Gulf Shipper articles from April 2007

Gulf Shipper archives from April 2007

Asia-Gulf conundrum.
April 2, 2007... The Panama Canal Authority's $6 billion expansion project has shippers and carriers worried about the double-digit rate hikes they will be paying to use the 93-year-old waterway. But before the canal's fees break the bank for any shipping...

Reefer trade expands globally.
April 2, 2007... BYLINE: Stephanie Nall CAFTA boosts Gulf trade In the food business, the question is no longer whether the chicken or the egg came first. The question these days is, "Which came first, the market or the trade agreement?" ...

Ro-ro on the go.
April 2, 2007... BYLINE: Janet Nodar Gulf carriers change places, plan more capacity Roll-on, roll-off cargo in the Gulf is expanding rapidly at the Port of Galveston, growing at Tampa and recovering from storm-driven problems at Gulfport. Houston...

New Orleans, Plaquemines Parish ports partner.
April 2, 2007... The Port of New Orleans and the Plaquemines Parish Port have joined forces in hopes of attracting more business by offering a longer list of services. Under a deal signed on March 15, the two ports agreed to share marketing resources and...

Galborg expands North America-Africa service.
April 2, 2007... The Port of New Orleans and the Port of Houston won additional service when Galborg Pte. recently added two multipurpose vessels to its fleet. The new ships, Yellowstone and Aalborg, will sail from the two Gulf ports at least once a month...

Hoegh Autoliners appoints Perduto head of marketing.
April 2, 2007... Former Navy Reserve Cmdr. James Perduto has joined Hoegh Autoliners' executive team as vice president of marketing, the company announced. He will oversee the sales and customer service division, and direct pricing, advertising and promotional...

Millennium Port Authority picks new leadership.
April 2, 2007... The Millennium Port Authority, charged with increasing the flow of international container cargo to and from Louisiana, elected new leadership to head the state-sponsored board until 2009. Otto Candies III, owner of the Des Allemands-based...

Too little, too late?
April 9, 2007... Americans are more environmentally conscious today than nearly 37 years ago when the first Earth Day hatched on April 22 with a massive grassroots demonstration. The widespread public activism of 20 million marchers on that day in 1970 spawned...

Dredging up ghosts.
April 9, 2007... BYLINE: Janet Nodar Tackling legacy pollution As ports dredge deeper ship channels to accommodate larger vessels, they may be stirring up some old trouble. Historical contamination, the toxic legacy of the bad old days in the industry,...

Law targets pollution culprits.
April 9, 2007... BYLINE: Janet Nodar The law allows ports to search backward, to reach back in time, to find the culprits of industrial pollution, said William Jackson, a founding partner in a Houston-based law firm that specializes in environmental...

Business declines in New Orleans, executives say.
April 9, 2007... New Orleans is beginning to lose business to other Gulf cities, top maritime executives told New Orleans City Business newspaper. Although city-based shippers saw revenue increases last year, many said they are expanding operations elsewhere...

Gottwald Port Technology expands sales in Latin America.
April 9, 2007... With the expansion of ports in Latin America, one German-based crane manufacturer has reported record growth. Gottwald Port Technology, a member company of Demag Cranes AG Group, reported selling 11 new cranes and one used crane to Latin...

Gulfport signs pier repair contract.
April 9, 2007... A month after being chastised for not repairing damage from Hurricane Katrina quickly enough, the Port of Gulfport announced the kickoff of a $29 million project to fix Piers 1 and 2. Beginning today W.C. Fore Trucking will work to repair...

Southwest Airlines named 'Airliner of the Year'.
April 9, 2007... Southwest Airlines was voted the "Airliner of the Year" by the Express Delivery and Logistics Association, or XLA. The carrier placed No. 1 in five judging categories: service, communications, Web site and technology, overall value and on-time...

Kansas City Southern set to expand.
April 9, 2007... BYLINE: John D. Boyd The smallest of the North American top-tier Class I railroads, Kansas City Southern, has a plan to become much larger. Railroad officials told transportation stock analysts KCS could expand by 10 to 14 percent each...

Intermarine appoints Wilson head of sales.
April 9, 2007... New Orleans-based Intermarine has assigned Paul Wilson the additional title of vice president of sales. He will retain his responsibilities as vice president of U.S.-flag vessel operations, and work from the company's Houston office. In an...

Maersk Line restructures Pacific and Atlantic services.
April 9, 2007... Maersk Line plans a wide-ranging overhaul of its trans-Pacific and trans-Atlantic networks in May to cut costs by concentrating greater cargo volumes on fewer shipping services. The restructuring is the Danish company's latest move to...

Project cargo to rise, expert says.
April 9, 2007... Buoyed by the continuing growth of infrastructure projects overseas, the U.S. project cargo industry should break records this year in terms of volume shipped through ports, according to Ike Ortiz-Luis, an expert in the field. Ortiz-Luis,...

Ships attract more perishable cargoes.
April 9, 2007... BYLINE: Mike Seemuth Transporting certain types of perishables by ocean, from flowers to vegetables, has become a more viable option in recent years, because of upgrades in maritime refrigeration technology and the relatively lofty rates...

Industry consolidation continues.
April 9, 2007... BYLINE: William Hoffman The mid-March acquisition of Minneapolis-based freight forwarder Interlog by Zim Integrated Shipping Services subsidiary ZLN shows that logistics industry consolidation continues, just not on the large scale of...

A short-sea push.
April 16, 2007... The grassroots movement to upgrade short-sea shipping from fantasy to fact may be on the cusp of some real support. Rep. Dave Weldon, R-Fla., has introduced a bill aimed at opening some doors to allow short-sea services room to grow. Rep....

Silting harbors: Stingy maintenance program frustrates ports.
April 16, 2007... BYLINE: Janet Nodar The Harbor Maintenance Tax is a profound frustration to the maritime community for two reasons. First, its collection sharply discourages coastal short-sea shipping. Second, there is a colossal mismatch between the tax...

Campers park at New Orleans docks.
April 16, 2007... The Port of New Orleans might see more campers than containers now that a new campground has opened on port land at 6001 France Road. The port welcomed New Orleans RV Campground as a new tenant on 20 acres of land that was sitting vacant....

Port of New Orleans shows cargo volume gains.
April 16, 2007... Just weeks after industry leaders questioned New Orleans' future as a maritime hub, top officials at the Port of New Orleans released cargo statistics showing huge gains in volume last year. Although the port reported losses in the amount...

Port of Tampa officials see 'significant' container growth.
April 16, 2007... The Port of Tampa this month welcomed the Emirates Wats to its Hooker's Point Container Terminal for the first time. The vessel will be serviced by Ports America, formerly P&O Ports, which operates the terminal. The 3,169-TEU ship is...

Gulf ports balance environmental projects and tight budgets.
April 16, 2007... BYLINE: Janet Nodar Environmental mitigation doesn't come cheaply or easily. Port Manatee, the Port of Houston Authority and many other Gulf ports have spent millions of dollars on environmental programs over the years. Tight finances can...

NYK Logistics names Lucas head of transportation, Americas.
April 16, 2007... NYK Logistics (Americas) has appointed John Lucas president of its transportation division. He will be based in Jacksonville, Fla. Lucas succeeds Lanny Vaughn who retired but remains a special adviser during the transition at the company,...

AAPA honors Panama's president.
April 16, 2007... The importance of the Panama Canal to U.S. ports was made evident once again as the American Association of Port Authorities honored Panama President Martin Torrijos as its 2007 Port Person of the Year. In making the announcement, the...

Stylecraft Home Collection moves to Mississippi trade center.
April 16, 2007... The DeSoto Trade Center in Southaven, Miss., welcomed a home decoration manufacturer as a tenant, according to an announcement by the trade center's builder Hillwood. Stylecraft Home Collection, provider of home lamps, wall decor, accent...

The NVO shuffle.
April 16, 2007... BYLINE: William Armbruster and Rick Eyerdam The sale of one of Europe's largest non-vessel-operating common carriers has led to significant realignments in the NVO business. The moves also reflect the growing trend of consolidation. ...

Freighter operators gain cargo.
April 16, 2007... The move by airfreight to all-cargo carriers, and to the ground, accelerated during the first half of the decade and will pick up speed over the next 15 years, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Cargo-only airlines held 71.4...

Continental expands service in Mexico.
April 16, 2007... Looking for more business out of Mexico, Continental Airlines is joining the shipper move to trucking with a new cross-border service. The carrier's cargo division is starting a new trucking service linking its main airline hub in Houston to...

Houston puts money into security.
April 16, 2007... The Port of Houston became one of the first U.S. maritime ports to set aside funds for the purchase of the Transportation Workers Identification Credential. In a unanimous vote, the port authority commission agreed to spend $100,000 to purchase...

Distributing the weight.
April 23, 2007... Cotton, rice, grapefruit and cattle: They aren't shiny new discoveries fresh from research and development labs that get the traders on Wall Street excited. But exporting the old-line products are still important to the regional and national...

Gulf maritime pioneer Clark dies.(Obituary)
April 23, 2007... John Walter Clark, a pioneer of port development in Mississippi and leader of what was once one of the region's largest shipping lines, has died. He was 87. Clark began his career in the maritime industry as a master of cargo and attack...

Agility promotes Bible to head, Americas Region.
April 23, 2007... Agility Global Integrated Logistics, formally PWC Logistics, has promoted Mike Bible to chief executive of the Americas Region. Bible, who has served as acting chief executive, Americas Region, since December 2006, will remain the company's...

Louisiana ports need more funds to survive, study finds.
April 23, 2007... Louisiana ports will need nearly $850 million worth of infrastructure improvements over the next five years to remain competitive in the maritime industry, according to a study commissioned by the Ports Association of Louisiana. The...

Alabama seeks changes in executive recruiting.
April 23, 2007... The Alabama State Port Authority wants to change the way it fills top positions by giving its executive director more power to find new recruits and offer them competitive compensation packages. Saying the field for maritime industry...

Galveston-Texas City pilots win rate hike.
April 23, 2007... The costs of sailing into the Galveston-Texas City area could rise after the Galveston-Texas City Pilot Association won a 10 percent rate hike, The Galveston County Daily News reported this month. In a compromise that neither the pilots nor...

Agility continues to expand.
April 23, 2007... Logistics giant Agility, formally known as PWC Logistics, continued its acquisition of smaller companies this month with the purchase of WTS of Houston and its sister company World Transportation Services Inc. (Global Express Line), the company...

Northrop Grumman employees approve contract.
April 23, 2007... A month-long strike that had crippled operations at the Northrop Grumman Ship Systems' Ingalls yard in Pascagoula, Miss., ended this month as the 15 unions working at the yard signed a three-year contract. By a 3-to-2 margin, the 6,000...

LA 1 Coalition seeks additional funds for roadway.
April 23, 2007... The LA 1 Coalition, a nonprofit group of oil and gas industry representatives and parish government officials, is seeking about $63 million in Louisiana state funds to complete a plan that would elevate and widen the Louisiana 1, a two-lane...

FedEx expands in Europe.
April 23, 2007... FedEx's latest acquisition might be called a case of express enlargement. Looking to spread its reach in line with the European Union's enlargement into eastern Europe, FedEx this month bought Flying-Cargo, its service partner in Hungary. ...

Global Aero Logistics buys World Air, North American Air.
April 23, 2007... After struggling through changes in its business and troubles with its financial reporting, World Airways parent, World Air Holdings, is giving up its role as a separate company. Global Aero Logistics, the parent of passenger carrier ATA...

US Gulf fuels Africa trade.
April 24, 2007... BYLINE: Janet Nodar Oil and gas industry projects drive Gulf-Africa shipping growth Trade between the Gulf of Mexico and Africa is still being driven by billions of dollars' worth of new oil and gas industry projects, especially along...

Protectionist tide.
April 30, 2007... With Asia skyrocketing to become the No. 1 producer and consumer of goods and services on the planet, it's hard not to pass a single day without reading about another benchmark. This year's Forbes Global 2000 report lists the world's 2,000...

Any port in a storm?
April 30, 2007... BYLINE: Bill DiBenedetto GAO: Fed fails to help ports plan for disasters Nearly two years after hurricanes Katrina and Rita, a Government Accountability Office report says shortcomings persist in federal guidance and coordination of...

Tour to remember.
April 30, 2007... BYLINE: Laura Mecoy Hurricane changes second tour for Coast Guard commander Details for Frank Paskewich's retirement party were all set when he received the offer for the job he'd long desired as the Coast Guard's inland waterways...

Port Manatee tries to buy land for $1.
April 30, 2007... Port Manatee could become nearly 600 acres larger under a law being proposed in the Florida Legislature, but environmentalists and some state officials aren't sure it is a good idea, the St. Petersburg Times and The Herald Tribune reported. ...

New Mobile railyard elates shippers.
April 30, 2007... The opening of a new rail terminal in June at the Port of Mobile has Alabama-based companies that depend on shipping forecasting new business and trade with Mexico. CG Railway's $26 million terminal, funded in large part by the state of...

New port proposed for Gulf of Mexico.
April 30, 2007... A subsidiary of Norwegian-based Hoegh LNG AS is seeking federal approval to build and operate a deep-water port for the import of natural gas to Florida's west coast. But it would not be accessible by truck or rail. The port would be similar to...

South Louisiana airport wins FAA award.
April 30, 2007... The Greater Lafourche Commission's decision to expand its airport has been recognized by the Federal Aviation Administration with the Louisiana Airport of the Year Award for 2006. Since purchasing the 390-acre airport in 2001, the...

Leonard joins Intermarine's Asia office.
April 30, 2007... A veteran in the management of breakbulk and project cargo, James Leonard has been appointed to Intermarine's Shanghai office, the company announced this month. Leonard, who joined the New Orleans-based firm in 1991, was named vice...

Atlantic Container Service promotes three.
April 30, 2007... Atlantic Container Service Inc. and sister company Lanport Inc. announced the following promotions: Peggy Parrish to vice president of administration; Tony Noles to vice president of operations; and Scott Cary to vice president of sales. ...

Ozburn-Hessey appoints Benki head of Latin American operations.
April 30, 2007... Tennessee-based Ozburn-Hessey Logistics recently added Al Benki as senior vice president, international services. He will focus on Latin American trade and work with the company's Barthco International Division. Prior to joining the...