AAPA ISP member Trimble will host a free webinar titled Expedite Project Completion with Digital Project Delivery on October 12 at 1:00 p.m. EDT. In this webinar, participants will learn how connected construction technologies are revolutionizing program and project delivery, enabling complex capital programs to finish on time and on budget, often ahead of schedule. Trimble's ecosystem of software and hardware solutions are enabling Digital Project Delivery for the first time. Digital Project Delivery not only improves project outcome but also enables owners to be able to manage their assets with data-based decision-making through project performance indicators and data-rich digital as-built models.

Webinar presenter Trevor Clark, a director at Trimble for major marine and federal projects, helps major capital project owners and contractors improve project delivery through digital construction technologies. Trevor previously served as an engineering officer with the U.S. Coast Guard Civil Engineering Corps, most recently as the Chief of Construction for west coast projects. Clark is a graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he earned an MBA and MSCE. He is a licensed professional engineer in the state of California.

Register here to receive a participation link to join the webinar at 1:00 p.m. EDT on October 12.

If you've been part of an outstanding project recently or did a stand-out job coming up with a solution to a challenge, you belong in our "best of the best" roundup! When it comes to Western Hemisphere ports and the companies and partners that support them, there are some that stand out as being top of their game. They are the best survivors, the most innovative, the best at adapting, the tightest with their community, the best at trying new things, the most successful when trying new things, and the list goes on! If you would like to be considered in our Seaports Magazine end-of-year round up of these “best of the best,” provide some details on why you think your port/company belongs here. Please reach out to shani@naylor.com no later than Oct. 15 with these details, to be considered for this feature:

Your Name, Title:
Company/Port:
In what way are you the “best of the best”?

The Port of Caddo-Bossier welcomed a new member to the Caddo-Bossier Port Commission. Shreveport attorney Joshua K. Williams has been sworn-in and officially took his new seat at the port commission’s meeting on September 13. Williams has been in private practice after working for the Caddo District Attorney’s office. Jonathan Daniels, Port Everglades chief executive and port director, was elected chair of the Florida Ports Council Board of Directors for 2021-2022. Daniels currently serves on the FPC and AAPA’s Board of Directors, serving a two-year term as the AAPA U.S. South Atlantic Ports Representative, and is a member of AAPA’s National Defense Committee. Daniels sits on the Boards of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance and is an active member of the Alliance Partner Council.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a new case study highlighting how a team of federal, state, and local stakeholders in New York and New Jersey worked together to cost-effectively and expediently offset emissions over the life of a harbor deepening project. The resulting marine vessel engine upgrades ensured the project complied with the Clean Air Act and provided lasting clean air benefits. To read the case study, visit EPA’s website.

The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) has joined together with the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH), signing the Call to Action for Shipping Decarbonization to urge world leaders to make zero-emission shipping the default choice by 2030. The Call to Action for Shipping Decarbonization asks for government action to align shipping with the Paris Agreement temperature goal. More than 150 industry leaders and organizations representing the entire maritime value chain, including shipping, cargo, energy, finance, ports, and infrastructure have become signatories.

Port of Oakland beef exports – almost exclusively to Asia – increased 25% this year between January and July. “Demand for high-quality U.S. meat products is off the charts,” said Port of Oakland Maritime Director Bryan Brandes. “We’re in the best position to help American exporters meet that demand.” The port said surging beef exports validate its investments in the international cold chain and credited U.S. beef producers with sustaining the export boom despite shipping woes.

After consultation with multiple supply chain stakeholders and the U.S. Department of Transportation, the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles announced new measures to improve freight movement and reduce delays through the ports as they continue to experience record volumes. These measures, which include expanded night and weekend hours, will enhance the ports’ landside operations to help meet the unprecedented growth in cargo volume moving through the San Pedro Bay.

The Port of Hueneme was selected to receive a grant award totaling $5.1 million from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration. This investment will provide long-term infrastructure enhancements to maximize facility utilization through dredging an additional five feet – from 35 ft. to 40 ft. – to enable fresh produce container vessels to load heavier with each visit. The project also includes installing 600 ft. of sheet pile wall and other improvements that help support further utilization of shoreside power at the port.

Port of Galveston’s total 840 acres include 357 acres on Pelican Island. While the port’s Galveston Island acreage is almost fully developed, more than 300 acres with waterfront access are available for greenfield development on Pelican Island. The port recognizes Pelican Island’s growth opportunity for the region and continues to explore a wide range of potential uses, including roll-on/roll-off cargo storage, a multi-use terminal, cargo trucking, and industrial development. 

ZIM Integrated Shipping Services recently selected PortMiami for its new Mediterranean – North America – Turkey (ZCT) service. The service’s first Miami-bound vessel, TRF PARTICI, will arrive on September 24. The ZCT TRF PARTICI, a 3,500 TEU vessel, is part of a fixed bi-monthly service, calling at the Port of Miami Terminal Operating Company cargo terminal. Its rotation will include Mersin – Yarimca, Izmit – Izmir, Aliaga – New York – Savannah - Miami – Houston – Mersin.

Port of Oakland reported import cargo volume edged up last month, while the number of vessel services declined. The port received the equivalent of 97,850 TEUs in August, up 1.6% from August 2020. The port contrasted rising imports with a 40% drop in the number of container ships calling at Oakland, with 68 ships in August, compared to 113 a year ago. Declining vessel calls were attributed to ship diversions earlier this year.