Stevedoring News

Blake Powell, president at JMS Naval Architects, discusses his career, company and latest trends in naval architecture and marine engineering.Please give a brief professional bio, including education, experience and overview of current duties as president of JMS Naval Architects.I earned my degree in Naval Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley where I attended on a Navy ROTC scholarship and was commissioned as a Diving and Salvage Officer after I graduated.

Crowley has appointed James Fowler as senior vice president and general manager of its Crowley Shipping business unit that serves U.S. and international maritime and logistics sectors.Fowler most recently served as managing director of marine and stevedoring operations for Cooper Marine and executive vice president for Blakeley BoatWorks, both headquartered in Mobile, Ala.“As Crowley advances its next generation of maritime services, James Fowler is ideally suited to bring the vision and leadership to help our customers…

Australian financial conglomerate Macquarie Group said on Thursday it would divest its U.S.-based port terminal operator Ceres Terminals, with a source familiar with the matter placing the deal value north of $900 million.Macquarie did not disclose any further details on the deal, and declined to comment on Reuters' request seeking confirmation of the sale value.The Wall Street Journal in May reported that Macquarie was looking for about $1 billion from the sale, citing sources familiar with the matter.The deal value could be at the lower end of what the Wall Street Journal reported…

Australia's Macquarie Group Ltd is looking to sell its North American port facilities business, Ceres Terminals, for about $1 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday citing sources familiar with the matter.The financial conglomerate acquired full control of the general cargo stevedoring operations in 2019 from Tokyo-based shipping and logistics firm Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK Line).Ceres moves about 4.3 million containers annually at several major ports in the United States, according to its company website.The shipping industry globally has been under pressure as supply-chain bottl

On August 11, 2022, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging seven defendants with running a criminal enterprise dedicated to extorting and misleading shipping companies into paying fees for the loading and unloading of cargo at the Port of San Juan—Piers 9, 10, and 11—under the threat of strikes and blockades on the part of union members of the ILA-1740 of the International Longshoremen’s Association, AFL-CIO (ILA) and under false representations…

Liberty Green Logistics LLC, (Lake Success, NY) formed an offshore wind supply chain consortium to provide "Factory to Farm" logistical support and integrated supply chain services to the U.S. offshore wind industry. The consortium is on a non-exclusive basis and available as a one stop shop for developers, OEM’s, and EPC contractors, providing services ranging across ports & terminals, vessels, and supply chain logistics. Since the inception in May 2021 Liberty Green has enrolled 17 consortium members…

A stevedoring company based in Tauranga, New Zealand has been ordered to pay a $90,000 fine and $20,000 in costs for safety failings that led to an excavator being dropped overboard from a logging ship in 2018.C3 Limited had previously pleaded guilty to a charge of breaching its duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 and was sentenced February 4 in the Wellington District Court.Maritime NZ’s central compliance manager, Blair Simmons, said that the incident, which took place at Wellington’s Centreport on June 2…

Indiana Cargo Crossroads is a working partnership of Ports of Indiana and Superior River Terminals Indiana (SRTI). The new general cargo operator began work in Jeffersonville Jan. 1 providing stevedoring and distribution services to customers. It will grow and diversify cargoes, make investments into facility expansions and drive projects that create significant economic benefits for the regional economy.The port’s general cargo terminal consists of a 10-acre parcel of land adjacent to the Ohio River…

On Monday at the Port of Savannah, representatives from Gateway Terminals, the International Longshoremen’s Association and the Georgia Ports Authority joined to mark the first container moved under the direction of Gateway, a new joint venture company combining locally the three legacies of Ports America, Ceres Marine Terminals and SSA Atlantic.Ports America, Ceres Marine Terminals and SSA Atlantic have consolidated container terminal, truck gate and stevedoring services under Gateway Terminals to streamline their activities.

A deal has been finalized that will soon see the largest vessel to ever call at New Zealand for the loading of logs.The deal between South Pacific Shipping (SPS) and Oldendorff Carriers was brokered by Braemar ACM’s Bruce McFarlane, a Mount Maunganui local. Braemar also negotiated the deal with ISO Stevedoring that delivered the mobile cranes from the manufacturer in Germany, to the port of Tauranga, New Zealand last year. Bruce McFarlane commented, “We saw an opportunity to bring…

The U.S.’ first linehaul towing vessel powered by Tier 4 Caterpillar high-speed engines with selective catalytic reduction( SCR) was built by Blakeley BoatWorks (BBW) and is now operated by Cooper Marine and Timberlands (CMT).In March 2021, Blakeley BoatWorks completed construction of M/V Gretchen V. Cooper, a state-of-the-art, Tier-4 inland linehaul tow boat. This 3,400-horsepower vessel is 110-feet long, 33-feet wide, and expands CMT’s fleet to 20 vessels.Currently, Tier-4 diesel engine standards are the strictest U.S.

In the past few years, the commercial use of facial recognition technology has advanced at an explosive rate, expanding into numerous industries and trades. For instance, facial biometrics is increasingly relied on by airlines and airports across the globe; a similar trend is starting to take hold in the maritime industry, particularly the cruise sector.While this expansion is occurring, states and cities across the country—as well as the federal government—are attempting to enact strict laws regulating the use of facial recognition technology by commercial entities.

Logistics executive Bleu Hilburn is returning to Crowley Solutions as vice president of business development for all government services. In this role, Hilburn will develop strategies to build a customer pipeline, qualify opportunities and manage all aspects of marketing, bid and capture management to drive growth and build deep relationships with government customers for Solutions.Hilburn, a 2015 Thomas Crowley Award winner, the company’s highest honor for employees, will start Aug.

The Port of Vancouver USA received a shipment of wind turbine components on July 22 that included the longest wind turbine blades ever to enter the West Coast of the U.S. and transported across North America, to-date. The port received a total of nine wind turbines including blades, nacelles, generators, hubs, tower sections and other sub-components. Eight of Goldwind’s GW155/4.2 MW turbines arrived on the MV Star Kilimanjaro. There are four complete turbines featuring Goldwind’s 76-meter blades and four additional turbines of the same model with blades arriving on later shipments.

Crowley Maritime Corporation announced Brett Bennett will join the company August 3 as senior vice president and general manager of Crowley Logistics, succeeding Steve Collar, who retired last month after a 43-year career with Crowley. He will report to Ray Fitzgerald, Crowley’s chief operating officer, and work from the corporate headquarters in Jacksonville, Fla.Bennett comes to Crowley from Wallenius Wilhelmsen Solutions where he served as senior vice president and head of global terminals and stevedoring.

A newly built grain export terminal has opened for business at the Port of Vancouver on Canada’s West Coast, Canadian grain company G3 announced.G3 Terminal Vancouver is a a British Columbia limited partnership between G3 Global Holdings (a limited partnership between Bunge Canada and SALIC Canada Ltd) and Western Stevedoring Company Ltd.Construction on the facility began in March, 2017 at the site in North Vancouver and is now substantially complete as planned. The facility has…

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) awarded $9.5 million in grants to eight marine highways projects across the Nation under the America’s Marine Highway Program. The funding supports the enhancement of navigable waterways and expands existing waterborne freight services in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Tennessee, Washington and American Samoa.“This Federal assistance will provide additional options to reduce congestion on the roads and help the surrounding local communities’ and the regions’ economic recovery…

Two dozen small shipyards in the U.S. have received a combined $19.6 million through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) Small Shipyard Grant Program to help fund upgrades and expansions that often lead to more competitive operations, quality ship construction and improved employee skill.“This $19.6 million federal government investment in the nation’s small shipyards will help maintain the U. S. shipyard infrastructure of our country,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L.

FESCO Transportation Group, the largest intermodal transport operator in Russia,  has performed relocation of four Liebherr rubber tyred gantry (RTG) cranes from Petrolesport (part of Global Ports Group) in St. Petersburg to Vostochnaya Stevedoring Company (part of Global Ports Group) in Vrangel (Primorsky Krai)."To ensure minimum transit time, the transportation of RTG cranes was carried out along the Northern Sea Route. The sea passage took 28 days, while transit time on the route through the Suez Canal would take about 52 days," said a press release.Transportation was made by vessel Nordic Svalbard, equipped with heavy-lift cranes.

Niels Aalund was elected President of the International Propeller Club at their 93rd International Convention and Conference. The prominent maritime industry stakeholder will serve a two-year term, commencing from October 17th. Aalund, a well-known maritime subject matter expert and executive, also serves as an Officer and as Senior Vice President of the West Gulf Maritime Association (WGMA). WGMA communicates and coordinates with various governmental entities throughout the West Gulf…

Niels Aalund was elected at the 93rd International Convention and Conference in New Orleans on October 17th.New Orleans, LA: Prominent maritime industry stakeholder Niels Aalund has been elected President of the International Propeller Club. Mr. Aalund will serve a two-year term, commencing from October 17th. Aalund, a well-known maritime subject matter expert and executive, currently serves as an Officer and as Senior Vice-President of the West Gulf Maritime Association (WGMA).

Marking its first foray into the US, Singapore-based port operator PSA International has completed the acquisition of Penn Terminals located on the Delaware River in the U.S. from Macquarie Infrastructure Partners, a fund managed by Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets.Penn is a privately owned multipurpose marine terminal on the Eastern Coast of the USA. Penn’s terminal, warehousing and stevedoring services have enabled it to handle its clients’ cargo since 1986.“This acquisition represents PSA’s very first foray into the USA. We are delighted to embrace Penn as the newest member of the global PSA family and to be able to participate in its continued growth and expansion.

Commission Expresses Concerns about Puerto Rico Terminal Facilities Agreement.An agreement filed at the Federal Maritime Commission allowing a joint venture between two adjacent terminals at the Port of San Juan, Puerto Rico, will go into effect on August 29. However, concerns about the agreement and its impact on the marketplace will lead the FMC to adopt a more vigorous oversight plan than its traditional monitoring program.Under the terms of the Puerto Nuevo Terminals LLC Cooperative Working Agreement (FMC Agreement No.