Cleveland – March 29, 2024 – Despite sincere efforts to enable the potential conservation one of the Hulett Ore Unloaders in its entirety, the Port of Cleveland encountered unforeseen challenges with a proposal aimed at doing so. As a result, the Port has entered into a new contract with Northern Ohio Scrap Service that will allow the port to continue to salvage two of the Huletts most historically significant pieces – an arm and a bucket – while the vendor handles the removal of remaining pieces.

Last week, the Port contracted with Maple Leaf Demolition, selected in part for the company’s intent to reassemble one of the Huletts on its site in Canton. Regrettably, Maple Leaf could not provide the necessary bonding and insurance required.

The new contractor is a Cleveland-based company with significant experience with this type of work.

Dave Gutheil, Chief Commercial Officer for the Port of Cleveland, expressed disappointment at this but reiterated their commitment to the initially envisioned solution of preserving several significant pieces on-site. He underscored the acknowledgment of their importance in Cleveland’s industrial and maritime history, emphasizing the desire to grant preservationists more time to find a suitable display solution.

Additionally, a shunt engine that was part of the Hulett unloading system will be salvaged and publicly displayed at the American Industrial Mining Museum in Brownsville, PA.

The Huletts were taken down in 1999 and two have been stored at the Port’s Cleveland Bulk Terminal since that time. Initially intended for storage for just five years, the Port has withheld actions to remove the pieces for over 24 years in an effort to accommodate preservation efforts.

The Port has agreed to store the pieces for a year to provide more time for preservationists to secure a suitable location for their display and raise funds for their removal.

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