Lou Anne Bynum News

The Port of Long Beach has completed its best-ever first quarter, with marine terminals handling almost 1.9 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) January through March. The quick start is 19.4 percent more than the first quarter of 2017, the Port’s busiest year ever. The previous first quarter record was set in 2007. March throughput reached 575,258 TEUs, an increase of 13.8 percent compared to the same month last year. “Our March cargo jumped despite the shipping slowdown during the Lunar New Year holiday in China,” said Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero. “One of the most encouraging signs throughout this surge in cargo last year and this year is the operational efficiency at our marine terminals.

Officials from the Port of Long Beach, Southern California Edison and the California Energy Commission today launched the nation’s largest pilot project for zero-emissions cranes and other cargo-handling equipment for seaports. Funded mostly by a $9.7 million grant from the California Energy Commission, the project will bring 25 vehicles that are zero- or near zero-emissions to Port of Long Beach marine terminals for one year to test their performance in a real-world setting. The launch event was held at Pacific Container Terminal at Long Beach’s Pier J — operated by SSA Terminals — one of three terminals participating in the project.

About 500 people gathered at the Long Beach Convention Center for the event, which brings together a panel of shipping and trade experts to offer their perspectives on industry trends and how they affect the San Pedro Bay port complex. One of the panelists, Drewry Maritime Research Senior Quantitative Economist Mario Moreno, predicted Asia-U.S. trade will grow 6.8 percent in 2018, the fastest pace in more than half-a-dozen years. He also estimated the overall U.S. economy will expand 2.8 percent. While President Donald Trump and China have proposed higher tariffs, an all-out trade war between China and the United States appears unlikely, according to Moreno. “Both nations have a lot to lose,” Moreno said.

Vigilance, the second of the Port of Long Beach’s two new fireboats, was officially brought into service at America’s second busiest port on Monday, and together with its twin Protector (delivered in 2016), will replace fireboats Challenger and Liberty that entered service in the late 1980s. Vigilance and Protector, designed by Robert Allan Ltd. and built by Foss Maritime Co., cost a combined $51.6 million. Jensen Maritime Consultants served as construction manager. Each vessel features 10 water cannons capable of extinguishing fires in the harbor or on nearby land with more than 41…

The Port of Long Beach notched clean air records in its latest study of air pollution emissions, including an 88 percent reduction in diesel particulate matter, continuing more than a decade of air quality improvements. The first phase of the zero-emissions Long Beach Container Terminal opened on Pier E in 2016, helping to drive down the air pollution tallied in the Port’s annual Emissions Inventory, which was completed this week. The Port has been monitoring its progress in air quality improvements since 2005. “The Port of Long Beach, in partnership with the Port of Los Angeles, has been a global leader in reducing pollution associated with goods movement,” said Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia.

Harbor Commission President Lori Ann Guzmán was re-elected Monday evening to serve a second one-year term leading the board that oversees the Port of Long Beach, the nation’s second-busiest seaport. The five-member Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners also selected Lou Anne Bynum as Vice President and Tracy Egoscue as Secretary, continuing in the roles they have served in for the past 12 months. Each July, the Commission selects from its own members the President and the other Board officers for one-year terms. Guzmán, who is the Director of Finance for the City of Huntington Beach, was appointed to the Harbor Commission in 2013 by then-Mayor Bob Foster. The Commission President chairs Board meetings and represents the Port to the public.

At its third annual Celebrating Education event, held at McBride High School on Thursday, May 12, the Port of Long Beach recognized scholarship and high school internship recipients and announced a new initiative to broaden its educational outreach through a specialized academy at Cabrillo High School, which is located in the vicinity of the Port. The Port of Long Beach Academy of Global Logistics was announced by Harbor Commission Vice President Lou Anne Bynum at the event. Mayor Robert Garcia…

A heavy equipment operator, port construction manager, shoe company executive and maritime university student encouraged Long Beach young women to explore careers in shipping industry at this week’s fifth annual Celebrating Women in Trade luncheon. More than 300 people attended the Nov. 17 event, including 160 local female high school students. The educational outreach event, first created during the Port of Long Beach’s 100th anniversary, was held at the Grand Ballroom of the Long Beach Convention Center. During the event, officials awarded the second annual Advancing Women in International Trade Award to Carolyn Martin, a goods movement industry legend who retired in 2014 following a 42-year career with International Transportation Service…

The Long Beach City Council on Tuesday confirmed the appointments of Long Beach City College executive Lou Anne Bynum and former City Councilman Doug Drummond to second terms on the Board of Harbor Commissioners. Mayor Robert Garcia announced the reappointments last month. Both Bynum, the Harbor Board Vice President, and Drummond, a former Board President, were originally appointed by Garcia’s predecessor, Mayor Bob Foster. “These commissioners have done outstanding jobs helping to lead the Harbor Department,” Garcia said. “Their commitment to continuing public service will provide stability and consistency to the decisions governing Long Beach’s most important economic engine.

Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia is leading a Port of Long Beach delegation on a weeklong business development trip this week to meet with executives at the European home offices of the world’s three largest shipping lines. The group will update Port customers on the impact of the recent labor negotiations and steps being taken to improve congestion and make the Port more efficient. Delegation members include Harbor Commission President Doug Drummond, Commission Vice President Rich Dines, Commissioner Lou Anne Bynum and Harbor Department Chief Executive Jon Slangerup. "It's incredibly important that we let our customers know that despite the labor negotiation process and congestion, the Port of Long Beach is still the best place to do business on the West Coast," said Mayor Garcia.

For many high school seniors, the thought of college can be financially intimidating. The Port of Long Beach said it is committed to supporting students by providing scholarships to those pursuing careers in international trade, goods movement or other port-related industries. Scholarship applications will be available for high school seniors starting Tuesday, Sept. 2 through Friday, Jan. 16, 2015. The scholarship awards range from $1,000 to $8,000, which will be disbursed over four years of college. “We are dedicated to supporting our community’s youth.