It’s a Brand New Day at PhilaPort

The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA) today announced that it is rebranding as PhilaPort effective immediately.

Philadelphia, May 22, 2017 –

New PhilaPort LogoOn the threshold of an unprecedented era of expansion, The Port of Philadelphia is establishing a new brand identity that will bolster its national and international marketing efforts and position the Port as one of the most important trade gateways on the Atlantic seaboard.

People in the region and shippers across the globe will now know that gateway as PhilaPort.

“The name is short, clean and memorable, and it reflects very simply who we are and what we do,” said Jerry Sweeney, PhilaPort chairman. “The name ‘PhilaPort’ helps distinguish us from the many other regional authorities and commissions as we seek to capitalize on the opportunities that will result from our expansion.”

Sweeney said the Port is positioned for considerable growth, thanks to public and private investment approaching $1 billion – which demonstrates the sustained commitment at The Port of Philadelphia – to accommodate larger ships and improve efficiencies. There are 41 million people within 150 miles of PhilaPort, and the northeast U.S. is one of the wealthiest consumer markets in the world.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced plans last November to invest $300 million to improve the Port’s facilities. It is one of the largest investments among East Coast ports and will raise Philadelphia’s prominence in the shipping world.

“With its major economic impacts throughout the state, my administration understands the value of Pennsylvania’s port asset in Philadelphia,” Governor Wolf said. “The Commonwealth’s investment in the Port will help with the initiative to double container capacity, position the Port for future growth, and improve efficiency while boosting three of PhilaPort’s busiest sectors:  containers, automobiles and breakbulk.”

The expansion, which will continue through 2020, will double container capacity, improve import and export efficiency and create thousands of jobs, making a significant contribution to economic growth in the Philadelphia region and across the Commonwealth.

The $392 million Delaware River Main Channel Deepening project will increase the depth to 45-feet by the end of December 2017.

The expansion will enable the port to handle the largest ships that traverse the Panama Canal and vessels above 9,000 TEUs that already call the Port.  All told, employment at the Port is projected to increase by nearly 7,000 jobs, to a total of more than 17,000, and state and local tax revenues will increase from the current $69.6 million to $108.4 million annually.

PhilaPort enjoys several competitive advantages over other East Coast ports. They include 19 labor start times per day; more flexible working rules compared to competing ports; truck turn times of less than one hour; and the ability to move more containers per hour than many other ports.

“PhilaPort’s aspiration is to be the better option for cargo shippers BCOs (beneficial cargo owners).” “This will be accomplished by efficiency of operations, costs and being the best location,” said Jeff Theobald,  Executive Director and CEO.

Moreover, there are more than 300 international distribution centers within about 120 miles of the Port, and Philadelphia itself is the country’s fifth-largest metropolitan area. The Port is serviced by two Class I railroads and offers weekly ocean carrier services to ports throughout the world. Most recently the Port was pleased to announce a new North European service from THE Alliance which calls Bremerhaven, Antwerp and London Gateway.  The ocean carriers are:  Hapag Lloyd, K-Line, MOL, NYK and Yang Ming, giving Pennsylvania and regional exporters more options to get to Europe.

“In essence, this expansion is a tremendous opportunity for this region and for commercial enterprises that import and export materials and goods,” Sweeney said. “It will enhance the quality of life for everyone, from those who will have jobs here to those who enjoy the products that come through the international gateway known as PhilaPort.”

PRPA Logo (516)
The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority, commonly known as PhilaPort, and referred to as The Port of Philadelphia, is an independent agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania charged with the management, maintenance, marketing, and promotion of port facilities along the Delaware River in Pennsylvania, as well as strategic planning throughout the port district. PhilaPort works with its terminal operators to improve its facilities and to market those facilities to prospective port users around the world. Port cargoes and the activities they generate are responsible for thousands of direct and indirect jobs in the Philadelphia area and throughout Pennsylvania.