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| PRPA News Releases |
Philadelphia, November 16, 2011 Philadelphia, November 15, 2011 Philadelphia, November 9, 2011 Philadelphia, October 14, 2011 Philadelphia, September 21, 2011 Panama City, Panama, August 30, 2011 Philadelphia, May 4, 2011 Philadelphia, February 4, 2011
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PRPA SALUTES JOSEPH A. BALZANO, PHILADELPHIA, DECEMBER 14-- The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA) was honored to participate in a ceremony that renamed the South Jersey Port Corporation's former Beckett Street Terminal, which will now be known as the Joseph A. Balzano Marine Terminal. A busy thoroughfare outside the Camden, New Jersey facility was also renamed in Mr. Balzano's honor. Hundreds of maritime industry officials and workers attended the December 14 ceremony and lunch sponsored by the South Jersey Port Corporation, with everyone in attendance enthusiastically acknowledging the late port director's role in fostering international maritime commerce on the Delaware River. "Everyone on this river has such a great respect for Joe Balzano," said PRPA Executive Director James T. McDermott, Jr. "In areas where we competed, Joe Balzano was an honorable competitor, but more importantly, he always saw the big picture and did so much for the Delaware River as a whole. To say he will be missed, but personally and professionally, is a major understatement. I can't think of a more appropriate honor than South Jersey Port Corporation renaming its busiest marine terminal after him." After a 60 year career at the South Jersey Port Corporation, the last 23 years as the agency's Executive Director, Mr. Balzano passed away in October of this year. Since his death, countless honors and events have occurred, all aimed at recognizing his many contributions and assuring his legacy.
PHILADELPHIA REGIONAL PORT AUTHORITY WELCOMES URUGUAY’S MINISTER OF TRADE & AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES PHILADELPHIA, NOVEMBER 16, 2011-- The Port of Philadelphia was pleased to host a visit by a delegation of port, government and business officials from the South American nation of Uruguay on Thursday, November 3. The delegation was lead by Mr. Tabare Aguerre, Uruguay’s Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries, and also included Mr. Carlos Gianelli, Ambassador of Uruguay to the United States. During the course of the delegation’s day-long visit, Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA) officials discussed with delegation members past business between the Port of Philadelphia and Uruguay, and potential new business. The Port of Philadelphia and Uruguay already have an established, genial trade relationship virtually dating back to the creation of the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority in 1990. Past cargoes from Uruguay that have arrived at the Port of Philadelphia’s maritime facilities have included paper, fresh meat, and fruit. “It was an honor to meet Minister Aguerre, Ambassador Gianelli, and their colleagues from Uruguay’s business and trade community,” said PRPA Executive Director James T. McDermott, Jr. “The delegation is making many stops during its ambitious U.S. tour, and we truly appreciate that the group made it a priority to visit the Port of Philadelphia. PRPA’s marketing team and the Port’s terminal operators are already moving forward with delegation members, as well as additional contacts suggested by the delegation, to develop new business that will result in more cargo moving between the Port of Philadelphia and Uruguay.” For more information about the recent visit by Minister Aguerre, Ambassador Gianelli and their delegation, please contact the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority Marketing Department. For a complete list of delegation members click here. The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA) is an independent agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania charged with the management, maintenance, marketing, and promotion of publicly owned port facilities along the Delaware River in Philadelphia, as well as strategic planning throughout the port district. PRPA works with its terminal operators to modernize, expand, and improve its facilities, and to market those facilities to prospective port users. Port cargoes and the activities they generate are responsible for thousands of direct and indirect jobs in the Philadelphia area and throughout Pennsylvania.
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PHILADELPHIA REGIONAL PORT AUTHORITY PHILADELPHIA, NOVEMBER 15, 2011-- Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA) Chairman Charles G. Kopp, Esq. and PRPA’s entire staff congratulate Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett for being named the 2011 recipient of the prestigious “Friend of Chile” Award by the Chilean & American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia (CACCGP). The award was presented to Governor Corbett at the organization’s 14th Annual Award Luncheon, which was held at Philadelphia’s Union League on Thursday, November 10, 2011. The award is presented every year to an individual who has demonstrated, through support, policies, and/or activities, that he or she is a true friend and ally of trade between Philadelphia and the nation of Chile. The Port of Philadelphia has been a major handler of Chilean agricultural products for more than thirty years, with substantial support by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania helping over the years to keep the Port’s maritime facilities efficient and modern. Commonwealth support has been directly responsible for improvements and enhancements to the Port’s refrigeration capacity, square footage, and other important facility attributes, all assisting the Port to retain and expand cargoes such as Chilean grapes and other fruit and agricultural products, as well as other cargoes. Governor Corbett’s administration has continued the long tradition of the State of Pennsylvania recognizing the economic importance of a healthy and thriving seaport in Philadelphia. Witnessing the sold-out award ceremony on November 10 were PRPA Chairman Charles Kopp, Senior Deputy Executive Director Robert C. Blackburn, Director of Marketing Sean Mahoney, and other members of PRPA’s staff involved in promoting or facilitating Chilean/American trade at the Port. Mr. Blackburn is also a member of the Chilean & American Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. In addition to Governor Corbett, PRPA also congratulates longtime fruit importer Peter Kopke Sr. of William H. Kopke Jr. Inc. for being honored with the Chamber’s 1st Annual Lifetime Achievement Award, in recognition for his integral role, begun more than three decades ago, in establishing and strengthening regular trade between the Port of Philadelphia and Chile. “With the annual Chilean fruit season about to begin here at the Port of Philadelphia, it was especially appropriate to take a moment to celebrate this trade that is integral to the livelihoods of so many on our working waterfront, and to acknowledge the people who help to keep it going,” said Chairman Kopp. “I salute Governor Corbett, Mr. Kopke, and everyone in the regional maritime industry who are tirelessly dedicated to this important business.” The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA) is an independent agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania charged with the management, maintenance, marketing, and promotion of publicly owned port facilities along the Delaware River in Philadelphia, as well as strategic planning throughout the port district. PRPA works with its terminal operators to modernize, expand, and improve its facilities, and to market those facilities to prospective port users. Port cargoes and the activities they generate are responsible for thousands of direct and indirect jobs in the Philadelphia area and throughout Pennsylvania. The Chilean and American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia is a non-profit, apolitical membership organization created to foster increased and improved commercial and trade relations between the Republic of Chile and the Greater Philadelphia region. To learn more about the organization, visit www.caccgp.com. Do you have a friend or colleague who may find this news release interesting? Pass it on!
PORT OF PHILADELPHIA HANDLES MAJOR SHIPMENT OF MILITARY CARGO BLACKHAWK AND APACHE HELICOPTERS, OTHER EQUIPMENT PHILADELPHIA, NOVEMBER 9, 2011-- A sunny, untypically warm day underscored a proud sight for the Port of Philadelphia’s ILA labor force and other maritime industry workers on Tuesday, November 8. On that day, the 841st Transportation Battalion of the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC) performed the final leg of a major redeployment mission: discharging 258 pieces of U.S. Army cargo, including 33 helicopters, 225 containers, and various rolling stock (vehicles) from the commercial vessel M/V FREEDOM, at the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority’s Packer Avenue Marine Terminal. The cargo, including fully functional Blackhawk and Apache helicopters, served US troops in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. The M/V FREEDOM arrived at the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal during the evening of November 7, with discharge of the cargo commencing on the morning of Tuesday, November 8. About 50 members of the Philadelphia ILA assisted SDDC personnel during the course of the discharge operation, which lasted from 9:00 a.m. to about 6:00 p.m. The cargo discharged at the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal by the SDDC’s 841st Transportation Battalion was used by the Army’s 10th Combat Aviation Brigade in Afghanistan. Now that the cargo has been offloaded onto the terminal, it will be transported to the Army’s Fort Drum facility in northern New York State, the Aviation Brigade’s home base. Helicopters discharged from the vessel are now being reassembled at the terminal and will be flown to that location over the course of the next few days. “The return of military cargo and equipment has always been a dramatic sight in the past, and it was equally so during this most recent re-deployment,” said PRPA Executive Director James T. McDermott, Jr. “While we are very happy for the jobs and economic impact this busy operation brought to our largest marine terminal, what was most gratifying was once again having the opportunity to see our workforce expertly and respectfully handle this equipment that has capably served on our nation’s first line of defense.” The Port of Philadelphia was designated a Strategic Military Seaport in 2002, and since then has handled dozens of major military shipments. Mitch Chandran, an SDDC official who traveled to Philadelphia to witness the operation, said, “As our operations in Iraq and Afghanistan continue to draw down, shipments like this one will become more frequent as our personnel and their equipment return home.” The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA) is an independent agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania charged with the management, maintenance, marketing, and promotion of publicly owned port facilities along the Delaware River in Philadelphia, as well as strategic planning throughout the port district. PRPA works with its terminal operators to modernize, expand, and improve its facilities, and to market those facilities to prospective port users. Port cargoes and the activities they generate are responsible for thousands of direct and indirect jobs in the Philadelphia area and throughout Pennsylvania. Attached photographs:Apache and Blackhawk helicopters are carefully rolled off the M/V FREEDOM on Tuesday, November 8.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CARGO INCREASES, LAND GAINS, FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS,AND PROGRESS IN CHANNEL DEEPENINGAMONG PORT OF PHILADELPHIA’S RECENT SUCCESSES “NATIONAL AND WORLDWIDE ECONOMIC CHALLENGES SPURRED OUR PORT TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE AND PROACTIVE,” SAID PORT CHAIRMAN CHARLES KOPP, “AND BROUGHT ABOUT SOME BIG ADVANCES FOR US.” PHILADELPHIA, OCTOBER 14, 2011-- With newly-released cargo statistics showing a healthy 12 percent gain in cargoes handled at the Port of Philadelphia during the first eight months this year compared to last, cargo activity was only the latest highlight among many successes this year at Pennsylvania’s international seaport. Other notable advances include:
But it was recent cargo figures that have provided the most immediate good news for the region. With 1,424,710 metric tons of containers handled this year through August compared to 1,302,386 metrics tons handled during the same period in 2010, container tonnage was up over 9 percent. Counted as individual containers, the 205,221 containers handled year-to-date in 2011 was a sizable 15 percent gain over the 178,250 containers handled during the same time in 2010. Breakbulk cargoes, which include palletized cargoes and other products not shipped in bulk or containers, also showed a healthy gain year-to-date in 2011 compared to the same period last year. Comprising cargoes such as steel, fruit, forest products, cocoa beans, and project cargo, breakbulk cargoes were up over 7 percent, with 753,346 metric tons of breakbulk cargoes handled at the Port in 2011 year-to-date compared with the 701,936 metric tons handled during the same period last year. Particular highlights among breakbulk cargoes included cocoa beans (with 91,410 metric tons handled, up 15 percent), forest products (with 297,313 metric tons handled, up 19 percent), and project cargoes (with 32,565 metric tons handled, up 63 percent). Virtually absent from Philadelphia’s working waterfront for many years, automobiles returned to the Port in spectacular fashion in late 2010 with the arrival of Hyundai and Kia, and their logistics partner Glovis. Now regularly offloading at PRPA’s Packer Avenue Marine Terminal (PAMT) thousands at a time via modern, sophisticated auto-carrying vessels, Hyundai and Kia automobiles are now familiar sights at both PAMT and the Pier 98 Auto Processing Facility located across the street from the sprawling South Philadelphia terminal. So far, 85,785 automobiles have moved through the Port this year compared to virtually none moving through the Port during the same period last year. PRPA, with the assistance of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, made substantial improvements to both PAMT and Pier 98 Annex to prepare for and properly accommodate this substantial new labor-intensive cargo by Hyundai and Kia. These improvements for the Port’s auto cargoes complemented, in fact, another major initiative at the Port in recent months: the implementation of a major capital program to upgrade and improve PRPA’s maritime facilities, both to enhance their safety and to improve their cargo-handling efficiency. “In response to PRPA’s requests to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for continued investment in its seaport asset in Philadelphia, the Commonwealth directed PRPA to establish a capital budget process to guide the state’s future investment,” said PRPA Executive Director James T. McDermott, Jr. “This process would suggest a budget and timeline for the state’s investment in the maintenance and improvement of the Port’s facilities.” To that end, PRPA retained a distinguished international consulting firm, Moffatt & Nichol, to conduct a Strategic Facilities Assessment (SFA), now the centerpiece of a 10-year capital plan. With the SFA recommending $300 million worth of facility improvements to enhance safety, cargo-handling efficiency, and future cargo trends, the first phase of PRPA’s capital plan is now underway at the Port. The Commonwealth is currently investing $85 million in the Port’s facilities to assure that Philadelphia’s maritime industry will continue to be a major contributor to Pennsylvania’s economy. The following are notable examples of PRPA capital projects now underway or scheduled to begin shortly. It should be noted that all projects will not only result in more cargo-related jobs in the future, but will also create many construction jobs immediately.
“These improvements will make our facilities safer and stronger, and will extend their lives as productive cargo facilities,” said Mr. McDermott. “For example, the waterside improvements at Packer Avenue Marine Terminal and Tioga Marine Terminal will significantly extend the life of the steel sheet pile structures, which are essentially the piers themselves. We’re gratified that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has so strongly gotten behind the year-one improvements detailed in the Moffatt & Nichol study, and we look forward to working with the Commonwealth when it’s time to move forward on the improvements scheduled for years two through five, and beyond.” In addition to the SFA’s listed projects, additional paving at the Pier 98 Annex Automobile Processing Facility was also recently completed. This vital paving project, costing $2 million, was needed for the Port to properly handle its new automobile cargoes. Recognizing the importance of the project, Governor Corbett and his administration authorized and funded its completion. As cargo levels have increased and various capital improvements have been undertaken throughout the port, another piece of big news has port officials, maritime industry professionals, and members of the Port’s labor force looking with excitement into the future: the recent acquisition by the Port of Philadelphia of significant new lands on the Delaware River waterfront. At PRPA’s initiative, 188 acres of the former Philadelphia Navy Yard was recently deeded to PRPA. Located adjacent to the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal, PRPA will use this new land to construct, in conjunction with the Commonwealth and private sector investors, a new state-of-the-art container terminal. The Southport Marine Terminal will be the first major expansion of the Port of Philadelphia in over 50 years. The Southport project has the potential to double the amount of container traffic at the Port of Philadelphia, and takes advantage of the final piece of important news now reverberating throughout the Port of Philadelphia: Governor Corbett’s release on September 21 of $15 million to allow the Delaware River Main Channel-Deepening Project to continue. This project, which began in March 2010 and is currently underway to deepen the Delaware River from 40 to 45 feet, will permit larger, more modern vessels, with their increased loads of containers, to travel to and from the Port of Philadelphia. The current expansion of the Panama Canal, which will also allow a wider variety of vessels to travel to and from Philadelphia, will also create the potential for significant new container traffic at the Port. With the addition of Southport, the Port of Philadelphia’s facilities will be especially primed to take advantage of this new cargo. “In response to the challenging national economic downturn of recent years, the Port of Philadelphia chose to not simply wait things out, but to become more aggressive and proactive,” said PRPA Chairman Charles G. Kopp. “Our senior executives and our marketing team, working with our terminal operators, worked hard to attract new cargoes to Philadelphia, cargoes like the Hyundai and Kia automobiles that now regularly move through the Port. We also worked closer with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the area of future investment, communicating to the state that port investment is sound investment. And while all that was going on, we saw significant success in two other longtime initiatives: the acquisition of land at the Navy Yard, and the start of the channel deepening project, a project to which the state recently re-committed its support.” Chairman Kopp concluded, “There is still much work to be done for the port to truly fulfill its potential. But seeing all that is going on both on the waterfront and behind the scenes, I’m very optimistic that the best days for the Port of Philadelphia are still in front of us.” The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA) is an independent agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania charged with the management, maintenance, marketing, and promotion of publicly-owned port facilities along the Delaware River in Philadelphia, as well as strategic planning throughout the port district. PRPA works with its terminal operators to modernize, expand, and improve its facilities, and to market those facilities to prospective port users. Port cargoes and the activities they generate are responsible for thousands of direct and indirect jobs in the Philadelphia area and throughout Pennsylvania.
For more information, please contact: Joseph Menta Kevin Harley GOVERNOR CORBETT ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF $15 MILLION FUNDING ALLOWS VITAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECT PHILADELPHIA, SEPTEMBER 21, 2011-- Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett visited the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority’s Packer Avenue Marine Terminal today to announce the release of significant state funding to continue the Delaware River Main Channel-Deepening project. The project, which began last year, will ultimately deepen the Delaware River’s entire 103-mile main shipping channel from 40 to 45 feet. Governor Corbett announced that $15 million will be immediately released, allowing the project to proceed. “With ports up and down the East Coast deepening their navigation channels, Pennsylvania’s international seaport in Philadelphia must keep pace to remain competitive in the growing international market,” Governor Corbett told a large gathering of elected officials, maritime industry heads, labor and business leaders, and port workers. “A deeper river opens the way for world trade- an economic high tide of sorts. One estimate says the deepening of the river channel will create more than 8,000 to 12,000 direct jobs, and indirectly contribute to another 38,000.” The funding will allow the lower portion of “Reach B,” a section of the Delaware River shipping channel located off the coast of Delaware, to be deepened to 45 feet. As with work done thus far on the project, a private dredging company chosen through a public bid process will perform the deepening, under the guidance and supervision of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Delaware River Main Channel-Deepening Project is a federal public works project, with 65% of the project’s cost to be funded by the federal government and 35% of the project funded by a local match, in this case the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania through its independent state agency, the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority. With today’s funding announcement, the Commonwealth’s total outlay to date for the project totals $45 million. Total cost of the project will be an estimated $305 million. After years of concerted effort by federal, state, and local elected officials, and the Delaware River regional maritime community, the Delaware River Main Channel-Deepening Project finally commenced in March 2010, when Reach C, an 11-mile stretch of the channel bordering the State of Delaware, was deepened to 45 feet. The entire project is expected to take about five years to complete. PRPA Chairman Charles Kopp hailed the Governor’s announcement. “Of all the great work the Port of Philadelphia does to remain competitive, nothing is more important than continuing this project. While it is very important to build new warehouses, modernize our facilities, buy new cranes, and maintain our expert labor force, what good is all that if the ships can’t get up the river to reach us? Thanks to Governor Corbett and his administration, we’re not going to have that problem.” PRPA Executive Director James T. McDermott, Jr. concurred with Chairman Kopp, while also looking back on the success of the project to date. “Reach C of the channel-deepening project was completed without incident,” he said. “The negative environmental impact predicted by our critics did not occur, and we’re already seeing positive economic signs from potential port users. We’ve told the truth about this project from day one, and we must see it forward through completion. Today’s announcement by the Governor will demonstrate to the worldwide carrier industry, and the rest of the world’s maritime industry, that we mean to do exactly that: get this channel to where it needs to be.” The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA) is an independent agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania charged with the management, maintenance, marketing, and promotion of publicly owned port facilities along the Delaware River in Philadelphia, as well as strategic planning throughout the port district. PRPA works with its terminal operators to modernize, expand, and improve its facilities, and to market those facilities to prospective port users. Port cargoes and the activities they generate are responsible for thousands of direct and indirect jobs in the Philadelphia area and throughout Pennsylvania.
DESCRIPTION OF PHOTOGRAPH: At the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority’s Packer Avenue Marine Terminal on Wednesday, September 21, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett announces the release of $15 million of state funding to continue the Delaware River Main Channel-Deepening Project. Also seen (on the left side) are PRPA Chairman Charles Kopp, former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania (and longtime champion of the deepening project) Arlen Specter, and (on the right) terminal operator Tom Holt, Jr.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PANAMA CANAL AND PORT OF PHILADELPHIA STRENGTHEN ALLIANCE PANAMA CITY, Panama, August 30, 2011 – The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) and Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA) renewed their partnership today with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). First signed in 2009, the MOU, which is renewable for five years, seals both entities’ commitment to economic growth and best customer practices. It also strives to promote the “All-Water Route,” a shipping route from Asia to the U.S. East Coast via the Panama Canal. “Our partnership highlights our dedication to providing growth solutions for the shipping industry,” said ACP Administrator/CEO Alberto Alemán Zubieta. “With the Panama Canal expansion well underway, we look forward to pursuing more mutually beneficial opportunities with the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority.” Under the agreement, ACP and PRPA will conduct joint activities and share best practices. Specific areas of focus will include marketing, research and data interchange, technical advancements and personnel training programs. In 2010, the Port of Philadelphia handled 3,644,919 metric tons of cargo—a 17% increase from 2009. The Port is responsible for thousands of direct and indirect jobs in the Philadelphia area and throughout Pennsylvania. Further growth is anticipated when the Panama Canal expansion is completed in 2014. “The renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Panama Canal Authority and the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority reinforces an already complimentary and mutually beneficial relationship,” said PRPA Chairman Charles G. Kopp, Esq. “While we strive to deepen the Delaware River to 45 feet to facilitate larger vessels at the Port of Philadelphia, the current expansion of the Panama Canal will ultimately help bring about the same result. Our two initiatives, once completed, will increase ship traffic, jobs and other economic benefits at both our port and in Panama. To that end, I’m extremely happy to renew our fraternal and business-oriented partnership as both authorities work to enhance their respective missions.” PRPA is supporting a large-scale investment to deepen the Delaware River Main Channel from 40 feet to 45 feet. Green-lit by the United States District Court for the District of Delaware in January 2010, the deepening is projected to directly create more than 8,000 new jobs and is critical to the Philadelphia-area ports’ future economic prospects. Meanwhile, the Canal’s expansion is on schedule, following the recent commencement of the permanent concrete work for the new locks. The $5.25 billion project includes the construction of a new set of locks that will allow the transit of longer and wider ships. About the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) About the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority This material is distributed by DJE, Inc. on behalf of the Panama Canal Authority. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.
Local Mega Produce Center Still Not Open
WITH CONTAINERS, AUTOMOBILES & OTHER CARGOES ON THE RISE, PHILADELPHIA, FEBRUARY 4, 2011-- A recovering national economy, in conjunction with a variety of new business relationships established at the Port of Philadelphia in 2010, has resulted in a sizable gain in overall tonnage last year compared to 2009 levels. With 3,644,919 metric tons of cargo handled in 2010 compared to the 3,107,067 tons of cargo handled in 2009, overall tonnage at the Port of Philadelphia was up 17% last year, reported officials of the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA) today. “Last year, we didn’t point to a challenging national economy as an excuse for a reduction in port business,” said PRPA Executive Director James T. McDermott, Jr. “We went out and aggressively sought new business, even if many believed it unlikely we could land it. What actually happened was the opposite: Hyundai and Kia made Philadelphia its preferred US East Coast port of entry, Sea Star Line established a major Puerto Rican service here, and M-real, a past port customer, returned to the Port of Philadelphia with its high-quality paper cargoes, to name three major new pieces of business that we attracted in 2010. On top of that, many of our previous cargoes and services moved in an upward trend, too. Now that the economy is showing signs of recovery, we’re already a step ahead.” Mr. McDermott credits aggressive marketing by PRPA and its terminal operators, along with continued state investment in the Port’s terminals and facilities, as prime components in the turnaround that’s taken place, a turnaround that is occurring faster at the Port of Philadelphia than at other U.S. ports in the wake of the weaker economy of the immediate past years. “Recent developments have been gratifying,” said Mr. McDermott. “Another example is our MSC European service, which commenced in 2009. Though busy at its outset, that service matured in 2010, significantly increasing activity at the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal.” Both containerized and non-containerized cargoes all showed healthy gains in 2010. With 264,059 TEU’s of containerized cargo handled in 2010 compared to the 222,900 TEU’s handled in 2009, containers were up a dramatic 18%. Counted as tonnage instead of TEU’s, 1,860,097 metric tons of containers were moved in 2010 compared to the 1,682,356 tons of containers handled in 2009, an 11% gain. Non-containerized cargoes also showed big increases. With 1,108,329 metric tons of non-containerized cargoes handled in 2010 compared to the 840,876 tons of handled the year before, these cargoes were up 32%. Particular highlights among non-containerized cargoes in 2010 include the following: Automobiles: Primarily as a result of massive numbers of Hyundai and Kia automobiles that have been arriving at PRPA’s Packer Avenue Marine Terminal since spring of 2010, automobile business here went from being virtually non-existent in 2009 to about 69,000 units being moved in 2010. That business has continued strongly into 2011, with the regular arrival of Glovis automobile-carrying vessels at the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal, with processing of the vehicles taking place at the adjacent Pier 98 Annex Automobile Processing Facility. Computed as tonnage, 77,350 tons of automobiles moved through the Port in 2010, compared to the 496 tons of the same cargo handled the previous year. Paper: The noted Scandinavian paper manufacturer M-real returned to the Port of Philadelphia after a several year hiatus in 2010, bringing along with it the company’s preferred ocean carrier, Wagenborg Shipping, resulting in a healthy 53% gain in forest products cargoes at the Port in 2010. 389,109 tons of forest products were handled last year here, compared to the 254,522 tons handled in 2009. As well as rolls of high-quality paper, forest products cargoes at the Port include pulp, lumber, and other wood products. PRPA’s dedicated Forest Products Distribution Center at Delaware and Snyder Avenues in South Philadelphia is the principal handler of the Port’s forest products cargoes. A brand-new, state-of-the-art forest products warehouse opened at the Pier 74 portion of the facility last year, a major reason M-real’s paper cargoes returned to Philadelphia. With 328,904 metric tons of fruit being handled at the Port of Philadelphia in 2010 compared to the 321,702 tons handled the previous year, fruit was up 2%. Fruit from Chile and bananas from Columbia are two of the major fruit cargoes regularly handled at the Port. Liquid bulk cargoes were up 16%, with 676,493 metric tons of liquid bulk cargoes being handled in 2010 compared 583,835 tons handled in 2009. While steel cargoes continue to be modest compared to 1980s and 1990s levels, steel experienced a 53% gain last year, with 170,215 metric tons handled. Cocoa beans (97,492 tons handled) and project cargo (39,156 tons handled) were roughly in line with 2009 figures. “I believe that the Port of Philadelphia made the correct strategic move in becoming more aggressive, not less, in the wake of the national economic downturn of recent years,” reiterated Mr. McDermott. “Instead of waiting for things to turn around on the national level, we got out there and went to work. Principally, we got our 45-foot channel deepening project finally moving forward, and we made major strides in turning our Southport marine terminal project from a dream to a reality. Both of those initiatives signaled to the world that we seriously mean business, and directly or indirectly helped our cargo increases last year. “The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s support of our activities and our strong partnership with our terminal operators were other key components,” Mr. McDermott continued. “We still have a long way to go, but we’re gratified to see so many strong examples that we’re moving in the right direction. Let me emphasize this: Our latest cargo figures demonstrate again what an important contribution a vibrant seaport makes to the state and local economy. Comparing 2009 to 2010, activity at the Port of Philadelphia generated a 29% increase in direct and indirect jobs, from 4,188 to 4,845, as well as bringing about a total increase in federal, state, and local revenue to $90.3 million from 63.9 million. Total business activity for 2010 amounted to $659 million, up from 2009’s $453 million. Clearly, it’s important for the Port of Philadelphia to be successful, because the stakes are so high.” The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority is an independent agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania charged with the management, maintenance, marketing, and promotion of publicly owned port facilities along the Delaware River in Philadelphia, as well as strategic planning in the port district. PRPA works with its terminal operators to modernize, expand, and improve its facilities, and to market those facilities to prospective port users. Port cargoes and the activities they generate are responsible for thousands of direct and indirect jobs in the Philadelphia area and throughout Pennsylvania, as well as numerous other economic benefits.
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