Doug J Marchand News

The Georgia Ports Authority’s (GPA) Executive Director Doug J. Marchand announced at its board meeting that China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO) now has vessels calling on the Port of Savannah. “We appreciate COSCO’s confidence in our ability to handle its container volume now and in the future,” said GPA’s Executive Director Doug J. Marchand. “The Port of Savannah offers a logistically friendly location with two on-terminal rail providers and immediate access to two interstate highways, which helps us attract additional cargo in a challenging economy.

As part of the continuing effort to build upon current environmental initiatives, the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) has instituted a policy for managing port operations with consideration for best environmental practices and procedures. While the GPA has completed several environmental projects over the years, the purpose of the Environmental Policy is to formalize guidance as to how the port will operate with respect to the environment. “Efficient cargo movement is our job, and this policy establishes the framework by which we will evaluate our operations and determine how we can operate in an even more environmentally-friendly manner,” explained Doug J. Marchand, GPA’s Executive Director.

The International Maritime Hall of Fame announced recently the Georgia Ports Authority’s (GPA) Executive Director Doug J. Marchand will be honored as one of its newest members on May 13, 2009, at the United Nations in New York City. The International Maritime Hall of Fame was founded in 1993 and recognizes maritime visionaries, who, through excellence in their company, organization, or services, best exemplify the qualities of futuristic thinking that will guide the maritime industry in the 21st Century. “By creating unique opportunities and success at the Ports of Savannah and Brunswick, Doug has set the standard in the port industry and developed a model others attempt to duplicate,” said GPA’s Chairman of the Board Steve Green. Marchand has served as GPA’s Executive Director since 1995.

The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) has been awarded a United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) grant. The $250k award will retrofit GPA-owned equipment with devices that reduce air emissions. “As an integral part of GPA’s ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship, reducing consumption and emissions is a top priority,” said GPA’s Executive Director Doug J. Marchand. The engine exhaust enhancements will include diesel oxidation catalysts and crankcase filtration systems installed on 80 units of GPA’s container handling equipment. “These equipment upgrades will reduce diesel emissions by 25 percent,” said GPA’s Director of Engineering and Maintenance Wilson Tillotson.

On Feb. 23, the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) announced the arrival of four new super post-Panamax cranes at the Port of Savannah. The new cranes arrived aboard the Dockwise M/V Tern, a specially designed vessel capable of moving large, heavy structures. “The arrival of four new super post-Panamax cranes is an excellent example of Georgia’s commitment to expand capacity and provide superior services,” said GPA Executive Director Doug J. Marchand. With the addition of today’s new cranes, Garden City Terminal now has the largest fleet (23) of ship-to-shore cranes at one facility in this country.

Governor Sonny Perdue announced the opening of the Chatham Intermodal Container Transfer Facility on Jan. 22 (ICTF) at the Georgia Ports Authority’s Garden City Terminal. The new facility features three working tracks at 2,145 ft each and a total of 12,406 ft of storage tracks. The Port of Savannah is the only single facility on the U.S. East Coast with two on-terminal ICTFs. Today, Governor Perdue drove the ceremonial last spike into the Chatham ICTF rail. “A thriving business climate requires a transportation network that can support commerce and act as a catalyst to propel our economy forward,” said Governor Perdue. The Port of Savannah’s two Class I rail providers offer unrestricted double-stack service with two- to five-day transit times to major hubs throughout the Midwest…

Georgia Ports Authority’s (GPA) Executive Director Doug J. Marchand announced that the GPA handled more than 2.2m tons of cargo for all terminals in August, a 4.4-percent increase, or an additional 94,765 tons of cargo compared with the same period last year. During the meeting of the Authority, the Board approved $21.9m to purchase 11 new rubber-tired gantry container cranes and $2.5m for new refrigerated container storage in Savannah. For , the Authority approved $2.2m to build 6,000 linear ft. of additional storage track to support the increased volumes of both automobiles and grain arriving in unit train shipments.

The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) has completed the initial employee enrollment process for the Transportation Workers Identification Credential (TWIC) program. The federally mandated TWIC requirement created by the Department of Homeland Security is a common identification credential for individuals requiring unescorted access to secure or restricted areas of seaports. The Transportation Security Agency (TSA) opened the TWIC Enrollment Center in Savannah, Ga. in November 2007. Since November, the GPA has enrolled all of its employees in Savannah and Brunswick. “The cooperation of all port users is required to ensure the program’s successful implementation in Georgia,” said GPA’s Executive Director Doug J. Marchand.

According to Doug J. Marchand, Executive Director of the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), the ports started off the new fiscal year with double-digit gains in both container growth and the movement of auto and machinery units. 127,471 TEUs (20-ft. Equivalent Units) were handled through the Port of Savannah during July 2003, the first month of GPA's 2004 fiscal year. The additional cargo represents a 16.4 percent increase over this time last year. Records also show that 26,529 auto and machinery units were handled through the Port of Brunswick during July, or an impressive 37.4 percent increase over this time last year. Several weeks ago…

Doug J. Marchand, Executive Director of the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), gave the annual State of the Ports address today. "The State of the Port of Savannah has never been better!" Marchand proclaimed to more than 300 of Georgia's top maritime, business and community leaders. "We finished the year with more than 1.5 million TEUs and experienced an amazing 31.5 percent container growth. In his speech, Marchand outlined GPA's accomplishments and port expansions as well as ways that the Port of Savannah has helped create new jobs in a difficult economy. "I believe the success of the Port of Savannah will continue to be a catalyst for future economic recovery in Georgia," Marchand said.

Hornbeck Offshore Services has filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to a proposed initial public offering of its common stock. Hornbeck Offshore plans to use the net proceeds to the Company from the proposed offering to fund a portion of the costs of the construction of ocean-going, double-hulled tank barges, the retrofit of certain existing vessels, possible future acquisitions or additional new vessel construction, and for general corporate purposes. The underwriting group will be co-led by Goldman, Sachs & Co. Company, Inc., with Goldman Sachs & Co. acting as sole book-runner. International and Johnson Rice & Company, L.L.C. will act as co-managers.

The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) and the Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG) signed an historic agreement recently that will allow both port systems to jointly promote all-water shipping routes between Asia and the Port of Savannah. "China's economy continues to fuel world trade among all nations and in doing so is growing a new domestic market of its own for the world economies to service via exports to China," said Doug J. Marchand, GPA's Executive Director. The agreement provides for both parties to promote a strong working relationship and exchange information and expertise in the areas of marketing, communications, management, training and safety.

After 22 months of anticipation, two new Super Post-Panamax cranes finally arrived at the Port of Savannah’s Ocean Terminal on Saturday, June 18, 2005. Before reaching their final destination in Savannah, Ga., the cranes 47-day long journey aboard the 505-foot custom-made ship, Dock Express 10, originated at the Port of Tianjin, China. The cranes are the largest ship-to-shore cranes in the world, each with a length of 465 feet, a height of 374 feet with its boom raised, a weight of 1,369 tons and a span capacity of 22 containers across and six containers high on deck. The lift capacity of each crane is 72 tons under the spreader bar and 95 tons under the cargo beam. “We are very happy the new cranes have finally arrived,” said Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Doug J. Marchand.

Doug J. Marchand, Executive Director of the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), released tonnage and volume reports reflecting a strong start to fiscal year 2008 during a meeting of its board of directors. He cited tonnage growth of 26.9 percent, or 2.1 million tons in August, and a 26.7 percent growth in July, for a total increase of 910,00 tons. Port of Savannah handled 236,020 Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit containers (TEUs) for August, a 30.1-percent increase and a combined 467,711 TEUs for the first two months of the fiscal year. The Authority reported 28.5-percent increase in TEUs for the fiscal year to date. Marchand also indicated the Authority would bring an additional 14 Rubber Tire Gantry Cranes on-line in FY08…

The House and Senate have given final approval to a Conference Committee Report, which settled differences in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 1999. This legislation allows numerous projects to advance or be initiated. For instance, the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) can move into the next phase of harbor deepening in projects at the Ports of Brunswick and Savannah. “Authorization of the Brunswick project puts it on an immediate track to construction, projected to start next year pending schedule and funding issues,” said Doug J. Marchand, GPA executive director. “Deepening the Brunswick channel to 36 ft. will save carriers and shippers more than $5.6 million annually.

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