Portwatch Summer 2008

PRPA Enthusiastically Joins Regional Green Ports Initiative

Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA) Executive Director James T. McDermott, Jr. was pleased to participate in a ceremony on Monday, May 5 to formalize the regional port’s commitment to better environmental practices, practices that will lead to cleaner air and water, and more healthful daily operations. Also participating in event that day were South Jersey Port Corporation (SJPC) Executive Director Joseph Balzano and Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) Executive Director John Matheusson. Representing Pennsylvania Governor and DRPA Chairman Edward G. Rendell at the event was John H. Estey, who is also PRPA’s Chairman.

“This is another example of how our port agencies along the Delaware River work together in matters of regional importance,” said Mr. McDermott at the Monday morning ceremony. “While engaging in healthy competition on a business level, we know the value of coming together when it counts. And cleaner, more responsible port operations is an initiative we can all get behind.”

The centerpiece of the event, which was held at SJPC’s Broadway Terminal on the New Jersey side of the Delaware River, was the signing by Mr. Matheussen, Mr. Balzano, and Mr. McDermott of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlining the three agencies’ commitment to “reducing or neutralizing the impacts of port operations and expansion upon the environment and the surrounding community.” As detailed in the MOU, implementation initiatives to advance this commitment will include educational programs, the reduction of energy consumption, the employment of cleaner energy sources, replacement and/or modernization of vehicles and equipment, the development of sound planning and development processes to advance the “Green Ports” agenda, and the seeking of funding sources to advance same.

Copies of the Green Ports Initiative Memorandum of Understanding are available upon request from PRPA, SJPC, or DRPA. Additional information about this initiative, a program that virtually all ports in the United States are currently undertaking in one form or another, can be found at the Web site of the American Association of Port Authorities. The address is www.aapa-ports.org.

“We’re very excited about new business developments on the horizon,” said Mr. McDermott following the official program that day. “But we’re also excited that these developments won’t come at the cost of our environment. Today’s ceremony voices the commitment of PRPA, its terminal operators, and the Rendell administration to both a vibrant and healthy port.”

PRPA Welcomes Rickmers-Linie to Tioga Marine Terminal

Rickmers Linie (America), Inc., a German-based carrier specializing in the transport of breakbulk and project cargoes, now regularly calls PRPA’s Tioga Marine Terminal in the city’s Port Richmond section. Initial vessel calls began in early January, and PRPA officials expect upwards of 40 vessel calls during the course of 2008. A Rickmers Line vessel currently calls Tioga Terminal every two weeks.

As well as generating the usual important types of economic benefits for the Port and region- including longshoremen man hours, dockage & wharfage fees, and the substantial indirect employment created by cargo activity in a port- Rickmers Line brings two additional benefits to the Port of Philadelphia: a substantial increase in export cargo activity and a reinvigoration of Tioga Terminal’s rail capabilities.

PRPA Director of Marketing Sean Mahoney explained the reasons for these added benefits:

“The Rickmers service at Tioga is part of the carrier’s larger “Pearl String” round-the-world service, which includes stops in Europe, Asia, India, and the U.S.,” said Mr. Mahoney. “Philadelphia is the last U.S. stop on this service before the vessels head overseas, so the vessels have tended to take on substantial amounts of cargo destined for international markets. And as proud as we are of all our port’s imported cargoes, in today’s trade climate export cargo is always gratifying to see.”

The recent surge in exports at Tioga has also helped place Tioga’s rail capabilities back on the front burner. Continued Mr. Mahoney: “Rail track at the facility allows us to bring a rail car right up to the vessel to take on or discharge cargo. Increased cargo activity, especially increased outbound cargo business brought about by our new Rickmers service, has greatly increased the use of our rail capabilities at the terminal in the past month, and this trend will likely continue.”

“The on-dock rail and expansive laydown area at Tioga Marine Terminal offers a distinct advantage to shippers of breakbulk cargo,: said Renee M. Palin, Manager of Ports and Development at rail carrier Norfolk-Southern. “Now, with the new Rickmers service at Tioga, there are even more opportunities for rail, and for additional cargoes to be handled by the Port of Philadelphia.”

Rickmers vessels regularly handle different varieties of steel (bars, billets, wire, etc.) destined for U.S. and foreign markets, as well as inbound and outbound project cargoes. Rickmers vessels on the “Pearl String” service are equipped with shipboard cranes with an extraordinary lift capacity- 640 metric tons- allowing the service to handle all the unusual and often-heavy cargoes related to project shipments. A typical project/ heavy-lift cargo can be a turbine for an electrical plant or a heat exchanger destined for a manufacturing operation here or abroad.

In the past, prior to establishing its ongoing service at Tioga, Rickmers often used Port of Philadelphia facilities for its heavy-lift and project shipments, because the Port’s special abilities to handle these cargoes complemented the carrier’s abilities to do the same. For example, Rickmers had transported Pennsylvania-manufactured locomotives from the General Electric plant in Erie, Pennsylvania to China, via the Port of Philadelphia. Rickmers’ past confidence in the Port’s abilities was a contributing factor to its establishment of its current ongoing relationship with the Port.

Rickmers vessels on the “Pearl String” service also have an 1800-TEU container capacity, allowing for container activity when required. A typical Rickmers call at Tioga involves substantial breakbulk/project activity, often with a rail component, and some additional container activity.

Rickmers-Linie is soon expected to add additional services to its current activity at Tioga, the reason that a healthy 40-vessel count is projected for 2008.

PRPA’s Tioga Marine Terminal is operated by Delaware River Stevedores, Inc. (DRS), which worked with PRPA to attract Rickmers Linie (America), Inc. to the facility. Rickmers-Linie is based in Germany and has its main U.S. headquarters in Houston, Texas.

John Estey and Cliff Haines Pleased to Take On the Port’s Challenges

Since their appointment to the PRPA Board of Directors by Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell in Fall 2007, new Board Chairman John H. Estey, Esq. and new Board Member Clifford E. Haines, Esq. have enthusiastically joined with their fellow board members and taken on the many issues and challenges facing the Port of Philadelphia. Here’s a look at the background of these two capable individuals:

John Estey has enjoyed a long and productive association with Governor Rendell, serving as Chief of Staff for the Governor from 2003 to early 2008, and earlier in the same position when Governor Rendell was Mayor of Philadelphia. In these positions, Mr. Estey was centrally involved with all major policy decisions and initiatives of these administrations. In recent years, for example, Mr. Estey gained significant knowledge about the Delaware River maritime system by serving as Governor Rendell’s designated alternate on the bi-state Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA). Governor Rendell is Chairman of that agency. This experience made Mr. Estey a natural for the PRPA Chairmanship.

Mr. Estey recently left state service to return to private law practice at the firm of Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, though at Governor Rendell’s request will continue serving as PRPA’s Chairman.

John Estey earned a B.A. in philosophy from Carleton College in 1984 and earned a juris doctor degree, cum laude, from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. He and his wife Amy have three children.

Clifford E. Haines, Esq., founder of Haines & Associates, is a nationally recognized litigator and a leader in the legal community. He is an expert in jury trials, and shares his expertise by lecturing at the Temple University Beasley School of Law in the LLM program, teaching continuing legal education, and regularly presenting professional development seminars for practicing attorneys.

Prior to starting his own practice in 2004, Mr. Haines was a member of the Litvin, Blumberg, Matusow & Young law firm for 23 years, representing catastrophically injured people in malpractice and product liability suits. For nine years at the outset of his career, Mr. Haines was an assistant district attorney in Philadelphia, where he was chief of homicide and chief of hiring and training. Mr. Haines holds a juris doctor degree, cum laude, from the Ohio State University College of Law.

Working with their board colleagues, Mr. Estey and Mr. Haines have closed many pieces of business since attending their first PRPA board meeting on November 16, 2007, including welcoming Turbana Corporation to Pier 82 and purchasing two mobile harbor cranes for use at Pier 82 and Tioga Marine Terminal. They continue to address future major issues including the development of the food distribution center and port expansion.

Postscript: As we went to press, Governor Rendell announced that, at the recommendation of Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, he had appointed Philadelphia Deputy Mayor and Deputy Managing Director Rina Cutler to the PRPA board. Further information on new board member Rina Cutler will appear in the next edition of “PortWatch”.

PRPA Increases Its Complement of Cranes by Two

The Port of Philadelphia made a major leap forward this past March when it took delivery of two mobile harbor cranes, which are already greatly increasing the efficiency of port operations at two PRPA marine terminals. The cranes were purchased from the Penn Terminals facility in Chester, Pennsylvania.

The two cranes were floated upriver from Chester on a barge on Wednesday, March 12, where they arrived at PRPA’s Tioga Marine Terminal at about 3:00 p.m. that day. One of the cranes was offloaded from the barge onto Tioga Terminal the next day, and the barge then delivered the second crane to PRPA’s Pier 82 facility in South Philadelphia later that day. Within days, both cranes were up and running.

The crane delivered to the Tioga Marine Terminal will primarily service regular ship calls by Rickmers Linie (America), Inc., a carrier that began serving the facility earlier this year. At Pier 82, the second crane is being used to help offload new banana cargoes that began arriving at the facility in April, when Turbana Corporation initiated its new service there. Turbana brings a shipload of bananas to Pier 82 every week

“This is a great development for the Port of Philadelphia,” said PRPA Executive Director James T. McDermott, Jr. “For a cost far less than buying brand new cranes, we purchased two previously-owned cranes from Penn Terminals, cranes that are in excellent condition and will serve us well. Once again, we thank the Rendell administration for its support and vision when it comes to Pennsylvania’s international seaport. We couldn’t have made these crane purchases without the help of the Governor’s Office.”

Both mobile harbor cranes have extraordinary lift capacity and can be easily moved to where they’re needed. “They’re two great pieces of machinery,” said PRPA Crane Engineer Robert McCloskey, who inspected the cranes prior to their purchase, as well as supervised their movement upriver to the Port of Philadelphia. “It’s great to see them in action on our terminals.”

Container Traffic Up

PRPA is pleased to report that container traffic at the Port of Philadelphia was up over 12% in 2007, compared to 2006 levels. 2,138,676 metric tons of containers were handed at PRPA facilities in 2007, compared to 1,906,832 metric tons handled in 2006, amounting to a 12.16% increase. Translated to TEU figures, 253,492 TEU’s were handed in 2007, up from the 247,211 TEU’s handled the previous year. Containers are handled at the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal and the Tioga Marine Terminal.

Palaima Honored

PRPA congratulates Robert Palaima, President of Delaware River Stevedores (DRS) for being named the recipient of the 10th Annual Friend of Chile Award on Thursday, November 15, 2007. The award, presented annually by the Chilean and American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia, is given to an outstanding member of the regional business community with a strong commitment to foster increased commercial and trade relations between the Republic of Chile and Greater Philadelphia.

As President of DRS and operator of PRPA’s Tioga Marine Terminal, Mr. Palaima has forged his company into a vital force on the Delaware River. Deeply committed to the success of the Philadelphia regional port system, he has played a significant role in increasing our port region’s competitiveness in the transportation industry.

Every year, millions of cases of Chilean fruit products move through the Tioga Marine Terminal, and PRPA is gratified that Mr. Palaima has been recognized for this vital activity.

Once again, congratulations, Bob!

East meets West: Estey Meets Head of COSCO Group

In one of his first official duties as PRPA Chairman, John H. Estey welcomed to Philadelphia Captain Wei Jaifu, CEO and Executive President of the COSCO Group, the largest container carrier in China. Mr. Estey met Captain Wei on Thursday, November 15 at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, where Captain Wei gave a Wharton Leadership Lecture to business students that day. Along with representatives of The Holt Group (operators of PRPA’s Packer Avenue Marine Terminal), Mr Estey conducted a meeting with Captain Wei following the lecture, then lauded him at an official reception at the Wharton School that evening.

“PRPA has been working hard to establish a regular, direct Far East service at the Port of Philadelphia,” said Chairman Estey following the reception, “and our positive meeting and interactions with Captain Wei today were definite steps in the right direction. We were very pleased to be a part of his visit to Philadelphia.”

PRPA Procurement Official Named to Board

Donna Powell, PRPA’s Director of Procurement, was recently elected to the Board of Directors of the Purchasing Management Association of Philadelphia (PMAP). She will serve a two-year term.

With over 700 members in the Philadelphia region, PMAP has served purchasing and materials management professionals of the Greater Philadelphia area for over 80 years. The association is a not-for-profit professional education organization, offering seminars, workshops, and meeting programs specifically geared to the ever-changing environment facing procurement, materials management, and planning professionals.

Congratulations, Donna! We know that PMAP will benefit from your expertise and direction.

Two Hamburg Sud “Originals” Retire

PRPA congratulates Hamburg Sud’s Dan Zeoli and Vic Federici, who recently retired from the ocean carrier’s Philadelphia office, each after 32 years of service. Two of the few remaining original employees of the Philadelphia office, Mr. Zeoli retired in January and Mr. Federici retired the following month. Stephen M. George, Director of Customer Service and Administration in Hamburg Sud’s Philadelphia office, lauded both individuals. “Dan Zeoli and Vic Federici served Hamburg Sud, N.A. and the Port of Philadelphia with high integrity and professionalism since 1975. More importantly, they serviced our customers with distinction. I truly enjoyed working with them.”

Start of Dredging Nears

The next major step to bring about the deepening of the Delaware River to 45 feet is now being addressed in Washington, D.C.: PRPA is now working closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to finalize and adopt the Project Cooperation Agreement (PCA) between the two agencies. Once the PCA, which addresses financial, logistical, environmental, and other project-related issues, is adopted, work can move forward on the project. The long-planned Delaware River Channel Deepening Project was endorsed and moved forward by Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell in May 2007. PRPA hopes to have a major announcement about the PCA in the next issue of this publication.

PIER 74 Warehouse Nearing Completion

Construction of the new 115,000 square foot forest products warehouse at Pier 74 is still on schedule, with completion slated for October of this year. This $21 million state-of-the-art warehouse will be the latest addition to PRPA’s busy Forest Products Distribution Center at Piers 78/80, and will be used to store newsprint, fine coated papers, and other forest products. PRPA’s Forest Products Distribution Center is operated by Penn Warehousing & Distribution Center.

Maritime Academy Students Tour PRPA’s Pier 84

Did you ever wonder where the word, "stevedore" comes from? Or how fast a nautical "knot" is compared to land speeds? Or what kinds of jobs are available in the maritime industry? Thanks to Dependable Distribution Service's Harvey Weiner, a group of Philadelphia high school students knows the answers to these questions and many others.

On Tuesday, April 29, twelve students and two teachers from the Philadelphia Maritime Academy Charter School visited the Port Authority's Pier 84, where Mr. Weiner gave them a tour of the “M/V Beluga Fighter”, which had recently arrived at the facility carrying thousands of tons of cocoa beans from Africa’s Ivory Coast. The students toured the bridge, the engine room, and the main deck of the vessel.

Mr. Weiner, President of Dependable Distribution Services (DDS) and a board member of the Maritime Academy, also showed the students the cocoa bean warehouse at Pier 84, and discussed issues important to ocean transportation of cocoa beans and the cocoa trade in general. Among other topics, he covered the metric system, the chocolate making process, geography, and the increasingly important subject of environmental sustainability.

According to Kyle Orosz, a teacher of Intermodal Transportation and History at the Maritime Academy, the presentation was just what her students needed: "The class had studied bulk shipping and container shipping earlier in the academic year, and Mr. Weiner's tour was an outstanding opportunity for the students to observe the actual shipping processes they learned about. Presently the students are exploring marine science and maritime careers. The trip to DDS and their tour of the ship was an excellent opportunity to see the many positions available in the maritime transportation industry, both on a ship and portside."

DDS leases Pier 84 from the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority and operates the terminal, providing stevedoring, warehousing, and other transportation and food processing services. Greater Philadelphia is the number one destination in the USA for imported cocoa, with over half of the USA's cocoa grinding capacity lying within three hours of Pier 84. After arriving in Philadelphia, cocoa beans are shipped to cocoa grinders and chocolate manufacturers throughout the region, including Hershey Foods, Bloomer Chocolate, Wilbur Chocolate, Mars, and Food Process International.

Oh, and in case you are curious...

1) The English word "stevedore" comes from Spanish word "Estibador" and the Portuguese word, "Estivador," from estibar, "to stow," and from the Latin word, "stipare", to pack. Today, the word means, "one who is employed in the loading or unloading of ships."

2) 11.5 knots= 10 MPH

3) Some of the jobs available in the maritime industry include stevedoring,
warehouse operations, trucking, freight forwarding, customs brokering,
and cargo inspecting, as well as many others. In fact, all kinds of jobs are available... if you have the right education!

PRPA thanks Harvey Weiner for taking time from his busy day to promote the maritime industry to the next generation! We know that students Britani Aikens, Tyemah Bell, Ron Blye-Coleman, Brand Fountain, Britani Glover, Gisela Gusman, Deziree Harper, Marry Le, Keith Palmer, Randall Pope, Sorely Roman, Diamen Squire, Teacher Kyle Orosz, and Teaching Assistant Sean Null enjoyed a valuable, worthwhile day.

Port Snapshot: A Moment With Robert Palaima of Delaware River Stevedores

Delaware River Stevedores (DRS) is a trusted, longtime provider of stevedoring and terminal services along the Delaware River, handling over two million tons of cargo in the Philadelphia region every year. DRS has been in business for over 100 years.

“Here in Philadelphia, DRS leases space at the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority’s Tioga Marine Terminal,” said company CEO Robert Palaima. “Like all DRS operations, here at Tioga we use specialized mechanical and technological equipment to handle cargo safely, efficiently, and productively.”

Mr. Palaima continued, “Tioga Terminal handles over 300,000 tons of specialized cargo annually. These include fruits from Chile, Argentina, and Spain, and project cargoes, such as machinery, steel, lumber, and items that are over-dimensional or hard to maneuver.”

Mr. Palaima feels that recent developments and initiatives of the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority amount to “necessary improvements that will ultimately attract major new business to the Port of Philadelphia,” which will ultimately increase business for Delaware River Stevedores. Already, PRPA has assisted DRS in securing new business by Rickmers Linie (North America), Inc., a major cargo carrier, at Tioga.

Mr. Palaima believes that the impending 45-foot channel deepening project will further, and significantly, improve business for the Port of Philadelphia and the region as a whole.

Port Snapshot: A Moment With Harvey Weiner of Dependable Distribution Services

Harvey Weiner, Owner of Dependable Distribution Services, has decades of warehousing and shipping experience, and this gained knowledge allows him to successfully run the largest cocoa bean warehouse in the country at South Philadelphia’s Pier 84, which he leases from the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority.

A watershed moment for Mr. Weiner occurred in the early 1990’s, when he decided to significantly increase “value-added services” at DDS and Pier 84, services such as weighing and cargo consolidation. The aim of these on-site services is to cut out unnecessary middlemen and save shippers and receivers time and money.

During a recent tour of DDS’s cocoa bean warehouse at Pier 84, Mr. Weiner referred to the Port of Philadelphia as a “mini Amsterdam.” As he explained, Amsterdam is Europe’s leading location for cocoa shipping and storage, importing 600,000 tons of cocoa beans a year, and Philadelphia imports 435,000 tons annually. Pier 84 primarily receives shipments during two seasons— cocoa beans from West Africa are delivered October through March, and Indonesian beans arrive from April to August. Each ship that comes into the Port delivers five to ten thousand tons of cocoa to DDS.

Though DDS leases space at Pier 84, Mr. Weiner explained that his company’s relationship with PRPA is more of a partnership than a traditional leasor/leasee relationship. For example, DDS collaborates with PRPA to maintain safe conditions for workers in the warehouse and industry-approved storage guidelines for cocoa bean cargoes. PRPA worked with DDS to develop FDA approved, box-shaped, stackable palettes for the cocoa beans and also ventilated the 550,000 square-foot warehouse and resurfaced its flooring, improving safety and efficiency. Dependable Distribution Services and PRPA share a joint public/private venture, and a mutually beneficial relationship, Mr. Weiner explained.

PRPA-helmed WITA has a busy year

PortWatch invited Marian Simpson, Executive Assistant to PRPA Executive Director James T. McDermott, Jr. and current President of the Women’s International Trade Association (WITA) to update our readers on WITA’s recent activities. You have the floor, Marian.

After being an active member of WITA for many years, I was pleased to become President in September 2007. My term ends in September
2008, when the new board meets. I then become Presidential Advisor for the year 2008. As you will see, so far my tenure has been very busy and very rewarding. Unfortunately, as you will see, it’s been sad at times, too.

The first official event during my term was the Annual Joint Holiday Dinner, held in December at the Benjamin Franklin Hotel on Chestnut Street in center city Philadelphia. WITA partnered with other local trade organizations to put on the event, which was a great success. Shortly after that, on January 29, 2008, WITA held its first dinner meeting of my term, when we gathered at Philadelphia’s City Tavern in Olde City. Lisa Himber of the Maritime Exchange of the Delaware River and Bay was our guest speaker, and she did a great job explaining the new Transportation Workers Identification Credential (TWIC) program. All port workers around the country will soon be required to carry a TWIC card to get in and out of marine terminals, and Lisa gave us a detailed overview of the program.

Our annual WITA Woman of the Year Dinner was held at Popi’s Restaurant in South Philadelphia on Wednesday, March 5. It was a successful but bittersweet event, because during the evening we honored and said goodbye to three WITA members who had recently passed away.

Our primary honoree was the late Donna Houston, who was a longtime employee in PRPA’s Human Resources Department, where she rose through the ranks and eventually became Human Resources Director. Donna passed away on October 19, 2007, shortly after retiring from PRPA. An active member of WITA for many years, as well as its past President, we honored Donna posthumously that evening with our Woman of the Year Award. Joining us were Donna’s husband Wayne, daughter Dr. Elizabeth Mansley (Professor), sons Ian and Colin, and Donna’s sister Bonnie. Many of Donna’s former co-workers at PRPA attended as well, including many members of the PRPA maintenance staff, who were particularly devoted to Donna because of all the help she gave them over the years with various administrative issues related to their contract, health benefits, and workers compensation issues. I really miss Donna, and so do her former WITA and PRPA colleagues. But I’m really glad we got a chance to remember and honor her.

Also at our March dinner, we gave an honorable mention to two other members who also recently passed away: Ann Michele Higgins, Esq., who worked for the law firm of Rawle and Henderson, and Cathy Hennick, who worked for freight forwarder Sea to Sea. Both ladies were longtime WITA members, past presidents, and past recipients of the Women of the Year Award. We’ll certainly miss our friends Ann Michele and Cathy, too.

WITA does so much for the port and trade industry in our region. It provides great networking opportunities, valuable educational programs, and- as we’ve recently seen- mutual support during those times when we all need a shoulder to lean on. I’m very proud to be its President.

The Women’s International Trade Association (WITA) always welcomes new members. If you’re interested in joining, forward your request to WITA, P.O. Box 40266, Philadelphia, PA 19106 or send an e-mail to WITA1970@hotmail.com.

Banana cargoes, weekly vessels return to South Philadelphia’s Pier 82

Though PRPA officials and terminal operator Horizon Stevedoring Company have worked hard over the years to keep business moving through the Port of Philadelphia’s Pier 82, it’s been several years since constant, heavy business has moved through the refrigerated fruit-handling facility. That changed in April, when Turbana Corporation of Coral Gables, Florida began delivering weekly shipments of bananas to Pier 82.

“We started meeting with Turbana in 2006 to discuss the possibility of its doing business with us,” said PRPA Senior Deputy Executive Director Robert C. Blackburn. “We knew Turbana was looking for a new home for its East Coast vessel calls, and we certainly knew that PRPA had the experience and facilities for the perishable cargoes Turbana handles. Following our very successful initial meetings, things moved forward fairly quickly.”

Turbana liked what it saw at Pier 82, but requested some upgrades to the facility’s refrigeration and humidification systems, as well as the availability of a mobile harbor crane to facilitate the cargo discharge process. PRPA worked with the administration of Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell to secure the funding for these improvements and additions, and soon the contracts were signed.

The first Turbana vessel arrived at Pier 82 in mid-April, followed shortly by a welcoming ceremony on Monday, April 21 and a second vessel call on April 22. The welcoming ceremony, marking the beginning of the relationship between PRPA, Horizon Stevedoring, and Turbana Corporation, was held in a tent at the pier and featured executives of Turbana, PRPA, Horizon Stevedoring, and other maritime industry officials.

Since then, a Turbana vessel has visited Pier 82 with a shipment of bananas from Colombia every week.

“While every ship and every piece of business coming into this port is very important to us, we’re very happy that, now, it’s no longer just the occasional charter vessel visiting Pier 82,” said PRPA Executive Director James T. McDermott, Jr. “Thanks to our staff, the staff of Horizon Stevedoring, and the support of the Rendell administration, Pier 82 is busier than ever.”

A Dedication

This issue is dedicated to the memory of Donna Houston, longtime PRPA employee and past Director of Human Resources. Donna passed away on October 19, 2007, shortly after retiring from PRPA. Donna’s friends and colleagues at PRPA miss her very much.

Port Director McDermott Honored for Promoting International Trade

All PRPA staff members congratulate their boss, Executive Director James T. McDermott, Jr., for being a prime honoree at the 6th Annual World Trade Centers Day Dinner, hosted by the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia, Inc. and held at Philadelphia’s historic Union League on Wednesday, May 21.

Also honored that evening were Joseph Balzano, Executive Director of the South Jersey Port Corporation, and several local business leaders.

“Working every day at the Port, and doing my best to keep it as busy as possible, is reward enough for me,” said Mr. McDermott that evening. “But I truly do appreciate this honor.”

The World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia promotes increased international trade in the region. In 2002, the organization received its license from the World Trade Centers Association (WTCA), marking the start of a new era for companies in the Greater Philadelphia area. Area companies affiliated with the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia have access to the WTCA network of over 300 world trade centers and more than 750,000 affiliated businesses around the globe.

“Our Annual World Trade Centers Day dinner celebrates the power of international trade to improve life, increase economic prosperity, and bring nations together,” said Joanna Savvides, President of the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia. “It also gives us the opportunity to honor individuals in our region, like Jamie McDermott and Joe Balzano, who have done so much to increase international trade in our region.”

To learn more about the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia, Inc., call (215) 586-4240 or visit the organization’s Web site at www.wtcphila.org.

Spotlight on H&M International Transportation, Inc.

Today’s world of logistics and intermodalism is more complex than ever. Everyone is under pressure to make deliveries more efficient, secure, and cost-competitive. H&M International Transportation, Inc. makes it its mission to address these concerns. The company, long active in the Port of Philadelphia, provides a broad range of logistics services through a comprehensive network of U.S. Intermodal operations. By leveraging its diversified range of services that include rail terminal operations, intermodal trucking, warehousing and distribution, container freight stations, and Customs exam sites, H&M effectively manages and moves more than 2 million containers each year. By integrating these capabilities and keeping a strong focus on customer service, H&M sees itself as bringing an entirely new meaning to the intermodal experience.

PRPA Senior Marketing Representative Dominic O’Brien recently visited with H&M and filed the following story about one particular piece of business that has kept H&M, its affiliates, and the Port of Philadelphia very busy in recent years: seeds from South America.

Fresh seeds make better crops. That, at least, is the idea behind the large volume of seeds crossing the docks of the Port of Philadelphia recently.

Pointing to the 2,200 pound bags of corn seed filling his warehouse, George Robinson of H&M International Transportation, Inc. says, “This corn was on the stalk in Chile one month ago, and it will go into fields here in the USA and Canada less than one month from now.” The resulting corn, once harvested, will be used for animal feed.

The corn is grown in Chile and Argentina during January and February, which is summertime in the southern hemisphere. The seed is shipped to Philadelphia from March through May. The short turn-around time allows farmers in North America to plant fresh seeds, resulting in higher production and a better quality product.

Robinson, District Manager for H&M International Transportation’s operations in Philadelphia, says the volumes are large during the short shipping season. “Last week, we worked about 60 loads a day,” he said in an interview this past April. “We’ll do 1,100 containers of seed during the ten-week period.” That’s an increase, he notes, from about 800 containers last year.

Monsanto and other agriculture importers buy the seed in South America and sell it to farmers throughout the US Midwest and Canada. Alfred Iannelli, Executive Vice President of H&M, explained that third-party logistics provider CH Robinson arranges the shipment of the product, “from field to field.” That includes using steamship lines such as Hamburg Sud, which calls at the PRPA’s Packer Avenue Marine Terminal, and CSAV, which serves the Tioga Marine Terminal.

H&M handles the drayage (trucking) of the product from the marine terminals to its distribution center in Philadelphia’s Port Richmond neighborhood. There, it unpacks the ocean containers, temporarily stores the product, and ultimately loads the large burlap sacks of seed onto domestic trucks for shipment to farmers in the corn belt.

“We’ve been transloading these seeds for 10 years now, and we’ve developed a real expertise in this area, which CH Robinson has come to depend on,” says Iannelli. “George Robinson and his staff take this work very seriously and do a great job at it.”

Once the corn seed season ends, another seed product soon begins to arrive: soybeans. “We’ll move several hundred containers of soybeans,” said Iannelli, “with most of that product coming from Argentina and Chile.”

Philadelphia Regional Port Authority staff members are excited that both of their container terminals- Packer Avenue and Tioga- also benefit from the seed shipments so important to H&M. Frank Camp, Marketing Representative for the Port Authority, says, “It’s great to see the containers on the decks of the CSAV fruit ships. We are always happy when other products can utilize the large numbers of fruit ships that come to the Port each year.”

For more information about H&M International Transportation, Inc. contact the company’s corporate sales office at (201) 216-8400 or (800) 446-4685.

Time to Get Your TWIC Card

If you think TWIC is some kind of candy bar or hip social acronym, then you’re clearly behind the times. Because TWIC is a serious matter that comes down to this:

Those who require unescorted access to PRPA marine terminals and facilities as part of their daily jobs will now need to get a Transportation Workers Identification Credential (TWIC), and should immediately begin the process of acquiring a TWIC card.

On April 15, 2009 (pushed back from the original deadline of September 25, 2008) a TWIC card will be required to gain unescorted access to secure and restricted areas of the Port, essentially anywhere inside the gates of a marine terminal. This is a nationwide requirement administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and will apply to all U.S. ports. Port workers should also be aware that, despite the April 2009 deadline, selected enforcement of the TWIC requirement will begin as early as October of this year.

Lockheed Martin has been contracted by Homeland Security and TSA to set up TWIC enrollment centers throughout the country. Currently there are 100 fixed enrollment centers and dozens of mobile sites nationwide. At the Port of Philadelphia, the TWIC enrollment center is at the Port of Philadelphia Administration Building, 3460 N. Delaware Avenue, Suite 307. Applicants may pre-enroll at www.tsa.gov/twic then complete the process in person. Or, applicants can simply visit the TWIC enrollment center with two forms of picture ID, or one form of picture ID and a birth or marriage certificate, and complete the entire enrollment process there. Applicants will typically receive their TWIC cards about a month to six weeks after enrollment, assuming there are no problems with an applicant’s background check.

There is a fee for the TWIC card. An applicant should check to see if his or her company has a policy to cover the cost of a worker’s TWIC card.

Already thousands of port and port-related workers in the Philadelphia region have signed up and received their TWIC cards since the Philadelphia enrollment center opened in December 2007. The office was established with the assistance of PRPA Director of Operations James Walsh and Deputy Executive Director John F. Dempsey. Lockheed Martin’s Frank Orr directs the center’s daily operation.

The phone number of the TWIC enrollment center at the Port of Philadelphia is (215) 425-1727.

“We’re glad we were able to help the process along by providing space right at the Port for our region’s TWIC enrollment center,” said PRPA Director of Operations James Walsh. “It’s convenient for those who work here at the Port and need to get a card, and I also think it’s appropriate that the Port stays close to the process, which demonstrates our support for the initiative.”

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