Stephen Brooks News

Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway shipping rebounded in August due to a surge in U.S. grain exports, iron ore shipment improvements and a steady flow of raw materials for manufacturing and construction. “We’ve seen a real rally in August. St. Lawrence Seaway cargo shipments were up 8 percent compared to the same month last year,” said Stephen Brooks, President of the Chamber of Marine Commerce. “U.S. grain exports now match last season’s strong performance. Iron ore shipments have improved as Canadian and U.S.

North America’s largest mining, manufacturing and agricultural companies have helped identify four top priorities to improve the competitiveness of Great Lakes shipping, and as a result, the prosperity of the entire region. These priorities will be the Chamber of Marine Commerce’s focus in the coming year. “Our customers are critical to the viability of Great Lakes-Seaway shipping and the underlying economy. As one of our large industrial customers put it: No customer = no ships, no ports, no Seaway,” said Stephen Brooks, President of the Chamber of Marine Commerce. “Tough global economic conditions mean that our manufacturing, food, mining and construction sectors are under more pressure than ever to be competitive.

As ongoing commodity price pressures continued to impact overall tonnage volumes through the St. Lawrence Seaway in September, the shipping industry was buoyed by a number of investments in recent weeks by ship operators and ports, according to the Chamber of Marine Commerce, an association representing Canadian and American marine industry stakeholders. “Despite slower iron ore and coal, growth continues on the Seaway in shipments for domestic sectors like construction, salt mining, agriculture and manufacturing,” said Stephen Brooks, President of the Chamber of Marine Commerce.

As the debate continues both at home and abroad on carbon offsetting measures, the Chamber of Marine Commerce is urging stakeholders and governments to consider the environmental advantages and the competitive challenges faced by the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence shipping industry. The call comes as the Ontario government develops details of a new cap-and-trade system to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and federal government negotiators head to Paris in December for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meeting.

American grain shipments through the St. Lawrence Seaway are up 63 percent so far this season as ships transport corn to Canada and soybeans for international export, reports the Chamber of Marine Commerce. According to figures from the St. Lawrence Seaway, U.S. grain totaled 765,000 metric tons for the period from April 2 through July 31. U.S. Great Lakes ports that receive and export grain through the waterway include Duluth-Superior, Toledo, Milwaukee, Chicago, Indiana Burns Harbor and Buffalo.

Grain shipments through the St. Lawrence Seaway are up 7 per cent this season, continuing the pace set last year when ships carried the largest volume of grain through the navigation system in 14 years. According to The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation, grain shipments (including Canadian and U.S. grain) totaled 1.9 million metric tons from April 2 to May 31. The Port of Thunder Bay, the largest grain port on the Great Lakes, reported that its grain shipments were off to the strongest start this season since 1997, as the major handlers continue to export the harvest from 2014. So far this season, Algoma Central Corporation’s ships have carried 50 per cent more grain, mainly from Thunder Bay to Quebec for transshipment overseas.

Shipments through the St. Lawrence Seaway remained strong in October as North American manufacturers and cities stockpiled vital materials in advance of the coming winter and farmers relied on the waterway to export the new harvest. According to the St. Lawrence Seaway, total cargo tonnage from March 25 to October 31 reached 29.6 million metric tons, up 4.5 percent over the same period last year, as robust grain and steel shipments have more than offset a drop in iron ore shipments through the Seaway. “Autumn is typically the St.

Total cargo shipments on the St. Lawrence Seaway have now surpassed 2013 levels by 5 percent due to strong North American import/export activity. According to the St. Lawrence Seaway, total cargo tonnage from March 25 to September 30 reached 24.4 million metric tons. Stephen Brooks, President of the Chamber of Marine Commerce, said, “September was another strong month for the St. Lawrence Seaway as marine shipping helped U.S. companies export products and import much-needed materials. Many people don’t realize that ships are regularly carrying a huge amount of trade between Canada and the U.S.

Total cargo shipments on the St. Lawrence Seaway have surpassed 2013 levels despite one of the most difficult starts to the shipping season in years due to ice coverage. According to Seaway figures, total cargo tonnage from March 25 to August 31 reached 20 million metric tons, up 3 percent over the same period last year. Vanta Coda, Executive Director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, said, “It’s taken several months to even get close to catching up from the icy start to this shipping season but, by mid-summer, cargo shipments through the Port of Duluth-Superior had rebounded significantly.

J.F. Lehman & Company acquired ACR Electronics, Inc. from Chelton Avionics, Inc., a subsidiary of Cobham plc. ACR Electronics, Inc. is a leading provider of safety products and solutions to the aviation, marine, military and commercial markets worldwide. The Company’s core products include life-saving devices such as rescue beacons, safety lights, and other safety equipment which have been sold for decades under the ACR and Artex brands. “We are very pleased to have the opportunity to invest in ACR Electronics,” said Stephen Brooks, Partner at J.F. Lehman. “ACR Electronics is a market leader in many of J.F. Lehman’s core end-markets and has a strong reputation for quality and engineering expertise across a diverse product suite with both military and civilian customers.