PhilaPort Appoints New European Representative
Philadelphia, May 23, 2024 — After 27 years of service, Mr. Lutz Ehrhardt has decided to retire from his position as PhilaPort’s representative in Europe. From his home city of Hamburg, he was The Port of Philadelphia’s liaison with ocean carriers, shippers, and government officials in one of the largest shipping markets in the world.
Mr. Ehrhardt will be succeeded by Mr. Uwe Gaede, a well-known shipping leader, who was ocean carrier Hamburg’s Süd’s marketing director in North Europe for the last 20 years.
“Lutz Ehrhardt has been a salesman, writer, guide, and point man in Europe for us for almost three decades. More than that, he was effectively a diplomat, building commercial and personal bridges between Europe and Philadelphia, a city he came to love,” stated PhilaPort’s Executive Director and CEO Jeff Theobald.
Sean Mahoney, PhilaPort’s Senior Director of Marketing, commented, “We were fortunate to have his faithful, intelligent teamwork during this time. Lutz always got the job done – he helped us get a lot of business – and he was a real pleasure to work with.”
Pictured (L to R): Sean Mahoney – Senior Director of Marketing, PhilaPort; Lutz Erhardt – Former European Representative, PhilaPort; Uwe Gaede – New European Marketing Manager, PhilaPort.
Mr. Ehrhardt, a trained shipbroker and shipping merchant, started with Horn-Linie in 1961. After a few years in Australia, he returned to Hamburg and worked for the Buss Group as marketing and public relations manager for more than 25 years.
“Now enough is enough and it’s about time for the next generation to take over,” Mr. Ehrhardt said. He will continue to follow the shipping business and will be active in various fields.
Discussing the new Europe representative, Uwe Gade, PhilaPort’s Mahoney said he expects a smooth transition: “We have known Uwe for a long time. Hamburg Süd was our biggest customer for many years, so we had the chance to work with him. He has an extensive network of contacts that will allow us to grow our business in Europe.”
Contact information for Mr. Gaede:
Uwe Gaede, European Marketing Manager
Mobile: +49 (0) 1637052243
Email: [email protected]
PhilaPort, The Port of Philadelphia, 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. PhilaPort 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.