Adolph Ojard News

Members of the American Great Lakes Ports Association (AGLPA) elected new leadership at their annual summer meeting held this year in Oswego, New York. The new president is William Friedman, President & CEO of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority. Dean Haen, director of the Brown County Port & Solid Waste Department in Green Bay, will serve as vice president. The secretary-treasurer position will be held by Paul LaMarre, port director at the Port of Monroe (Michigan). The term of office is two years. Friedman became president and CEO of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority in June 2010. He has more than 25 years of experience in port management, real estate development, international supply chain and multimodal distribution.

Adolph Ojard, Executive Director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, plans to retire this year after serving in that leadership role for the past decade. A national search is underway for a new Executive Director. The board anticipates having that person hired by the end of summer/early fall. After a brief transitional time, Ojard will then settle into retirement. Ojard was appointed executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority in March 2003. A Great Lakes maritime and transportation veteran, he now serves as the Port Authority's chief executive officer.

The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) lauded Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and David Vitter (R-La.), chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, for their leadership in advancing S. 601, the Water Resources Development Act of 2013 (WRDA), through the Senate. The legislation was passed by a vote of 83-14. “AAPA commends Senators Boxer and Vitter on their leadership in advancing this legislation to spur vitally needed maintenance and improvements in America’s seaport related infrastructure and waterways…

Testifying for the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) before the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee in a hearing titled “Foundations for a New Water Resources Development Act,”  Duluth Seaway Port Authority Executive Director and AAPA U.S. Delegation Chairman Adolph Ojard laid out three key areas that AAPA believes should be addressed in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) legislation currently being considered by Congress that would result in real benefits to the nation. First is bill language that would ensure federal Harbor Maintenance Tax revenues are fully used each year. Second is to make the U.S.

Congresswoman Janice Hahn (D-CA) and Congressman Ted Poe (R-TX), Co-Founders of the bi-partisan PORTS Caucus were honored with the distinguished American Association of Port Authorities 2013 “Port Person of the Year” award at the association’s annual spring conference in Washington, DC. “I am honored to accept this prestigious award with my friend and colleague, Congressman Poe,” said Congresswoman Hahn. “Occasions of bipartisanship in this city are few and far between, especially now when our nation’s economic future hinges on cooperation and compromise. “Ted and I teamed up to ensure that our ports play a prominent role in our national policy discussions, and this award is a ringing endorsement of the PORTS Caucus’ progress.

U.S. Reps Janice Hahn & Ted Poe to Accept AAPA’s ‘Port Person of Year’ Award at March 19 Event in D.C.; AAPA’s 2013 ‘Spring Conference’ to focus on key seaport priorities: infrastructure, security, trade. U.S. Representatives Janice Hahn (D-CA) and Ted Poe (R-TX) will be honored on March 19 as the American Association of Port Authorities’ (AAPA) 2013 “Port Persons of the Year” during the association’s annual Spring Conference event, March 18-19, at The Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown Hotel.

Continued demand for iron ore, coal, and general cargo for the industrial and manufacturing sectors lifted the tonnage numbers along the Great Lakes-Seaway System to the positive column. For the period March 22 to November 30, year-to-date total cargo shipments were 34.6 million metric tons, a rise of 2.67 percent over the same period in 2011. The St. Lawrence Seaway reported an 11 percent increase for total cargo shipments during the month of November – 5.1 million metric tons – compared to November 2011. “The nearly 3 percent rise in overall tonnage handled through the Seaway in 2012 is due in part to the proven formula of ‘steel in, grain out’ as steel imports rose 12 percent in November as compared to the same month last year, and combined Canadian-U.S.

Economic conditions and severe weather conditions have formed the perfect storm to slow some traditional trade at U.S. ports along the St. Lawrence Seaway System. The St. Lawrence Seaway reported that year-to-date total cargo shipments for the period March 22 to July 31 was 17.1 million metric tons, virtually flat over the same period in 2011. While July is usually a slow month on the System, not all the news was negative. “The Great Lakes Seaway system is an attractive market for breakbulk cargoes, and offers one of the most promising areas for growth,” said Craig H.

The St. Lawrence Seaway reported that year-to-date total cargo shipments for the period March 22 to June 30 were 13.2 million metric tons, up 1.3 percent over the same period in 2011. Iron ore and coal used in the steel and construction industries remained the dominant story in tonnage numbers along the St. Lawrence Seaway System. Iron ore shipments through the Seaway rose 34 percent to 1.4 million metric tons in June. Year-to-date figures for iron ore were up 27 percent to 3.8 million metric tons.

Positive Outlook as St. Lawrence Seaway Opens the 2012 Season. The steel and construction industries pushed the demand for North American commodities such as iron ore, stone and cement, and provided the 2012 shipping season with a solid start. The St. Lawrence Seaway reported that year-to-date total cargo shipments for the period March 22 to April 30 were 4.4 million metric tons, up 2.24 percent over the same period in 2011. “Coal shipments, the Seaway’s second largest commodity by tonnage for more than a decade…

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood today announced the appointment of 29 members to the new Marine Transportation System National Advisory Council (MTSNAC), established to advise the Department on matters relating to marine transportation. “Shifting some of our freight from the highways to open inland waterways is a fuel-efficient, cost-effective way to move goods and reduce roadway congestion,” said Secretary LaHood. The Department will task the MTSNAC with developing recommendations on establishing new marine highway services and port infrastructure development, among other issues. “The experience brought to bear by this diverse panel is impressive,” said Maritime Administrator David Matsuda. “These maritime experts have a lot to contribute.

The Port of Duluth-Superior is heading into the final three months of the 2010 shipping season with maritime leaders anticipating a strong finish. Recent tonnage reports indicate a 25 percent overall increase in year-to-date shipments, plus a robust grain trade that has already posted a staggering 89 percent increase over last year’s figures. Through September, over 26.5 million short tons of cargo have moved through the Twin Ports. When the bottom fell out of the economy in 2009 and steel production slowed, shipments of raw materials dropped dramatically, but a critical demand for iron ore and coal on the lower Lakes drove sharp increases early in 2010.

Cargo shipments through the St. Lawrence Seaway continue to rebound on the back of strong American grain exports and iron ore and steel activity, along with an uptick of new business and trade routes. The St. Lawrence Seaway reported that total year-to-date shipments reached 22.9 million metric tons from March 25 to September 30, an increase of 18 percent over the same period in 2009. Year-to-date shipments of iron ore for 2010 is up 62 percent to 7.2 million metric tons compared to last year, while American grain shipments have increased by 36 percent to 1.3 million metric tons. In September, these numbers were boosted by a 68 percent surge in American grain shipments to 604,000 metric tons compared to the same month in 2009.

Grain shipments through the St. Lawrence Seaway increased by 51 percent to 830,000 metric tons in August compared to the same period last year as international demand began to ramp up in the wake of production shortages in Russia. The St. Lawrence Seaway reported that American grain shipments reached 303,000 metric tons in August, an increase of 62 percent compared to the same period last year, while Canadian grain shipments increased by 45 percent to 527,000 metric tons. Year-to-date numbers, however, reflect an 18 percent increase to 743,000 metric tons for U.S. grain shipments and a 15 percent decrease to 2.8 million metric tons for Canadian grain shipments from March 25 to August 31compared to the same period in 2009.

Cargo shipments through the St. Lawrence Seaway continue to be buoyed by demand for iron ore and steel slabs with an overall increase of 16.6% year-to-date compared to the same period last year. The St. Lawrence Seaway reported that marine vessels carried 14.8 million tonnes of cargo from March 25 to July 31 — an increase of over 2 million tonnes compared to the 12.7 million tonnes handled during the same period last year. Total shipments during the month of July were down 4.8% compared to the same period in 2009 due to lower coal and grain traffic. However, iron ore continued to perform strongly during the month with a 30% increase to 892,000 tonnes. Imports of steel slabs, in the category of break bulk, rebounded to 45,000 tonnes. Richard Corfe, President and CEO of the St.

USS Great Lakes Fleet, Inc. has been certified as meeting the stringent international ISO 9002 quality standards and ISM safety and environmental standards, making it one of only two American flag Vessel Companies on the Great Lakes to have achieved this mark. In addition, the M/V Edgar B. Speer became the first American flag bulk carrier on the Great Lakes to receive a Safety Management Certification from the American Bureau of Shipping signifying its compliance with rigorous ABS safety and quality standards. ISO 9002/ ISM certification culminated a 24 -month teamwork effort at the USS Great Lakes Fleet, which involved virtually all…