Facebook Twitter Twitter    Archive | www.aapa-ports.org October 7, 2013
   

Business Agreements: Hueneme, Portland

Print Print this Article | Send to Colleague

The Port of Hueneme and Del Monte Fresh Produce celebrated their 34-year partnership by executing a third modification of their 1995 contract. Ford will soon begin exporting vehicles to China via Auto Warehousing Company’s (AWC) facility at the Port of Portland’s Terminal 6.  

Hueneme: Del Monte Fresh Produce and Port Seal the Deal 

The Port of Hueneme and Del Monte Fresh Produce celebrated their 34-year partnership by executing a third modification of their 1995 contract. 

The signing on September 27 came the day before the port celebrated its 2nd annual Banana Festival. Del Monte supported the event with contributions of thousands of bananas and $5,000. 

"We’re very happy with the continuation of our presence on the West Coast," said Del Monte Port Manager Chuck Caulkins. "The port has been a valuable partner in helping us stay competitive in an increasingly regulated business environment. This contract modification extending our 1995 agreement includes one more five-year extension.

Port CEO Kristin Decas responded by saying: "Del Monte is one of our best customers, a strong business partner and a friend to the port and the community."  

When Del Monte arrived at the port in 1979, bananas had to be unloaded box-by-box utilizing an elevated conveyor system connecting directly into the side of the ship. At each end of the conveyor, longshoremen loaded 40-pound banana boxes from the ship onto a staged pallet alongside the wharf. Full pallets, consisting of 48 boxes would in turn be loaded by teamsters onto waiting trucks. 

Shiploads of approximately 100,000 boxes were handled in this manner until the introduction in 1988 of pre-palletized boxes that could be discharged by vessels using onboard cranes to the wharf for loading onto waiting trucks.  

The next big change in banana handling came in 1995, when the port constructed for Del Monte a 30,000-square-foot refrigerated facility capable of maintaining up to 2,500 pallets of fruit at a perfect 57 degrees Farenheit. This allowed Del Monte to simultaneously improve the temperature "cold-chain" so important for quality, handle more boxes of fruit and more efficiently schedule truck arrivals. 

In January 2005, the port completed a 56,000-square-foot expansion of the original refrigerated facility, enabling Del Monte to accommodate more fresh produce such as pineapple, honeydew melon and cantaloupe. 

Del Monte today routinely handles in excess of 325,000 boxes of fresh fruit weekly through its Hueneme facility, or more than triple the 100,000 box weekly maximum of 1979. 

Del Monte vessel discharging fruit laden containers at its modern on-dock Hueneme reefer facility.
Photo/Port of Hueneme

Portland (OR) – A New Gateway for Ford Exports to China 

Ford will soon begin exporting vehicles to China via the Port of Portland. Auto Warehousing Company’s (AWC) facility at Terminal 6 received full approval to proceed following its inspection by Chinese government auditors. China is opening its doors to a variety of new Ford cars and trucks from several plants in the United States, Canada and Mexico. 

"We are proud to be serving as the primary gateway for exports of new Fords to China and furthering our mission to provide access to international markets," said Port Executive Director Bill Wyatt. "This new business will provide local jobs and economic benefits, but also fulfills a national role for Ford vehicles manufactured in plants throughout North America."

Portland is expecting to export 30,000 Ford vehicles annually to China the first year and 40,000 annually thereafter. AWC will be hiring up to 50 people immediately at its 130-acre Terminal 6 facility to process vehicles and prepare them for the Chinese market. A $2.8 million project to expand the processing building by 27,000 square feet and increase capacity to more than 110,000 vehicles annually is nearing completion. The expansion was financed by ConnectOregon IV state grant funding and a $560,000 investment by AWC.

Portland has specialized in handling vehicles since 1953 and is a leading auto import gateway, with volume last year amounting to 279,985 units. Portland began exporting Fords to South Korea for the first time in January 2012 – its first vehicle exports since 1988 – and that business continues today.

"There is great potential to grow this business as our expertise and available capacity matches growing demand for Ford vehicles in China," said Ben Seher, president of Auto Warehousing Company. "By better utilizing transpacific car carriers returning to Asia, this will be good news for everyone involved."
 

Share Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn