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Ports America Announces New Leadership for 2020

Ports America IANA

Ports America Announces New Leadership for 2020

Modern Terminals Hong Kong managing director and CEO Peter Levesque was confirmed this week as the newly appointed president for the largest North American marine terminal and stevedore, Ports America. Mr. Levesque will step into the role starting in February 2020 bringing decades of experience and a proven track record of success.

“I am thrilled to have Peter be part of our leadership team of the Ports America platform. Ports America remains focused on providing best-in-class service to many of the world’s leading shipping lines as well as the work we have completed in improving workflow solutions to beneficial cargo owners to drive dramatic growth for the company,” said Ports America CEO Mark Montgomery.

Mr. Levesque brings more than 30 years of experience in maritime business, with nine years of leadership with Modern Terminals and spearheading the Public Private Partnership (PPP) for the company.

“Having Peter Levesque join Mark Montgomery, Rick Surett and Jim Pelliccio as a core part of the management team is central to the strategic growth plan for Ports America,” said Dave Starling,  company board chairman.

“Peter’s strong leadership, experience and success in building superior organizations gives the board the utmost confidence that this team will drive the continued success of the company.”

FIT Opening New Cargo Facility at Port Everglades

Florida International Terminal, LLC.  (FIT) is opening a new 32-acre containerized cargo terminal at Broward County’s Port Everglades with double the number of entry gates, and adding new scales, heavy equipment, technology and increased stacking capacity, according to a press release by Broward County. FIT is already one of the largest cargo terminal operators at Port Everglades and is relocating to make way for the largest capital improvement project in the Port’s history.

In the past fiscal year (October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018), FIT experienced 17 percent growth with approximately 226,000 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units, the industry standard measurement for container volumes). Perishables cargo accounts for approximately 15 percent of FIT’s total containers volumes.

“FIT is a terrific example of how a company can be born at Port Everglades and grow into a regional leader that brings international business and jobs to Broward County,” said Port Everglades Deputy Port Director Glenn Wiltshire during an inaugural ceremony on October 22, 2018.

Improvements at FIT’s new terminal include:

1. Six lanes entering the terminal with scales and two outbound lanes

2. An appointment system will be implemented with a VIP lane for refrigerated cargo

3. New yard tractor fleet and upgraded container handling equipment

4. Resilient information technology systems with quick disaster recovery abilities

5. Addition of up to 350 new power plugs for refrigerated containers

“We have installed a lot of new technology to better monitor gate traffic and what is happening throughout the terminal,” said FIT Vice President & General Manager Klaus Stadthagen. “By improving efficiency we are helping our customers, the shipping lines, develop their business. Our success is dependent upon our customers’ success.”

In the next five years, Port Everglades is investing nearly $1 billion in infrastructure improvements to increase cargo volumes. Expansion projects include adding new cargo berths, installing new Super Post-Panamax container gantry cranes, increasing the lift capacity on existing cranes, and deepening and widening the Port’s navigation channels.

About FIT
Founded in association of two large Latin American port operators, SAAM and AGUNSA, FIT opened at Port Everglades in 2005 and handles cargo from a variety of shipping lines including Chiquita Fresh North America, CMA-CGM/APL, Hamburg-Sud, Hapag Lloyd, and SeaLand.

About Port Everglades
Port Everglades is located within the cities of Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, and Dania Beach, Florida, and handles more than one million TEUs annually. The Port serves as a gateway to Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe. More information about Port Everglades is available at porteverglades.net or by calling toll-free in the United States 1-800-421-0188 or emailing PortEvergladesCargo@broward.org.

Source: https://www.maritimeprofessional.com/news/opening-cargo-facility-port-everglades-322887

Seattle, Tacoma to Combine Ocean Cargo Operations

Seattle, WA – ​ The Seattle and Tacoma port commissions will unify the management of the two ports’ marine cargo terminals and related functions under a single Seaport Alliance “to strengthen the Puget Sound gateway and attract more marine cargo for the region.”

The new Seaport Alliance will manage marine cargo terminal investments and operations, planning and marketing, while the individual port commissions will retain their existing governance structures and ownership of assets, said a spokesman for the Port of Seattle.

This unprecedented level of cooperation between the state’s two largest container ports “is a strategic response to the competitive pressures that are reshaping the global shipping industry.”

The ports of Seattle and Tacoma, which, when combined, form the third-largest container gateway in North America, “face fierce competition from ports throughout North America, as shipping lines form alliances, share space on ever-larger vessels and call at consolidated terminals at fewer ports,” said Port of Tacoma Commission president Clare Petrich.

“Working together, we can better focus on financially sustainable business models that support customer success and ensure our ability to reinvest in terminal assets and infrastructure,” she said.

“Where we were once rivals, we now intend to be partners,” said Stephanie Bowman, co-president of the Port of Seattle Commission.

Instead of competing, “we are combining our strengths to create the strongest maritime gateway in North America. The Seaport Alliance is the result of our shared commitment to maintaining the economic health of our region through a thriving maritime industry.”

The Seaport Alliance is the outgrowth of talks held under the sanction and guidance of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC).

Subject to further FMC review and approval, the two port commissions will enter into an ‘Interlocal Agreement’ (ILA), which is intended “to provide the ports with a framework for a period of due diligence to examine business objectives, strategic marine terminal investments, financial returns, performance metrics, organizational structure, communications and public engagement.”

Following the due diligence period, the two port commissions intend to submit a more detailed agreement for the Seaport Alliance to the FMC by the end of March 2015.

During the due diligence period, John Wolfe, Port of Tacoma CEO, and Kurt Beckett, Port of Seattle deputy CEO, will co-lead the planning work and coordinate with both port commissions, according to a joint statement released by both ports.

Commissioners from both ports expect to hold a public meeting next spring to hire Wolfe as the CEO of the Seaport Alliance following the FMC’s approval of the agreement.

10/13/2014