Ask Rick Edberg what the least fun part of his job as Industrial Fleet & Operations Manager for the Port of Cleveland, and he is obviously sure of his answer: “I can’t say there is one.”

“It’s nice because it’s not just one thing day in and day out. There’s no monotony here. There are always projects going on down here, especially with the Port beginning its first steps towards net-zero emissions with major electrification upgrades.”

Edberg has been a Port employee since January 2022, although he was coming down to the Port as an outside maintenance equipment provider for about six years prior to that.

As the Port’s Industrial Fleet and Operations Manager, he oversees the Port owned fleet of equipment, including mobile harbor cranes, container handlers, several maintenance vehicles and both debris harvesting boats, Flotsam and Jetsam. “I am primarily responsible for making sure that the Port owned equipment operates correctly and safely. I can without a doubt say that the reward outweighs the challenges.”

Recently he spoke with students touring the port about the cranes, how they work and what they do, noting “It’s a very rewarding part of my job. There were a few kids that were fairly impressed by the size of the cranes, but those are relatively small compared to some of the cranes in coastal ports.”

“As someone who has always loved being near the water, having the opportunity to be a part of something as important as the maritime industry on the greatest of the Great Lakes is naturally gratifying in itself.”

Edberg, 42, lives in Hiram and was born and raised in Bedford and Walton Hills.

His son, 9, has been down to the Port and loves it. Did Edberg ever come to the Port as a boy? “Ironically, I didn’t know Cleveland had a port until I started coming down here to do repairs to equipment.”