Janiece Longoria News

The international port of Texas, Port Houston, had a record-breaking 2018 as container volume through the port grew by double-digits.The port handled handled 2.7 million 20-foot equivalent units, or TEUs, a common industry measurement for containers, last year. That's up 10 percent from 2.46 million TEUs in 2017.Port Houston Executive Director Roger Guenther announced several records were broken in 2018, including that total tonnage at Port Houston facilities set a record of 35.7 million tons, which reflected an increase of 9 percent from 2017.“The strength of cargo activity helped drive Operating Revenue to $366 million for the year shattering the previous record set in 2017 of $333 million…

In an unexpected reversal, it has been reported that the Houston Pilots yesterday notified Chairman Janiece Longoria of the Port of Houston Authority that they had withdrawn their latest application for a change in pilotage rates. Beyond this, the pilots requested in their letter dated October 18 that the application be removed from the agenda for the upcoming October 30 Board of Commissioners meeting.Upon being notified of the rate change application in September, no less than 15 shipping companies…

Contanda Terminals LLC,  a  provider of bulk liquid storage and logistics services in North America, has announced a multi-year commercial agreement with the Port of Houston Authority for 339 acres of prime deep-water access property located on the Houston Ship Channel. The land acquisition enables Contanda to continue to develop its key strategic business objective of doubling its terminal storage capability over the next five years, and expanding into the bulk petrochemical and hydrocarbon markets. This will further strengthen the company’s presence along the U.S. Gulf Coast where project investments have surged since 2014 and Contanda already operates three other bulk terminals.

In anticipation of increased opportunities for inbound consumer goods and outbound industrial commodities, Maersk Line and Mediterranean Shipping Co. have joined forces to operate a new direct all-water container service between the U.S Gulf and Asia. The new service by the 2M Alliance features the Lone Star Express by MSC and TP18 by Maersk. The first sailing is scheduled to depart Asia May 2, with Houston as the first U.S. inbound port call. The Lone Star/TP18 Gulf service will have a rotation of Qingdao, Ningbo, Shanghai, Xiamen, Yantian, Busan, Cristobal, Houston, Mobile and Miami.

In anticipation of increased opportunities for inbound consumer goods and outbound industrial commodities, Maersk Line and Mediterranean Shipping Co. have joined forces to operate a new direct all-water container service between the U.S Gulf and Asia. The new service by the 2M Alliance features the “Lone Star Express” by MSC and “TP18” by Maersk. The first sailing is scheduled to depart Asia May 2, with Houston as the first U.S. inbound port call. The Lone Star/TP18 Gulf service will have a rotation of Qingdao, Ningbo, Shanghai, Xiamen, Yantian, Busan, Cristobal, Houston, Mobile and Miami. The estimated inbound transit time to Houston is 26 days from Yantian and 23 days from Busan. The vessels deployed will have a capacity of about 4,500 twenty-foot–equivalent units (TEUs).

The first phase of a 300,000-square-foot temperature-controlled cargo facility will be built at the Port of Houston Authority’s Bayport Container Terminal by AGRO Merchants Group, which provides cold supply chain operations globally. Upon completion, the new facility will add to the infrastructure already in place at Bayport, which opened in 2007 and is one of the newest container facilities on the Gulf Coast. Negotiations between the Port Authority and AGRO Merchants Group regarding construction and operation of the refrigerated cargo center had been under way for some time and were successfully concluded recently. Plans call for the…

Nearly 148,000 new jobs have been generated by cargo and vessel activity at Port of Houston terminals since 2011, Port of Houston Authority Chairman Janiece Longoria announced today during the Greater Houston Partnership’s annual State of the Port event. An economic impact study by Martin Associates determined that public and private marine terminals at the Port of Houston had a statewide economic impact of $265 billion in 2014, which is 16 percent of Texas’ total gross domestic product, Chairman Longoria said. The Martin Associates study shows the port’s economic value to the state since 2011 increased $82 billion, or 45 percent. “The Port of Houston is the leading driver for the greater Houston region for creating jobs and economic opportunity,” Chairman Longoria said.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy visited the Port of Houston April 24 to highlight grants aimed at improving air quality. The port will receive about $900,000 in funding as part of EPA’s Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) grant program for clean diesel projects at U.S. ports. “We celebrate that the Port of Houston is growing and thriving, while still reducing pollution,” Administrator McCarthy said. “As the leading port in the nation for environmental stewardship…

Activity across Port of Houston Authority docks continues to show strength as February 2015 tonnage figures reflected a 22-percent increase compared to February 2014. Executive Director Roger Guenther released the information today during the monthly meeting of the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority. Guenther reported that the Port Authority's Barbours Cut and Bayport container terminals were particularly busy. A combined 40 percent more loaded containers than a year ago was handled. ". . . Our sharp increases in container volume are not just from East Asian services and diversion from the West Coast," Guenther said. The Port Authority, which handled a record 37 million tons of cargo in 2014, moved more than six million tons through the first two months of this year.

The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, recognized the Port of Houston Partners in Maritime Education as part of the 2015 Bright Ideas program. This year's cohort includes 124 programs from all levels of government--school districts; county, city, state, and federal agencies; as well as public-private partnerships--that are at the forefront in innovative government action. Since 2009, the Port of Houston Authority has been tackling the growing need for skilled maritime workers by organizing maritime academies at four area school districts at the high school level to introduce youth to maritime transportation systems and career pathways as mariners, and in shipbuilding and repair, and port operations.

Houston’s Port Commission Chairman Janiece Longoria delivered the 2014 State of the port address in early November. Completing her second year, chairman Longoria reported to a capacity crowd of almost 500 people that the Port of Houston Authority (PHA) is enjoying business success, also stressing PHA’s efforts to carry out its mission of economic development, with continued commitments to safety, maritime education, environmental stewardship and the community. Longoria stated…

A host of dignitaries gathered November 10 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Houston Ship Channel. During the ceremony, Port Commission Chairman Janiece Longoria lauded early leaders and their vision for the Port of Houston. Hundreds of guests, including elected officials, members of the International Longshoremen’s Association, Houston Pilots, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, current and former Port Commissioners, industry stakeholders and others, attended the event at Brady’s Landing, overlooking the Houston Ship Channel. The original dedication took place on Nov.

Blue skies and a cool breeze set the stage for a once-in-a-century event today: the 100th anniversary rededication of the opening of Houston's deep-water port. International Longshoremen's Association, Houston Pilots, U.S. Coast Guard, current and former Port Commissioners, industry stakeholders and others, attended the Houston Ship Channel Rededication at Brady's Landing overlooking the Houston Ship Channel. The event took place 100 years to the day of the original ceremony in 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson fired a cannon by remote control from his office in Washington D.C. Katherine Lee Stacy, the great-great-granddaughter of Miss Sue Campbell, who took part in the original dedication ceremony by tossing a floral offering, reenacted the christening event.

Norwegian Cruise Line returned to Houston on Saturday, October 11. Its Norwegian Jewel arrived at the Bayport Cruise Terminal in Pasadena, Texas. This inaugural call marked the beginning of the 2014 Fall Cruise Season for the Port of Houston Authority, as it celebrates the centennial year of the Houston Ship Channel. During a ceremony onboard, Norwegian Jewel's Captain Kenneth Harstrom tipped his new cowboy hat to the great state of Texas, as he welcomed officials from the Port Commission, including Chairman Janiece Longoria and Port Commissioners Clyde Fitzgerald and John Kennedy. "We are excited about the impact Norwegian Jewel will bring to the city of Pasadena and the greater Houston region.

Leaders from the petrochemical, maritime, logistics and transportation industries delivered robust economic forecasts for the Houston Ship Channel region during the 5th annual Economic Alliance Houston Port Region Petrochemical & Maritime Outlook Conference held at the Pasadena Convention Center Thursday, September 4. More than 650 people listened to encouraging news about expansion plans amid a resurgent energy renaissance in Texas and the U.S. The Port of Houston Authority and the Panama Canal Authority gave presentations recognizing their growth as 100-year anniversaries are being celebrated for both the canal and the Houston Ship Channel.

Enterprise Products Partners will build an ethane export facility on the Houston Ship Channel, signing a long-term agreement with the Port of Houston Authority for use of its facilities adjacent to Enterprise's existing terminal at Morgan's Point. "The agreement is exciting for the port and the entire region in terms of creating jobs and fostering positive economic impact," noted Janiece Longoria, Chairman of the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority. The 30-year agreement is a significant transaction for the Port Authority that will enhance the value of the existing lease with Enterprise. The facility is expected to begin operations in the third quarter of 2016.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has furnished the Port Authority its draft permit for the Bayport Channel Improvement project, Executive Director Roger Guenther reported to the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority today. The draft permit for Barbours Cut channel dredging will follow soon, he said. The projects at the Port Authority’s two container terminals, which will deepen the channels from 40 feet to 45 feet to match the depth of the Houston Ship Channel, are expected to begin shortly. Reporting on a recent Audit Committee meeting, Port Commission Chairman Janiece Longoria said the financial statement audit of the Port Authority for the fiscal year ended December 31…

Following the recent meeting of the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority, the following news items  of note were released. The Port Commission approved a $68 million construction contract with Orion Construction L.P. for Bayport and Barbours Cut channel improvements. These significant dredging projects will begin, following issuance of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permits and approval of its assumption of maintenance of the channels, Executive Director Roger Guenther reported.

Notable accomplishments in revenue generation, cargo throughput, professional performance and international recognition highlighted today's monthly meeting of the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority (PHA). Executive Director Roger Guenther, in his first meeting since being named to the post, characterized January's numbers as "a very exciting start to the new year" with operating revenue of more than $20 million. Guenther cited across-the-board increases in all major areas of cargo as the driver behind a 3-million-ton month for January, which was 15 percent higher than the year before. A contributor to that January figure was 400…

Colonel Leonard Waterworth, Executive Director of the Port of Houston Authority announced today that he is stepping down as its Executive Director, effective January 31, 2014. Roger Guenther, Deputy Executive Director of Operations, will take over as the Port Authority's Executive Director. Waterworth advised the Port Commission that he had accepted the role for two years, to help the Port Authority through recent transitions and to use his U.S. Army Corps of Engineers background to help obtain permits to deepen and widen the Port Authority's container terminal channels.

Vice President Joe Biden visited the Port of Houston Authority's Bayport Container Terminal Monday to highlight the importance of ports and the Panama Canal expansion. His next stop is Panama, where he will tour the expansion project, set for completion in 2015. Biden focused on investments in the Port of Houston that have triggered a 48% increase in exports. He also acknowledged the port is responsible for almost $500 billion of economic activity annually, which contributes more than two million jobs around the country. "Infrastructure matters and ports matter the most," Biden said.

During the annual meeting of the Houston Ship Channel Security District (HSCSD) November 21, public safety, homeland security and police agencies will display infrastructure and equipment funded by the HSCSD used to mitigate threats and protect the Houston Ship Channel. Harris County Sheriff's Office, Houston Police Department and U.S. Coast Guard Houston-Galveston and other agencies will display response equipment outside the Houston Marriott South hotel and give updates on security measures during a news conference.

PHA Signs Memorandum of Friendship & Trade Cooperation With Port of Marseille-Fos, Provence Promotion Economic Development Agency. Finances are very strong for August, Executive Director Len Waterworth shared in his report to the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority at its monthly meeting today. "I am very pleased to announce that we had another $20 million+ month, that's four out of eight this year, extremely good," Waterworth said. Waterworth also reported August's net income of $11 million, up $7 million or 212 percent.