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PHILADELPHIA REGIONAL PORT AUTHORITY
OFFICIALLY WELCOMES NEW CONTAINER CRANES TO THE PORT OF PHILADELPHIA
Philadelphia, December 11, 2003-- Officials
of the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA) and other maritime-industry
businesses gathered today at PRPA’s Packer Avenue Marine Terminal
to officially welcome two major new additions to the Port of Philadelphia:
two state-of-the-art Post Panamax container cranes, which will enable
the Port of Philadelphia to now service the largest container vessels
active today, and, according to the Port’s crane operators,
“service these vessels with lightning-fast efficiency.”
“The maritime industry is intensely competitive,”
said PRPA Chairman Brian Preski, Esq. “In order to remain
viable and active, ports need top-notch labor, excellent facilities,
sufficiently deep waterways, and modern, efficient equipment. Today
we mark a major leap forward for the Port of Philadelphia, as we
officially welcome the arrival of these amazing new cranes, the
most modern and efficient available today. Packer Avenue Marine
Terminal has always been a busy facility, in fact the biggest and
most active of all PRPA’s facilities. But with the addition
of these two magnificent new cranes, this facility will reach new
levels of service and efficiency. This is truly a great day for
us.”
The two new Post-Panamax cranes were constructed
during a 14-month period in South Korea by Hyundai Heavy Industries
Company, Inc., and were ordered by PRPA in July 2002 after a comprehensive
bidding and selection process. After the initial construction process
in South Korea was completed in August 2003, the cranes began their
long journey over three oceans to reach the Port of Philadelphia.
They arrived at the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal on Tuesday, October
28, where the process of final assembly and installation immediately
commenced. The new cranes were purchased with $15 million of state
capital funding; $10 million of the required funds were approved
and released by Governor Tom Ridge in one of his last official acts
as Governor of Pennsylvania before leaving to head the Office of
Homeland Security in Washington, and the final $5 million was approved
and released by his successor, Governor Mark Schweiker.
Packer Avenue Marine Terminal regularly services
vessels traversing the world’s busiest trade lanes, and is
a primary stop along P&O Nedlloyd’s noted “Around
the World” service, which includes vessel calls in Australia,
New Zealand, various north Europe ports, and the Mediterranean.
These new cranes are expected to further solidify the Port of Philadelphia’s
relationship with P&O Nedlloyd and the Port’s other important
shipping services, as well as go a long way in attracting new business.
PRPA Executive Director James T. McDermott, Jr.
echoed Chairman Preski’s remarks: “With its efficient
complement of container cranes and world-renowned heavy-lift crane,
the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal has always been our busiest and
most productive facility,” said Mr. McDermott. “Now,
with the addition of these two brand-new container cranes, which
have the ability to reach over the biggest, widest vessels in service
today, as well as load and discharge containers faster than ever
before, the Port’s largest marine terminal is now truly full-service.”
Today’s gathering included representatives
of PRPA; Greenwich Terminals, LLC (operators of PRPA’s Packer
Avenue Marine Terminal); the various shipping lines whose vessels
will utilize the new cranes; and various state and local government
officials. Final assembly of the new cranes is now virtually complete,
and they are expected to become fully active later this month or
in early January.
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 Philadelphia, as well as strategic planning for maritime-industrial
activity in the port district.
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PRPA is pleased to support the following program
and encourages the participation of the regional agricultural and
food products community:
Northeast Buyers’ Mission Brings Hundreds
of U.S. Companies
Face-to-Face Potential Buyers
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, November 21,
2003 – Buyers Missions have proven to provide a good
opportunity for established exporters to make new contacts and develop
new overseas business relationships. Food Export USA Northeast is
sponsoring for the 4th consecutive year its annual Northeast Buyers’
Mission, January 12th through the 15th, 2004. In the last edition,
24 international buyers met with 114 U.S. suppliers. The event enabled
U.S. companies to make over 700 contacts with new buyers reaping
a potential increase in export sales of more than $50,000,000.
At a cost of only $75 for small companies to participate,
attendees found the Northeast Buyers’ Mission well worth their
time and money. According to Abdo Sauma, Vice President of Sales
and Marketing for International American Supermarkets, “We
gained good sales leads through matchmaker meetings at the Northeast
Buyers’ Mission that eventually resulted in sales for our
company. On average, our participation in the last three buyers’
missions has generated an increase in our annual sales of approximately
$75-$100,000.” The Northeast Buyers’ Mission is a great
way for companies to meet buyers and learn the players in export
markets. Mr. Sauma explained, “This is a shortcut to reaching
buyers instead of us having to do all the legwork ourselves. As
a result of our participation, we were able to get into a new market–Denmark.”
Buyers Missions, sponsored by Food Export USA
– Northeast in coordination with the Pennsylvania Department
of Agriculture, are beneficial to U.S. companies because they meet
directly with international buyers instead of by phone or mail or
plane. The communications lines are more open and there is no expensive
travel involved. “The buyers’ missions give you an opportunity
to speak one-on-one with actual customers and get feedback right
away,” explained Michael Tshudy, President of Sturgis Pretzel
Sturgis House. “After only one year with Food Export USA –
Northeast, the leads we’ve gotten at the buyers’ missions
have panned out with a potential for several million in new sales.
We have worked hand-in-hand with Food Export USA – Northeast
and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture to get into the UK,
Canada, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and
we’re starting to get into mainland China.”
Food Export USA – Northeast’s buyers’
missions also help educate companies just breaking into the export
market. “Meeting people from the Caribbean, Latin America,
and South America through Food Export USA – Northeast services
like the Northeast Buyers’ Mission, helped us become more
acclimated with the exporting process and gave us a better understanding
of the export market,” explained Mark Brown, New Jersey Branch
Manager for Paris Foods Corporation. Paris Foods recently made contact
with a buyer in Bermuda while attending the Northeast Buyers’
Mission. The new relationship is estimated to bring in $5 - 10 million
in sales over the next five years, increasing the size of the company
by at least 10 percent.
For the 2004 edition, meetings will be held in
Harrisburg on January 12th, in Philadelphia on January 14th and
New York City on January 15th.
Food Export USA – Northeast, is a private,
non-profit association made up of ten Northeastern state agricultural
promotion agencies that use federal, state, and industry resources
to promote the export of Northeastern food and agricultural products.
Together, Food Export USA – Northeast and the Mid-America
International Agri-Trade council (MIATCO) now offer Northeastern
and Midwestern companies more opportunities in more markets around
the world. The Northeast Buyers’ Mission is just one joint
activity.
For more information about Food Export USA –
Northeast, call (215) 829 – 9111 or visit www.foodexportusa.org.
You may also contact Teresa Miller at 312.334.9208 or tmiller@miatco.org.
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NEW CONTAINER CRANES ARRIVE AT PORT OF PHILADELPHIA
Philadelphia, October 28, 2003--
The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA) is pleased to report
that, after crossing three oceans, its two newest container cranes
arrived safely today at PRPA’s Packer Avenue Marine Terminal
in South Philadelphia. The two new Post-Panamax cranes were constructed
during a 14-month period in South Korea by Hyundai Heavy Industries
Company, Inc., and were ordered by PRPA in July 2002. Purchased
with $15 million of state capital funding, the new container cranes
will enable the Port’s largest facility to handle the largest,
most modern container vessels in service today.
The vessel that transported the cranes will temporarily
berth at Packer Avenue Marine Terminal’s berth #6, and will
shortly move to the Packer Avenue facility’s main marginal
berth so the cranes may be discharged and fully assembled. PRPA
will conduct an official welcoming ceremony and dedication sometime
in the next 30-to-45 days, once the cranes are assembled, tested,
and officially accepted.
“With its efficient complement of
container cranes and world-renowned heavy-lift crane, the Packer
Avenue Marine Terminal has always been our busiest and most productive
facility,” said James T. McDermott, Jr., Executive Director
of PRPA. “Now, with the addition of these two brand-new container
cranes, which have the ability to reach over the biggest, widest
vessels in service today, as well as load and discharge containers
faster than ever before, the Port’s largest marine terminal
in now truly full-service.”
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 Philadelphia, as well as strategic planning for maritime-industrial
activity in the port district.
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PHILADELPHIA REGIONAL PORT AUTHORITY’S LARGEST
FACILITY HOSTS DEMONSTRATION OF STATE-OF-THE-ART “RAPID SYSTEM”
CARGO-TRACKING TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPED BY DRMEC
GOVERNMENT & PORT OFFICIALS TO WITNESS NEW SYSTEM TO FACILITATE
EFFICIENT MOVEMENT OF MILITARY & COMMERCIAL CARGOES
Philadelphia, October 27, 2003--
Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA) Chairman Brian
Preski, Esq. was on hand at PRPA’s 106-acre Packer Avenue
Marine Terminal today to host a demonstration of the new RAPID System
cargo-tracking & logistics technology recently developed by
the Delaware River Maritime Enterprise Council (DRMEC). Also co-hosting
the event was Pennsylvania State Representative William Keller and
special guests Congressman Robert Brady (D-PA, Member, U.S. House
Committee on Armed Services), Congressman John P. Murtha (D-PA,
Member, U.S. House Committee on Appropriations, Ranking Minority
Member, Sub-Committee on Defense), and the Honorable Denis Coderre,
the Canadian Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.
The centerpiece of today’s demonstration
consisted of four Paladin Howitzers being discharged at the Packer
Avenue Marine Terminal, the latest leg of their journey to the Letterkenny
Army Depot in Letterkenny, Pennsylvania, along with a description
of how the RAPID System will facilitate every step of the Paladin
Howitzers’ journey there. Now in mid-transport, the RAPID
System is being employed during every step in the transportation
chain: moving the four Paladins via commercial trucking from Anniston,
Alabama to the Military Traffic Management Command (MTMC) port facility
in Charleston, South Carolina; loading the four Paladins onto a
U.S. Army Landing Craft Utility (LCU) vessel and proceeding to Philadelphia’s
Packer Avenue Marine Terminal; discharging the Paladin’s from
the LCU at Packer Avenue Marine Terminal and loading them directly
onto rail cars (the leg of the journey on view today); and moving
the Paladins via Norfolk Southern/CSXT railroads to the Letterkenny
Army Depot. The entire movement, currently on schedule, will take
place between October 20-31, 2003.
The RAPID System coordinates the electronic tracking
systems of all commercial vendors involved in shipments such as
the one described above, and is will be especially valuable with
critical military shipments where efficiency and speedy delivery
are of primary importance. As described by the Delaware River Maritime
Enterprise Council (DRMEC), the RAPID System will enable the U.S.
Department of Defense (US DOD) to leverage commercial transport
and logistics assets to improve strategic mobility requirements
during times of peace and national need while minimizing disruptions
to commercial operations; the RAPID System supports high-value time-sensitive
military and commercial shipments and includes all links in the
transportation chain: vessels, ports, rail, highway, and inland
facilities and commercial hubs. Today’s demonstration described
and demonstrated all aspects of the system.
DRMEC is a Pennsylvania not-for-profit organization
funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic
Development, the United States Department of Transportation, and
the U.S. Department of Defense. DRMEC was created in 1999 to enable
and promote rapid technology transfer and collaboration between
commercial, government, military, and academic institutions for
high-speed, time-sensitive commercial and military shippers and
transporters.
“In October 2002, the Department
of Defense designated the Port of Philadelphia as its newest Strategic
Military Port,” said PRPA Executive Director James T. McDermott,
Jr. “Shortly thereafter, the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift
Command selected us as a berthing location for two of its LMSR vessels.
We are very proud of these designations and are committed to doing
our best to live up to the confidence shown in the Port of Philadelphia
by the U.S. military. Today’s demonstration of this new tracking
and logistics technology developed by DRMEC is the latest example
of this commitment. It also demonstrates that no cargo is being
left behind at the Port of Philadelphia. The RAPID System will coordinate
and help speed delivery of not only our new military cargoes, but
our commercial cargoes, as well. All of our port users will greatly
benefit.”
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 Philadelphia, as well as strategic planning for maritime-industrial
activity in the port district. PRPA was selected by the Department
of Defense as the nation’s 14th Strategic Military Port in
October 2002, and selected by the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift
Command as a berthing location for two of its LMSR vessels in January
2003.
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Philadelphia Regional Port Authority Conducts First
Major Military Load-Out for U.S. Army, Welcomes U.S. Navy LMSR vessels
to New Layberth
Other Military Events Highlight Busy October
Philadelphia, October 24, 2003--
With regular sightings of military personnel, cargo, and vessels
along the Delaware River’s working waterfront, port officials
here are calling October 2002 “Military Month” at the
Port of Philadelphia. Two centerpiece activities have especially
underscored the new working relationship between the Philadelphia
Regional Port Authority (PRPA) and the U.S. military: the first
major load-out of military cargoes since PRPA was named the nation’s
14th Strategic Military Port in late 2002, and the arrival of two
U.S. Navy Large, Medium-Speed Roll-On/Roll-Off (LMSR) vessels to
their new layberths here.
Though the U.S. Army’s Military Traffic
Management Command (MTMC) began almost immediately to ship military
cargoes through PRPA’s Packer Avenue Marine Terminal upon
the Port’s October 2002 designation as a Strategic Military
Seaport, the morning of October 17, 2003 presented an especially
dramatic sight to longshoremen and other port personnel: the first
major military load-out here, as over 600 pieces of military equipment,
including scores of Blackhawk helicopters, Heavy Expanded Mobility
Tactical Trucks (HEMTT) Aviation Fuel Tankers, and assorted other
vehicles were loaded aboard the Military Sealift Command (MTC) vessel
“1st Lt. Harry L. Martin”. The equipment, belonging
to the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division out of Fort Drum,
New York, is destined for the U.S. peace-keeping mission in Iraq.
Those witnessing the October 17 load-out at Packer
Avenue Marine Terminal saw a preview of the second major military-related
development this month at the Port. At about 1:00 p.m. that day,
as port officials were gathered aboard the “1st Harry L. Martin”
to commemorate the Fort Drum load-out taking place around them,
onlookers had a clear view of the Military Sealift Command’s
950-foot Large, Medium Speed, Roll-On/Roll-Off (LMSR) vessel “USNS
Mendonca” as it sailed past Packer Avenue Marine Terminal
on its way to its new LMSR lay berth upriver at the Tioga Marine
Terminal, where it safely docked about an hour later.
LMSR vessels, stationed at various U.S. ports
by the Military Sealift Command, are essentially immense floating
warehouses, available on short notice to dispatch military cargoes
and supplies anywhere in the world. A welcoming ceremony for the
“USNS Mendonca” and the “USNS Seay” was
held on Thursday, October 23 at the Tioga Marine Terminal, attended
by federal, state, and local public officials, and over one hundred
members of the Philadelphia maritime community. PRPA was selected
by the Military Sealift Command as homeport for two of its LMSR
vessels after an intense evaluation and selection process. Integral
to the Port of Philadelphia’s selection was its willingness
to enhance its mooring capacity at the Tioga Marine Terminal via
the construction of metal walkways and mooring dolphins in the Delaware
River, and other terminal improvements. The second LMSR, the “USNS
Seay”, arrived at the Tioga Marine Terminal on the morning
of Friday, October 24.
Smaller but no less interesting military-related
events have also occurred this month. Among the most notable happened
on Thursday, October 9, when members of the International Longshoremen’s
Association (ILA) underwent the latest round of training in the
handling of military cargoes that will now frequently move through
PRPA’s Packer Avenue Marine Terminal as a result of PRPA’s
Strategic Military Port designation. The October 9 training session-
conducted by Joseph Joyce and Steve Sailsbury of United Defense
of York, Pennsylvania, a private training firm- centered on training
Philadelphia longshore workers to operate the U.S. Army’s
M109A6 Paladin Howitzers during their loading process. The training
included learning to drive and steer the Paladins, securing the
gun tube, learning specific guide signals, and mastering the precise
moves needed to successfully drive a Paladin Howitzer onto a rail
car only inches wider than the width of the Paladin itself. Twenty
members of ILA Local 1291 participated in the October 9 training
session. The Philadelphia ILA is the only commercial maritime workforce
trained to handle Department of Defense cargoes like the Paladin
Howitzer.
October’s “Military Month”
activities at the Port of Philadelphia will close out with on-terminal
demonstrations of a new cargo transport, tracking, and logistics
technology developed by the Delaware River Maritime Enterprise Council
(DRMEC) known as the RAPID System. Of benefit to both military and
commercial cargoes, the RAPID System will enable the U.S. Department
of Defense to leverage commercial and logistics assets to improve
strategic mobility requirements during times of peace and national
need while minimizing disruptions to commercial operations. The
main demonstrations of the RAPID System will take place at Packer
Avenue Marine Terminal beginning on Monday, October 27.
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 Philadelphia, as well as strategic planning for maritime-industrial
activity in the port district. PRPA was selected by the Department
of Defense as the nation’s 14th Strategic Military Port in
October 2002, and selected by the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift
Command as a berthing location for two of its LMSR vessels in January
2003.
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PHILADELPHIA REGIONAL PORT AUTHORITY BOARD CALLS
FOR IMMEDIATE START
TO DELAWARE RIVER CHANNEL DEEPENING PROJECT
CHANNEL MUST BE DEEPENED TO 45 FEET, BOARD UNANIMOUSLY AFFIRMS
Philadelphia, September 26, 2003--
The Board of Directors of
the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA) today strongly reaffirmed
its support for the proposed Delaware River Navigation Deepening
Project. In a sternly-worded resolution that was unanimously adopted
during today’s Board of Directors meeting, the Board stated,
“the deepening project represents the single most important
step to assure the future viability of the Delaware River maritime
complex.”
Speaking on behalf of the Board, PRPA Chairman
Brian Preski, Esq. said, “there has been entirely too much
misinformation and politically motivated delay around this project.
This region has no more time for political games. Deepening the
Delaware River’s navigational channel will mean economic growth,
job creation, and expansion of trade for the entire region. The
consequences of not doing this project will be just as dramatic;
this port will be left behind as other maritime complexes along
the East Coast will reap the business and benefits that we will
effectively turn away.”
The Delaware River Channel Deepening Project
has been authorized by the U.S. Congress and the United States Army
Corps of Engineers. By deepening the navigation channel from 40
to 45 feet, the Delaware River will meet the competition presented
by major North Atlantic ports, competition that continually vies
for the Delaware River’s position as a primary gateway of
commerce between the U.S. and the world at large. Many seaports
along the North Atlantic range, including the Port of New York &
New Jersey, the Port of Baltimore and the Virginia Port Authority
all have navigational channels of at least 45 feet or more. John
Cuff, a PRPA Board Member and active river pilot for more than 25
years said, “this is a long overdue improvement to the Delaware
River and the thousands of maritime-related businesses that utilize
it. We must modernize or else suffer a serious decline in river
traffic.”
The resolution adopted by the PRPA Board at today’s
meeting also noted the financial commitment to the project made
by the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, and the
project’s local sponsor, the Delaware River Port Authority.
The total cost of the project, which will deepen the navigation
channel from the Delaware Bay to Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin
Bridge, is approximately $298 million, with the local regional community
providing a one-third match to the federal appropriation for the
entire project. Today’s resolution noted that this important
“public works project offers a splendid opportunity to translate
the rhetoric of regional cooperation into action.”
Expanding on this idea, Edward Keyser, PRPA Board
Member and President of the Pennsylvania Conference of Teamsters
said, “Here is a project that will create hundreds of jobs
right away and, more important, assure future jobs for the entire
tri-state area. This region should not squander this tremendous
opportunity.” As noted by the PRPA resolution, the channel
deepening project will benefit not only PRPA and its operations,
but numerous other public and private maritime-industrial operations
up and down the Delaware River.
Directly addressing the one area of controversy
that often arises when discussing the project, Chairman Preski noted
that as a Pennsylvania state agency, PRPA recognizes that the Commonwealth
must share in the responsibility of handling the dredged material
this huge project will generate. Specifically, he offered three
approaches to the handling of dredged material that will not only
equalize regional responsibility but will provide beneficial uses
for Pennsylvania.
First, he noted the PRPA’s SouthPort Project,
which aims to be the first major expansion on Pennsylvania’s
seaport facilities since 1968. The multi-purpose project would include
development for maritime purposes of an area directly south of the
Walt Whitman Bridge and PRPA’s Packer Avenue Marine Terminal,
incorporating existing piers and unused parcels of land. A key element
of the SouthPort Project would be the filling in of the areas between
Piers 122 and 124 and a parcel at the east end of the former Navy
Yard, owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The fill process
required to accomplish the SouthPort Project could utilize as much
as 2.5 million cubic yards of dredged material.
Second, PRPA has asked the Rendell administration
to act on the $3 million provided in a recent Capital Budget Itemization
Bill to build a rail spur adjacent to the Army Corps of Engineers
dredge disposal site at Fort Mifflin. When constructed, this spur
will facilitate the transportation of dredged material from the
Delaware River to previously identified mine reclamation sites in
northeastern Pennsylvania.
Finally, Chairman Preski noted PRPA’s initiation
of a feasibility study that will identify additional dredge disposal
site alternatives, including other landfill sites along the Delaware
River and quarry sites throughout Pennsylvania.
“It has been conclusively demonstrated
that dredged material from the Delaware River is environmentally
benign,” said Chairman Preski. “In addition to the previously-stated
economic benefits of the deepening project, these three suggested
re-uses of the project’s dredged materials will themselves
create economic activity and demonstrate Pennsylvania’s willingness
to be a responsible partner with New Jersey and Delaware in the
handling of these materials.”
Chairman Preski then elaborated on the primary
importance of the channel deepening project, even when compared
to other important PRPA initiatives. “Every day, PRPA aggressively
works to maintain and expand maritime commerce in this region, and
I know that other maritime businesses along the Delaware River do
the same,” said Chairman Preski. “Even now two brand-new
Port-Panamax container cranes, recently built by Hyundai Heavy Industries
of South Korea, are crossing three oceans on their way to our Packer
Avenue Marine Terminal, where they will allow the facility to service
the largest container vessels in operation today. But what good
is it if our maritime facilities can accommodate these new, modern
vessels if the Delaware River’s main channel can’t?
The time has come to make the channel deepening project a reality.”
Chairman Preski concluded his Board discussion
of the channel deepening project with the following: “For
almost two decades this project has been endorsed by virtually every
maritime-related agency, organization, and business relying on the
Delaware River, as well as by numerous public officials, economists,
and environmental experts. It has been subjected to unprecedented
public and private review, all of which has re-affirmed the environmental
soundness of the project and the enormous economic benefits it will
deliver. I once again call on the entire regional maritime community
to contact their congressional representatives and U.S. senators
and communicate to them that this project must finally commence.
It cannot wait. The future of one of this region’s greatest
assets, its international maritime industry, is literally in the
balance.”
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 strategic planning for maritime-industrial
activity throughout the port district. PRPA was named the nation’s
14th Strategic Military Port by the federal government this past
October, and soon after was selected by the U.S. Navy as a berthing
location for its LMSR supply vessels. The Port of Philadelphia is
one of the nation’s most active and successful breakbulk ports,
annually handling more fruit from South America than any other port
in the United States. PRPA recently added regular container service
to Europe and the Mediterranean to its complement of worldwide services.
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PHILADELPHIA REGIONAL PORT AUTHORITY ENGAGES TWO
NEW NORTH AMERICAN REPRESENTATIVES TO PROMOTE THE PORT OF PHILADELPHIA
AND SEEK NEW CARGOES
Philadelphia, May 28, 2003-- James
T. McDermott, Jr., Executive Director of the Philadelphia Regional
Port Authority (PRPA), today announced that PRPA has recently added
two new shipping industry professionals to its roster of foreign
and domestic representatives. Seeking new cargo opportunities in
the New York & northern New Jersey market will be Mr. Kevin
McGee, and representing PRPA in Canada will be Mr. Wade Wilson..
Specializing in sales and marketing, Mr. McGee
has extensive experience working for public sector port authorities
and in private industry. Mr. Wilson also has extensive sales and
marketing experience, primarily from his many years working for
major worldwide carriers. Mr. McGee can be reached in his Edison,
New Jersey office at (732) 225-5111 and Mr. Wilson can be reached
in his Quebec office at (450) 656-0922. For a full list of PRPA’s
foreign and domestic representatives, visit PRPA’s web site
at www.philaport.com. Like PRPA’s other worldwide representatives,
both Mr. McGee and Mr. Wilson will be managed by PRPA’s Marketing
Department.
“Our domestic and foreign representatives
are our eyes and ears around the world,” said Mr. McDermott.
“I’m pleased to strengthen our complement of contracted
representatives by adding these two fine individuals to this important
group.”
The Philadelphia
Regional Port Authority 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 strategic planning for all
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 HOSTS VISIT OF CHILEAN AMBASSADOR
TO THE UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR BIANCHI’S DAY-LONG VISIT INCLUDES
INSPECTING DISCHARGE OF CHILEAN FRUIT AT TIOGA MARINE TERMINAL
Philadelphia, April 15, 2003--
Officials of the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA)
were pleased to host a visit to the Port of Philadelphia by His
Excellency Andres Bianchi, Chilean Ambassador to the United States,
on Monday, April 14, 2003. During the course of his visit, Ambassador
Bianchi met with several PRPA officials, took a walking tour of
the Port’s on-dock fumigation and storage facilities, and
witnessed the discharge of pallets of Chilean grapes from the m/v
Wellington Star.
Ambassador Bianchi’s afternoon visit to
the Port’s busiest facility for Chilean fruit imports, the
Tioga Marine Terminal, followed his participation in a business
seminar earlier in the day that closely examined the U.S./Chile
trade relationship and how it could be of further benefit to Pennsylvania
businesses. Sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; the Greater
Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce; and the Chilean & American
Chamber of Commerce, the seminar covered a variety of business topics,
with a special emphasis on building support for a Free Trade Agreement
between the United States and the Republic of Chile, and the numerous
benefits of such an agreement. PRPA is a charter member of the Chilean
& American Chamber of Commerce, and PRPA’s Deputy Executive
Director, Robert C. Blackburn, serves as the organization’s
current President. The seminar was held at the historic Union League
of Philadelphia, located a short distance from Philadelphia’s
working waterfront.
During his opening comments for the morning business
session, Mr. Blackburn lauded the port and business community for
the long and successful trade relationship between Chile and Philadelphia.
“Speaking as both Deputy Executive Director of the PRPA and
current President of the Chilean American Chamber, I am very proud
of the excellent relationship between the Republic of Chile and
this region,” said Mr. Blackburn. “During the fruit
season of 2001/2002 we increased imports of Chilean fruit by 14.5%,
bringing more than 48 million cases of fruit imports to the region.
And the 2002/2003 season is shaping up to be extremely successful,
as well.”
Mr. Blackburn also gave several examples of the
cooperative effort between business and government to foster and
expand this trade. “We have successfully worked with the State
of Pennsylvania to organize two trade missions to Chile, one in
June of 1994 and one in December of 2000. During the latter mission,
the Pennsylvania Governor at the time was Tom Ridge and we were
proud that he traveled with us to Chile.” He also acknowledged
the ongoing efforts of Ambassador Bianchi and the Embassy of Chile
in Washington to support and expand trade between Chile and the
U.S., and also made special recognition of the fact that the Chilean
government in particular acknowledges the strong relationship between
Chile and the Philadelphia region by maintaining a fully-staffed
consulate in Philadelphia, currently headed by Consul General Jose
Luis Morales.
Later that day, Mr. Blackburn personally escorted
Ambassador Bianchi through the Tioga Marine Terminal, explaining
every stage of the handling process for Chilean fruit. Ambassador
Bianchi then asked if he could sample some of his country’s
exports, and officials of terminal operator Delaware River Stevedores,
Inc. were happy to oblige, opening a case of grapes for the ambassador
and his colleagues to taste. Ambassador Bianchi definitely approved
of the product, as he continued to eat grapes well after the official
“photo op” concluded.
“It was an honor and pleasure to
show Ambassador Bianchi our fruit-handling operation at Tioga Marine
Terminal,” said Mr. Blackburn. “I know he appreciated
seeing first-hand the jobs and economic activity generated by the
annual winter fruit cargoes at the Port of Philadelphia. Along with
the U.S. and Chilean American Chambers, the Port definitely looks
forward to working with the ambassador and his staff on a variety
of issues to further enhance trade.”
The Philadelphia
Regional Port Authority 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 strategic planning for all
maritime-industrial activity in the port district. PRPA was created
by an act of the Pennsylvania legislature in 1989. The U.S. Chamber
of Commerce can be reached at (202) 463-3126 and the Chilean &
American Chamber of Commerce can be contacted at (215) 790-3690,
or via its website at
www.caccgp.org.
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New Australia/New Zealand Chamber of Commerce Unveiled;
Ambassadors from both countries to attend inaugural event
In Philadelphia on March 4
Philadelphia, February 11, 2003--
With its strong and recently enhanced steamship service between
the Port of Philadelphia and Australia/New Zealand, the Philadelphia
Regional Port Authority (PRPA) is pleased to help publicize the
following news that will be of great interest to regional shippers
and manufacturers who do business with Australia and New Zealand:
To commemorate the ANZUS Business Exchange recently
changing its name to The MidAtlantic, Australian New Zealand Chamber
of Commerce in order to more accurately reflect its role in serving
business in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland, a reception
to launch the new Chamber will be held on Tuesday, March 4, 2003
at the offices of Blank Rome Comisky & McCauley, LLP, One Logan
Square, Philadelphia, PA 19103-6998.
The Honorable Michael Thawley, Australian Ambassador
to the US and The Honorable John Wood, New Zealand Ambassador will
attend this meeting. Businesses that already do business with Australia
and/or New Zealand or who are interested in doing business or licensing
technology are welcome to attend this reception.
The reception will be held from 5:30 to 7:30
p.m., and there will be no charge to attend. However, if you plan
to attend, the Chamber would appreciate a response to Philip Minter
at (215) 321-1662 indicating the name of your firm and the names
of those who will attend.
Companies or individuals who join the new chamber
will receive many benefits, including a regular newsletter outlining
business opportunities in Australia and New Zealand. This newsletter
will include information on shipping, import/export regulations,
as well as legal and accounting practices in both countries. Also,
several times a year members will be invited to meet personally
with government and business leaders from Australia or New Zealand
who may be visiting this area.
The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority will
support this important new organization and urges other regional
businesses involved in these vital trade lanes to do the same.
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Port of Philadelphia announces new Round The World
Service By P&O Nedlloyd and partners; Calls to North Europe
now available for the first time In over a decade
Philadelphia, February 6, 2003--
Brian Preski, Esq., Chairman of the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority
(PRPA) today announced that the Port of Philadelphia has formalized
its working relationship with worldwide carrier P&O Nedlloyd
and its vessel-sharing partners Columbus Line and Contship Containerlines,
resulting in significantly enhanced service to Australia and New
Zealand, and most dramatically, new service to ports in northern
Europe.
“I am very pleased to announce that,
with an agreement reached between officials of PRPA, Greenwich Terminals
LLC, carrier P&0 Nedlloyd and its vessel-sharing partners, the
Port of Philadelphia will now offer regular Round the World service
from its largest facility, the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal, effective
immediately,” said Chairman Preski. “The centerpiece
of this new service will be regular calls at key ports in northern
Europe, a very exciting development for the Port of Philadelphia
and its customers.”
Initial voyages for this new service were made
in December, 2002 and early January, 2003, with successful vessel
calls by P&O Nedlloyd and its partners in this new service,
Columbus Line and Contship Containerlines, at PRPA’s 106-acre
Packer Avenue facility, operated by Greenwich Terminals LLC. P&O
Nedlloyd’s “Remuera”, Columbus Line’s “Columbus
New Zealand”, and Contship’s “Contship Australis”
all discharged a variety of containerized cargoes during their maiden
calls here, with a particular emphasis on containerized refrigerated
cargoes.
In fact, it was the Port of Philadelphia’s
commitment to further enhance its refrigerated-handling capacity
that lead to the three lines formalizing their vessel-sharing agreement
here. Shortly before today’s announcement, the carriers accepted
PRPA’s offer of providing $8 million in improvements and expansion
to its refrigerated capacity at Packer Avenue Marine Terminal in
return for a long-term commitment to provide service at the facility.
The $8 million in state capital funding will primarily be used to
significantly expand the amount of reefer plugs and on-dock refrigerated
storage at the terminal.
“Thanks to our friends in the state
government, especially Pennsylvania Governor Mark Schweiker and
House Majority Leader John Perzel, we had the tools to attract this
extraordinary new service to Philadelphia,” said Chairman
Preski. “We are very fortunate to have a state government
that recognizes the importance of having a healthy, vibrant international
seaport operating in Pennsylvania. We are now truly a world-class
port, and we look forward to continuing to provide jobs and other
economic benefits to Philadelphians and all Pennsylvanians.”
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania not only provided
the aforementioned $8 million for expansion of refrigerated capacity
at Packer Avenue Marine Terminal, but also recently provided $15
million for PRPA to purchase two new state-of-the-art container
cranes for the facility, another major development that contributed
to P&O and its partners making the Port of Philadelphia a central
port of call for this service.
“The new Hyundai Post-Panamax container
cranes and the expansion of the already massive refrigerated capacity
at Packer Avenue signal steadfast commitment to Philadelphia’s
industrial port by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Greenwich
Terminals LLC,” said Tom Holt, Jr., President of Greenwich.
“We are the gateway port for the tri-state region and the
Ohio Valley to and from South America, Australia, New Zealand and
now Europe. Now, with the marquis steamship lines of the world and
the Commonwealth’s new leadership, we are committed to opening
that gateway wider than ever to improve trade and create new jobs.”
The Port’s new North Europe service will
feature regular fixed-day Thursday sailings from the Packer Avenue
Marine Terminal. Port calls in northern Europe and the Mediterranean
region will include Zeebrugge, Tillbury, Hamburg, Rotterdam, La
Spezia, and Damietta, container-service connections not previously
available at the Port of Philadelphia. In addition to this unprecedented
new service to Europe, significantly enhanced service to Australia
and New Zealand will also result, further solidifying the already
excellent trade relationship between Philadelphia and those countries.
Port calls in Australia/New Zealand will include Fremantle, Melbourne,
Sydney, Brisbane, Auckland, Napier, and Port Chalmers. The new service
will also make a call in Manzanillo, Panama.
“What can be more exciting at the
beginning of the new year than to be able to make this announcement:
the Port of Philadelphia once again offers regular container service
to major ports in Europe,” said PRPA Executive Director James
T. McDermott, Jr. “And on top of that, our Australia/New Zealand
connections are now better than ever, too. Instead of the ten-day
service offered in the past, we’ll now offer a fixed day weekly
service to those countries, which will greatly enhance our opportunities
to handle vegetables, produce, and other perishables from that part
of the world. So, once again, thanks to the support of the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania, great things are happening at this port.”
Working in conjunction with terminal operator
Greenwich Terminals LLC, PRPA staff will aggressively market and
promote the Port’s new Round The World service to the regional
shipping community. In particular, incentive programs such as PRPA’s
Pennsylvania Export Initiative program, which provides a $50 per
container reimbursement for qualified shipments, will be marketed
to current and potential port users who consider using the Port’s
new or enhanced worldwide connections.
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 SELECTED AS HOME PORT
FOR MILITARY SEALIFT COMMAND’S LMSR VESSELS
Philadelphia, January 31, 2003--
Brian Preski, Esq. Chairman of the Philadelphia Regional
Port Authority (PRPA), today announced that the United States Navy’s
Military Sealift Command has selected the Port of Philadelphia as
a long-term berthing location for two of its Large, Medium Speed
Roll On/Roll Off (LMSR) ships. The vessels will be berthed at PRPA’s
Tioga Marine Terminal.
“Once again, the Federal Government
has looked to the Port of Philadelphia to assist our national defense
effort, and we intend to rise to the challenge,” said Chairman
Preski. “Last October, the U.S. Army’s Military Traffic
Management Command selected the Port of Philadelphia as the nations
14th Strategic Military Port, and now I am happy to report that
the Navy’s Military Sealift Command (MSC) has selected the
Port of Philadelphia to berth and support two of its LMSR vessels,
critical components of our national defense.”
LMSR vessels are berthed and maintained at selected
U.S. and foreign ports, and their mission is to be ready at a moment’s
notice to deliver military equipment and supplies to any part of
the world during times of crisis. The Military Sealift Command’s
current deployment plan calls for two U.S. ports in the North Atlantic
range to each accommodate two LMSR vessels. For the past two years,
MSC has be re-evaluating its LMSR presence in U.S. ports, and this
past week reported to PRPA officials that it had selected the Port
of Philadelphia as one of its LMSR ports in the U.S. North Atlantic
range.
Initially, PRPA had responded to an MSC Request-for-Proposal
regarding the LMSRs in October 2001, and PRPA’s final revised
proposal was made in October 2002. Today’s announcement was
the culmination of that competitive process to select a port among
the many ports that responded to the RFP.
Utilizing special mooring “dolphins”
to be anchored in the Delaware River, the LMSR vessels will be moored
side by side, or “nested”, at the north end of the Tioga
Marine Terminal. Because these mooring dolphins will permit the
berthed vessels to extend beyond the marine terminal, the two vessels’
layberth will utilize only a small portion of the terminal’s
marginal berth and adjacent acreage, enabling commercial cargo-handling
operations to continue unimpeded. PRPA expects to use approximately
$6,000,000 of state capital funding to make the mooring and terminal
infrastructure improvements necessary for the LMSRs. Further, current
plans call for a significant portion of this initial financial outlay
by the state to be reimbursed by the Military Sealift Command.
“It is very important to note that,
as proud as we are to be assisting our national defense effort,
this new development also makes good economic sense for the Port
of Philadelphia,” said Chairman Preski. “In return for
making affordable, relatively minor alterations to the Tioga Marine
Terminal to accommodate these vessels, PRPA will receive regular
berthing fees from the U.S. Navy, and the port community at large
will experience all the economic benefits of having these ships
in port. We should also stress that the presence of these vessels
will in no way reduce our ability to service our commercial shipping
customers at Tioga Marine Terminal.”
Chairman Preski also pointed out the critical
role played by our region’s state and federal legislators
to help bring about today’s victory for the Port of Philadelphia.
“Once again, our legislators focused their time and effort
to the cause of Pennsylvania’s international seaport, to the
good of all Pennsylvanians,” said Chairman Preski. “I
especially want to single out Pennsylvania State Representative
Bill Keller, House Majority Leader John Perzel, and on the federal
level, our congressmen: Robert Brady, Curt Weldon, Joe Hoeffel,
and John Murtha, and, of course, Senators Arlen Specter and Rick
Santorum, who have always made a strong case for the Port of Philadelphia
in our nation’s capital. ”
PRPA pursued this project because it represented
an important step in the evolution of the Port of Philadelphia as
a component of this country’s national defense efforts. In
particular, the assignment of the LMSR vessels is a logical complement
to the recent designation of the Port of Philadelphia as a Strategic
Military Port. Like this earlier designation, the LSMR assignment
will enhance the Port of Philadelphia’s profile in this crucial
funding period when the federal government is allocating resources
for security enhancements at our nation’s seaports. It also
further integrates the Port of Philadelphia into the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania’s defense preparedness structure. With the
LMSR vessels at the Port of Philadelphia, important Pennsylvania
military facilities such as those located at Letterkenney and Susquehanna
Depot will have greater flexibility in transporting their crucial
material in times of national mobilization. Few other states in
the country can boast of this interconnected network of military
supply bases and an international seaport which is also a military
seaport and the site of LMSR layberth vessels. PRPA believes that
this fact will benefit the Commonwealth during the upcoming BRAC
review of military facilities.
PRPA will shortly provide additional information
about this important new development for the Port of Philadelphia,
including a timetable for the arrival of the LMSR vessels, additional
cost/benefit data, and information about day-to-day operational
issues related to having these vessels in port.
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. The 96-acre Tioga Marine Terminal,
PRPA’s northernmost facility, is located along the Delaware
River just off the Allegheny Avenue exit of Interstate 95.
Completion of new movable warehouse at Tioga Terminal,
first military outload at Packer Avenue Terminal, highlight busy
first week of 2003 at the Port of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, January 9, 2003-- With the completion
and immediate utilization of a new 100,000 square foot movable warehouse
at the Tioga Marine Terminal on Thursday, January 2 and the outload
of more than a dozen pieces of major military equipment on Friday,
January 3 at the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal, the Port of Philadelphia
had a very busy first week of the new year.
The construction of the 100,000 square foot frame-supported
movable warehouse at the Tioga Marine Terminal follows on the heels
of a similar structure built at another Philadelphia Regional Port
Authority facility, Pier 84, in mid-2002. Construction of the former
structure was instrumental in attracting Oldendorff Carriers’
“Indotrans Service” to the Port of Philadelphia last
spring, and the current structure at the Tioga Marine Terminal will
go a long way to maintain and expand Latin American forest products
business currently moving through the Tioga Marine Terminal, primarily
via Bertling Line.
Port officials, including PRPA Executive Director
James T. McDermott, Jr. and Deputy Executive Director Robert Blackburn
gathered briefly with representatives of terminal operator Delaware
River Stevedores to mark the official opening of the new $3.5 million
warehouse on January 2, but then quickly got out of the way so cargo
from Bertling Line’s M/V Normandie could be moved into the
structure. The cargo consisted mainly of wood moldings and other
finished wood products that will eventually make their way to regional
home-improvement retailers.
At the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal on Friday,
January 3, about a dozen pieces of military hardware, including
three helicopters flown into the terminal on Saturday, December
28 and then promptly shrink-wrapped, were loaded aboard the roll-on/roll-off
vessel “Lightning” for transport to Panama. The helicopters
and various military vehicles will be utilized during the course
of a U.S. Army humanitarian mission in that country to build schools,
housing, and improve irrigation in selected areas. The January 3
outload represented the first military cargoes to move through the
Port of Philadelphia since the Port was designated by the Department
of Defense as the nation’s 14th Strategic Military Port in
October, 2002.
“Packer Avenue Marine Terminal and
Tioga Marine Terminal are the Port’s largest and most versatile
facilities,” said PRPA Executive Director James T. McDermott,
Jr. “So it is especially appropriate that these terminals
kicked off the new year with some dramatic new business developments.”
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.
Return to Top
Completion of new movable warehouse at Tioga Terminal,
first military outload at Packer Avenue Terminal, highlight busy
first week of 2003 at the Port of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, January 9, 2003--
With the completion and immediate utilization of a new
100,000 square foot movable warehouse at the Tioga Marine Terminal
on Thursday, January 2 and the outload of more than a dozen pieces
of major military equipment on Friday, January 3 at the Packer Avenue
Marine Terminal, the Port of Philadelphia had a very busy first
week of the new year.
The construction of the 100,000 square foot frame-supported
movable warehouse at the Tioga Marine Terminal follows on the heels
of a similar structure built at another Philadelphia Regional Port
Authority facility, Pier 84, in mid-2002. Construction of the former
structure was instrumental in attracting Oldendorff Carriers’
“Indotrans Service” to the Port of Philadelphia last
spring, and the current structure at the Tioga Marine Terminal will
go a long way to maintain and expand Latin American forest products
business currently moving through the Tioga Marine Terminal, primarily
via Bertling Line.
Port officials, including PRPA Executive Director
James T. McDermott, Jr. and Deputy Executive Director Robert Blackburn
gathered briefly with representatives of terminal operator Delaware
River Stevedores to mark the official opening of the new $3.5 million
warehouse on January 2, but then quickly got out of the way so cargo
from Bertling Line’s M/V Normandie could be moved into the
structure. The cargo consisted mainly of wood moldings and other
finished wood products that will eventually make their way to regional
home-improvement retailers.
At the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal on Friday,
January 3, about a dozen pieces of military hardware, including
three helicopters flown into the terminal on Saturday, December
28 and then promptly shrink-wrapped, were loaded aboard the roll-on/roll-off
vessel “Lightning” for transport to Panama. The helicopters
and various military vehicles will be utilized during the course
of a U.S. Army humanitarian mission in that country to build schools,
housing, and improve irrigation in selected areas. The January 3
outload represented the first military cargoes to move through the
Port of Philadelphia since the Port was designated by the Department
of Defense as the nation’s 14th Strategic Military Port in
October, 2002.
“Packer Avenue Marine Terminal and
Tioga Marine Terminal are the Port’s largest and most versatile
facilities,” said PRPA Executive Director James T. McDermott,
Jr. “So it is especially appropriate that these terminals
kicked off the new year with some dramatic new business developments.”
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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