Newsroom

Navigating the Coronavirus Pandemic

In this episode of Great Lakes Forward, our host Jade Davis, Vice President of External Affairs, is joined by William D. Friedman, President & Chief Executive Officer, and Dave Gutheil, Chief Commercial Officer. Together, they discuss the health and wealth of our region and how the Port is combatting the COVID-19 crisis, keeping stakeholders safe, and driving economic development for Cleveland.

Together, Friedman and Gutheil share their predictions for the 2020 shipping season, what the future may hold when the manufacturing industry ramps up again and the larger, more critical role the Port of Cleveland will have in keeping the global supply chain moving.

Great Lakes Forward is a podcast series by the Port of Cleveland that tells the untold story of maritime and tackles topics of shipping, logistics and trade. Find us on the web at www.portofcleveland.com and on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube we are @portofcleveland Email us with comments and questions at info@portofcleveland.com

by Port of Cleveland

Port of Cleveland to Modernize Facility with Three New Construction Projects in 2020-21

Renovation and construction will create jobs, spur economic activity and bring new cargos

  • Three new construction projects at the Port of Cleveland are approved and set to modernize its facilities related to port maritime and logistics operations.
  • “We’re resilient and we’re going to be the best-positioned port on the Great Lakes to handle the cargos of today and the future,” said Port of Cleveland president and CEO William Friedman.
  • The Port of Cleveland is beginning construction to modernize critical import/export terminals Dock 24 and 26.
  • To prepare for increased bulk cargo demand in 2020 and beyond, the Port is extending the Cleveland bulk terminal ore conveyance tunnel.
  • New construction for the general terminal access road and main gate will create two lanes in and out of the port and increased vehicle capacity.

At its March Board Meeting, the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority announced the approval of three new construction projects related to port maritime and logistics operations. The projects include the rehabilitation of the general cargo terminal Dock 24 and 26W, creation of a new general cargo terminal access road and main gate and extension of the Cleveland bulk terminal ore conveyance tunnel.

“With these projects, including our recently completed bulkhead renovation, our port is able to modernize infrastructure last updated during the 1950s and 1960s,” said Port of Cleveland president and CEO William Friedman. “We’re resilient and we’re going to be the best-positioned port on the Great Lakes to handle the cargos of today and the future.”

Preparing to double cargo volumes: General cargo terminal dock 24 & 26W rehabilitation project

In February, the Port of Cleveland was a recipient of an $11 million infrastructure development grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). The grant allows for the modernization of critical import/export terminals Dock 24 and 26. This transformational project enables the Port of Cleveland to compete for the cargos of today while preparing to double cargo volumes over the next 20 years. The construction includes typical rehabilitations to fenders, bollards, the elevation of docks, implementation of stormwater drainage, and structural pavements details. Overall, the Port’s reinvestment will modernize more than fifty percent of its dock infrastructure.

Enhancing storage and blending: Cleveland bulk terminal ore conveyance tunnel extension project

To prepare for increased bulk cargo demand in 2020 and beyond, the Port is extending the Cleveland bulk terminal ore conveyance tunnel. The current 362-foot tunnel stores iron ore brought from ranges on vessels and then loads the iron ore on river-class vessels which navigate the Cuyahoga River to its final destination. The tunnel extension will allow for improved taconite quality, the ability to blend multiple grades of taconite, reduced taconite rehandling, a more environmentally conscious approach through plug-in electrical connections to portable conveyors, reduced facility emissions, and enhanced load out efficiencies. The extension of the tunnel will create a higher demand for taconite and other bulk commodities resulting in an overall tonnage increase.

Increasing vehicle capacity: General cargo terminal access road & main gate project

The general cargo terminal access road and main gate serves as the main entrance to the Port for trucks, employees and visitors. New construction set to be complete in late fall 2020, will create two lanes in and out of the port, increased vehicle capacity, expanded access to the W 3rd cargo laydown area, enhanced security and data collection system, a fiberoptic feed installed for enhanced communications, aesthetic enhancements, and the introduction of a frequent user lane for Port employees, International Longshoreman’s Association employees and routine visitors.

by Port of Cleveland

Ship Smarter

In this episode, the logistics, transportation and maritime innovators at the Port of Cleveland continue the conversation with Rodney Corrigan, President of LOGISTEC Stevedoring Inc. LOGISTEC is the terminal operator of the Cleveland Bulk Terminal (CBT) and General Cargo Terminal.

In the segment, State of the North Coast, Jade Davis, Vice President of External Affairs interviews William D. Friedman, President & Chief Executive Officer and together they discuss the St. Lawrence Seaway and maritime innovation.

Great Lakes Forward is a podcast series by the Port of Cleveland that tells the untold story of maritime and tackles topics of shipping, logistics and trade. Find us on the web at www.portofcleveland.com and on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube we are @portofcleveland Email us with comments and questions at info@portofcleveland.com

by Port of Cleveland

The North Coast

In this episode, the logistics, transportation and maritime innovators at the Port of Cleveland interview Rodney Corrigan, President of LOGISTEC Stevedoring Inc. LOGISTEC is the terminal operator of the Cleveland Bulk Terminal (CBT) and General Cargo Terminal.

Great Lakes Forward is a podcast series by the Port of Cleveland that tells the untold story of maritime and tackles topics of shipping, logistics and trade. Find us on the web at www.portofcleveland.com and on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube we are @portofcleveland Email us with comments and questions at info@portofcleveland.com

by Port of Cleveland

Looming Tariffs

In this episode, the logistics, transportation and maritime innovators at the Port of Cleveland interview Tina Kimble, Director U.S. Governmental and Regulatory Affairs, Tata Steel in Europe.

Great Lakes Forward is a podcast series by the Port of Cleveland that tells the untold story of maritime and tackles topics of shipping, logistics and trade. Find us on the web at www.portofcleveland.com and on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube we are @portofcleveland Email us with comments and questions at info@portofcleveland.com

by Port of Cleveland

Redefining Steel & Moving Maritime Forward

In this episode, the logistics, transportation and maritime innovators at the Port of Cleveland interview Mike Madar, Vice President & General Manager, ArcelorMittal Cleveland.

Great Lakes Forward is a podcast series by the Port of Cleveland that tells the untold story of maritime and tackles topics of shipping, logistics and trade. Find us on the web at www.portofcleveland.com and on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube we are @portofcleveland Email us with comments and questions at info@portofcleveland.com

by Port of Cleveland

2019 Northeast Ohio Logistics Conference & Golf Outing

by Port of Cleveland

Introducing Great Lakes Forward

Introducing Great Lakes Forward, a new podcast series from the Port of Cleveland, coming September 3rd.

by Port of Cleveland

Exhaustive Studies of Project Icebreaker

Originally published in Crain’s Cleveland Business

The June 16 opinion piece in Crain’s regarding Project Icebreaker, the proposed Lake Erie wind energy demonstration project, begs a response. In full disclosure, I serve on the board of the Lake Erie Energy Development Corp. (LEEDCo), the wind energy project’s nonprofit sponsor.

The author calls for additional environmental review of the project despite exhaustive reviews already conducted by numerous public agencies at the federal, state and local level. In truth, this project has been studied nearly to death. The findings contained in the voluminous reports and analyses, which regulators relied on to issue their permits, speak for themselves: The project poses very minimal environmental risk. Thanks to years of hard work by project proponents, we are finally poised to build it, propelling Cleveland to the forefront of a burgeoning energy sector.

At the federal level alone, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) completed a two-year environmental impact assessment of the project. DOE’s massive review, conducted with input from other federal agencies including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, concluded last year with the issuance of a “Finding of No Significant Impact.” The DOE report reads, “The proposed project will not significantly adversely affect any endangered or threatened species or any critical habitat,” and it further concludes there would be no potential for population-level impacts to any species of birds. Furthermore, any future offshore wind project would have to undergo the same rigorous regulatory reviews.

As the first freshwater wind energy installation in North America, Project Icebreaker represents a once- in-a-generation (perhaps a lifetime) opportunity to vault Cleveland to the forefront of an industry poised for explosive growth. The first U.S. offshore wind project, a pilot like ours, went into operation in December 2016 off the coast of Block Island, R.I. In just two-and-a-half years, a wave of projects are now in the development pipeline along the Eastern Seaboard, representing at least $70 billion in new investment. European countries have installed more than 4,500 turbines in the North Atlantic and the Baltic Sea that generate enough energy to power 14 million homes. Asian countries are now moving very quickly to harness their offshore wind resource. When built at scale, offshore wind energy projects are now competitive, with zero subsidy, with all other energy sources.

Establishing Cleveland as a leader in offshore wind energy is not only good for the environment and smart energy policy, it holds significant economic development potential — meaning new jobs and investments in Ohio. Ohio already has a formidable wind energy component-part manufacturing presence. Picture Ohio-made wind turbine components shipped around the world from the Port of Cleveland and skilled Ohio workers meeting the demands of a growing industry here and abroad. With Mother Nature providing a world-class wind resource and good old Ohio ingenuity powering the supply chain, we have very real and substantial comparative advantages in this sector that we’d be foolish to squander.

Resistance to change is an all-too-familiar drag on progress. Let’s not look back with regret because others seized the day.

by William Friedman

2019 AAPA Communications Award Winner

American Association of Port Authorities

2019 AAPA Communications Awards

The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), the unified and recognized voice of seaports in the Americas, notified 31 of its 130-member seaports throughout the Western Hemisphere that they’ve earned one or more awards for exemplary communications projects and programs as part of the trade association’s annual Communications Awards Program.

Sponsored by the AAPA Public Relations Committee, the annual Communications Awards Program has recognized excellence in port communications since 1966. For its 53rd Annual Communications Awards Program, the Port of Cleveland earned three awards:

  • Award of Distinction – Port of Cleveland – Field Guide (Directory/Handbook)
  • Award of Distinction – Port of Cleveland – Port50 (Campaign)
  • Award of Distinction – Port of Cleveland – Rock the Port (Special Events)

“The Communications Awards Program judges told us that this year’s entries set a new, higher standard of excellence than ever before,” said Kurt Nagle, AAPA’s president and CEO. “This competition helps our member ports by rewarding strategic communications through peer-reviewed analyses of their programs and projects, and by showcasing best practices and lessons learned.”

He added: “When port authorities communicate strategically with their many audiences, including their communities, business leaders and policymakers, they’re better able to show their tremendous value as drivers of economic development, environmental enhancement and job creation.”

The 2019 AAPA Communications Awards Program utilized 32 professional public relations practitioners from the Washington, D.C. area who cumulatively spent 128 hours over two weeks judging the 15 classifications of entries, ranging from advertisements, periodicals, videos and websites, to social media and overall campaigns.

Based on the number of points awarded each entry by the judges, three of the 79 entries earned an Overall Award of Communications Excellence trophy, while 24 entries earned an Award of Excellence (similar to first place), 33 entries scored an Award of Distinction (similar to second place), and 15 entries netted an Award of Merit (similar to third place).

Founded in 1912 and recognized as the unified voice of seaports in the Americas, AAPA today represents 130 of the leading seaport authorities in the United States, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean and more than 200 sustaining and associate members, firms and individuals with an interest in seaports. According to IHS Markit’s World Trade Service, combined international sea trade moving through Western Hemisphere ports in 2017 totaled 4.303 billion metric tons in volume and US$2.675 trillion in value. Of that total, ports in Central and South America handled 1.741 billion metric tons of cargo valued at US$1.024 trillion, while North American ports handled 1.90 billion metric tons of goods, valued at US$2.305 trillion. To meet the growing demand for trade, the AAPA and its members are committed to keeping seaports navigable, secure and sustainable.  For more information, visit www.aapa-ports.org.

Read the AAPA Announcement
Read the AAPA Article

by Port of Cleveland