology.”
The selection of Hyundai Heavy Industries, based
in Ulsan, Korea, followed a comprehensive procurement process, which
included detailed briefing meetings with representatives of four
crane manufacturing companies that provided bids (out of eight pre-qualified
firms that initially expressed interest in doing business with the
Port). PRPA staff primarily involved in these briefings, as well
as the evaluation process that followed, were Director of Procurement
Donna Powell; Crane Maintenance Engineer Robert McCloskey; Chief
Counsel Gregory Iannarelli; Director of Operations Carl Trovato;
and Chief Engineer Charles Lawrence.
The two new Post-Panamax cranes will significantly
enhance cargo-handling efficiency at the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal,
as well as allow the Port to handle a wider range of vessels. The
cranes will have the height and outreach to work vessels 17 containers
across, and with their 150-foot outreach and 110-foot lift above
wharf level, they will be able to accommodate the very largest vessels
in service today.
Representatives of PRPA, the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania, and Hyundai Heavy Industries will participate in a
formal contract-signing ceremony, with a reception to immediately
follow, on Wednesday, July 10, 2002 at 4:30 p.m. Members of the
local and trade media who wish to cover this important event in
the life of the Port should contact Joseph Menta in the PRPA offices
for a press pass and location information.
The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA)
is an independent agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania charged
with the management, maintenance and promotion of public port facilities
along the Delaware River in the City of Philadelphia. PRPA's 106-acre
Packer Avenue Marine Terminal is a multi-purpose facility that regularly
handles containers, steel, frozen beef, over-dimension cargoes,
and a variety of other import and export cargoes.
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Bertling Line Begins Regular Service At Port of
Philadelphia's Tioga Marine Terminal
Philadelphia, May 23, 2002--
James T. McDermott, Jr., Executive Director of the Philadelphia
Regional Port Authority (PRPA) is pleased to announce that Bertling
Line, a worldwide carrier established in 1865 and headquartered
in Hamburg, Germany, has initiated regular vessel calls at PRPA’s
96-acre Tioga Marine Terminal in Northeast Philadelphia. The new
service, which began with the arrival of the M/V Normandie on Friday,
May 17, will initially be comprised of a monthly ship call and a
two-vessel rotation, with an upgrade to a three vessel rotation
and an every 20-day service a strong possibility for the near future.
The new Bertling Line service will transport
a variety of cargoes between South America and the Port of Philadelphia,
with major amounts of cargo initially being comprised of dry hardwoods,
finished moldings, and wood pulp from Argentina and Chile destined
for U.S. markets. Future calls will also include newsprint from
South America.
On hand for a ceremony aboard the Normandie’s
bridge to welcome the first vessel of the new service to the Port
of Philadelphia were officials of PRPA; terminal operator Delaware
River Stevedores (DRS); the International Longshoremen’s Association
(ILA); and Arauco, the owner of most of the cargo being discharged
from the Normandie. Arauco will continue to be a major customer
of Bertling during its subsequent vessels calls at Tioga.
“I am very pleased to welcome this
new service to the Port of Philadelphia”, said Mr. McDermott
in a May 17 statement. “Our Tioga Terminal is uniquely qualified
to handle the needs of Bertling and its major customer Arauco. Tioga
and our operator DRS have the facilities and experienced labor force
present at all our terminals, with the additional capability of
being able to devote large tracts of yard space and ample storage
to the new service. The result is that a custom-made working relationship
has been crafted that is particularly sensitive and responsive to
the needs of this new line and shipper.”
Mr. McDermott’s comments were echoed
by Robert W. Palaima, President of DRS. “This port has had
a long and productive relationship with our friends in South America
and especially Chile,” said Mr. Palaima while addressing those
attending the welcoming ceremony aboard the vessel, including Dirk
Jurgensen, Director of Bertling Line; Ricardo J. Brunner, Chartering
Manager for Arauco; and Captain Kazimierz Janda, Master of the Normandie.
“Today that relationship is strengthened and enriched as Bertling
Line, along with our friends from Arauco, join our port family with
this new regular service between Philadelphia and the Port of Concepcion,
Chile. We’ve worked very hard to justify in every way possible
your decision to move your goods through the Port of Philadelphia’s
Tioga Marine Terminal. We won’t let you down.”
The Philadelphia
Regional Port Authority's 96-acre Tioga Marine Terminal, operated
by Delaware River Stevedores (DRS), is a full-service facility handling
a variety of containerized and breakbulk cargoes. The Philadelphia
Regional Port Authority is an independent agency of the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania charged with the management, maintenance and oversight
of publicly-owned marine terminals in the City of Philadelphia.
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PRPA CONFIRMS THAT ASTRO HOLDINGS INC. WILL CONTINUE
UNINTERRUPTED SERVICE AT PACKER AVENUE MARINE TERMINAL
Philadelphia, April 22, 2002—James
T. McDermott, Jr., Executive Director of the Philadelphia Regional
Port Authority, today announced that recent changes at the terminal
operation level should assure continued regular service at the Packer
Avenue Marine Terminal, the Port of Philadelphia’s largest
marine facility.
Effective April 23, 2002, Greenwich Terminals,
LLC will provide terminal operation and stevedoring services at
Packer Avenue Marine Terminal. The previous terminal operator, Holt
Cargo Systems, Inc., has voluntarily transferred its presence at
Packer Avenue Marine Terminal to Greenwich Terminals, LLC. Further,
an affiliated company, Delaware Avenue Enterprises, Inc., will operate
the refrigerated warehouses located on Packer Avenue Marine Terminal
replacing the previous operator, Refrigerated Distribution Center,
Inc. The Packer Avenue Marine Terminal will continue to be leased
by the PRPA to Astro Holdings, Inc.
“The PRPA is pleased that continuity
of service will be maintained at the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal,”
said Mr. McDermott. “In addition, the new arrangement further
separates the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal and its operations from
the bankruptcy proceedings affecting Holt Cargo Systems, Inc. and
other Holt-related entities. We are particularly gratified that
this new arrangement will maintain hundreds of jobs which the Packer
Avenue Marine Terminal directly and indirectly generates for the
Philadelphia region.”
Packer Avenue Marine Terminal receives calls
by the principal container lines in the specialized refrigerated
cargo trade, including Hamburg Sud’s Australian and South
American services, P&O Nedlloyd’s Australia/New Zealand
service, Maersk Sealand’s Oceania service and the South Africa
and South America services of Lykes Lines. In addition to containerized
cargoes, Packer Avenue Marine Terminal also specializes in the handling
of steel products from Japan and other parts of the world.
The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA)
is an independent agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania charged
with the management, maintenance and promotion of public port facilities
along the Delaware River in the City of Philadelphia. PRPA's 106-acre
Packer Avenue Marine Terminal is a multi-purpose facility that regularly
handles containers, steel, frozen beef, over-dimension cargoes,
and a variety of other import and export cargoes.
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Oldendorff Carriers To Begin Regular Service Beginning
May, 2002
Primary cargo to be cocoa beans; Other cargoes expected
Philadelphia, April 22, 2002—The
Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA) is pleased to announce
that Oldendorff Carriers Ltd., a worldwide combination container/
breakbulk service, agreed on Friday, March 1 to initiate regular
port calls at PRPA’s Packer Avenue Marine Terminal beginning
in May. The new monthly service will result in approximately eight
new vessel calls at the Port of Philadelphia during the remainder
of 2002, bringing approximately 100,000 tons of breakbulk cargo
and 4,500 containers to the Port.
The intended base cargo for the service
will be primarily unitized (bagged) cocoa beans, with the expectation
that other breakbulk and containerized cargoes will build on that
base. Initially, two-to-three thousand ton shipments of cocoa beans
will arrive with each vessel call.
Instrumental to Oldendorff Carriers decision
to call the Port of Philadelphia was a cooperative effort among
officials of PRPA; Astro Holdings, Inc. (the terminal operator of
the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal); Penn Warehousing & Distribution
Company (the terminal operator at the Piers 78/80 Forest Products
Handling Center); and Dependable Distribution Services (terminal
operator at Pier 84, the Port of Philadelphia’s dedicated
cocoa facility). Dependable Distribution’s assistance in providing
additional storage and other value-added services specific to cocoa
bean cargoes was particularly instrumental in attracting this new
service to Philadelphia. Oldendorff Carriers will discharge their
vessels at the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal, with the Pier 84 and
Piers 78/80 facilities providing support services for Oldendorff’s
cargoes.
“We are extremely pleased to welcome
this new service to the Port of Philadelphia,” said PRPA Executive
Director James T. McDermott, Jr. “This announcement by Oldendorff
Carriers is particularly gratifying because it came as a result
of a cooperative effort between PRPA and our terminal operators.
Everyone worked together to successfully bring new cargo, new jobs,
and substantial economic benefits to our region.”
Leo Holt, President of Astro Holdings, Inc.,
echoed Mr. McDermott’s sentiments. “We are extremely
pleased to have reached an agreement with Oldendorff Carriers, which
can be considered quite an accomplishment in today’s highly
competitive market place” said Mr. Holt. “The Philadelphia
Regional Port Authority was pivotal in bringing about a cooperative
effort among its terminal operators to craft viable solutions for
Oldendorff, resulting in its decision to call Philadelphia.”
The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority’s
Packer Avenue Marine Terminal, operated by Astro Holdings, Inc.,
is a 106-acre full service marine terminal that handles a variety
of breakbulk and containerized cargoes. Maersk, Columbus, Tokai,
and Lykes Lines are among the many regular vessel services at the
facility.
The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority, an independent agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is charged with the management, maintenance, and promotion of public port facilities along the Delaware River in Philadelphia.
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Philadelphia Regional Port Authority Announces
Completion of Dredging at
Automobile-Handling Facility Pier 96 Annual Maintenance Dredging
Completed
Philadelphia, February 25, 2002—The
Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA) today announced the
recent completion of annual maintenance dredging at PRPA’s
Pier 96/Pier 98 Annex Automobile-Handling Facility in south Philadelphia.
The mean low water depth at Pier 96 is now 9.75 meters.
“Thanks to the support of the Delaware
River Port Authority, maintenance dredging at Pier 96 has once again
been completed on a timely basis,” said PRPA Executive Director
James T. McDermott, Jr. “This allows our automobile facility
to continue to service its customers without interruption.”
Nissan and Hyundai are among the many brands of imported automobiles
that often move over the busy terminal.
The Pier 96/Pier 98 Annex Automobile-Handling
Facility covers 55 acres (22 hectares) and is operated by Pasha
Auto Warehousing & Distribution Services, a recognized global
leader in automobile processing and distribution. The dedicated
automobile handling facility features on-terminal rail spurs; direct
access to interstate highways I-95 and I-76; and service by three
Class-One railroads. The facility is completely fenced in, with
full lighting and 24-hour security. The facility offers a full array
of services, including painting, body and mechanical modification,
and homologation.
Reflecting the two groups’ excellent working
relationship, PRPA recently signed a new long-term lease with Pasha
Auto Warehousing for Pasha’s continued operation of the Pier
96/Pier 98 Annex Automobile-Handling Facility.
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