Community Relations: Longview, Tampa Bay

Port Tampa Bay was pleased to host this week a two-day meeting and workshop of the Florida Transportation Commission, which provides leadership in meeting the state's transportation needs through policy guidance on issues of statewide importance and maintains oversight for the Florida Department of Transportation and other related authorities. Nearly 300 people visited the Port of Longview during the Port’s 2014 Community Tour Series, getting an up-close look at their local economic engine and finding a better understanding of how strong ports create strong communities.

Officials presenting on topics or participating in discussions represented some of the highest levels of leadership within the state’s transportation offices and districts, as well as consultants and other professionals focused on key issues facing the state regarding investments, policy, and infrastructure. Participating in discussions were: Ron Howse, chairman, Florida Transportation Commission (FTC); Ananth Prasad, secretary, Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT); Peter Partlow, principal, E Sciences, Inc.; Rich Biter, assistant secretary for intermodal systems development, FDOT; Brian Blanchard, assistant secretary for engineering and operations; and the seven district secretaries of FDOT.

Attendees of the workshop enjoyed a tour of major port customer Tampa Steel Erecting Company, Florida’s oldest existing steel erector/fabricator plant, which has been in business since 1945, as well as a waterside harbor tour of the state’s largest port.

"We are very pleased to host strategic partners in transportation, such as the Florida Transportation Commission," Paul Anderson, port president and CEO, said. "With the completion of recent major transportation projects like the Tampa Gateway Rail terminal and the I-4/Selmon Expressway Connector, Port Tampa Bay has become a vital intermodal port, so it’s wonderful to provide the exposure to Florida’s most diverse port to a group of leaders and policy makers who have a significant hand in the future of transportation initiatives within our great and rapidly growing state."

Port President/CEO Paul Anderson welcomes the Florida Transportation Commission before commencement of their September 23 meeting at the port’s administration building.
Photo/A. Forbes, Port Tampa Bay

Nearly 300 people visited the Port of Longview during the Port’s 2014 Community Tour Series, getting an up-close look at their local economic engine and finding a better understanding of how strong ports create strong communities.

"This was a great opportunity for some face-to-face time with our community," said Geir-Eilif Kalhagen, chief executive officer for the Port of Longview. "There are a lot of moving parts to a port of our size. Engaging in a dialogue is the best way to tell our story. This is the community’s port, and we want to assure them that it’s achieving its mission."

During the three tours, guests learned about port projects designed to attract new customers, the port’s influence on local job creation and the port’s efforts to draw business from around the globe. Visitors saw key pieces of the port’s long history, such as vintage locomotives and the circa-1927 Continental Grain Terminal, which is slated for demolition to make way for new business. Guests also saw state-of-the art equipment and facilities, including the port’s two Liebherr mobile harbor cranes, which have tremendously expanded the port’s cargo-handling capabilities, and the massive export grain terminal, which ships millions of tons of U.S. corn, wheat, soybeans and barley to Asia each year.

The tour included the partially demolished Berth 4, which is undergoing an environmentally friendly overhaul that includes removing nearly 1,000 creosote pilings from the water. When complete, the long unused berth will be put to work either as layberth for idle vessels or as a dock for customers eager to site on the deep-draft Columbia River.