Contact: Nancy Alcalde (SLSDC)
Tel: 202-366-0091
Port of Green Bay Earns Seaway Pacesetter Award
for Increase in International Tonnage
The Port of Green Bay posted significant increases in international cargo during the 2011 navigation season, earning it the prestigious Robert J. Lewis Pacesetter Award from the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC), an agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation. SLSDC Administrator Terry Johnson presented the award today to Interim Port and Solid Waste Director Dean Haen at the Port of Green Bay Symposium.
“This is a strong economic performance by an important member of the Seaway System,” said Administrator Johnson. “The Port of Green Bay had the highest international tonnage increase of all U.S. Great Lakes ports in 2011. This award reflects the importance of the port as a vital component of the area’s regional economy.”
During the 2011 navigation season, the Port of Green Bay moved 60,888 metric tons (mt) of international cargo through the Seaway, a 139 percent increase over the 2010 season, earning the port its 9th Pacesetter award.
“The Port of Green Bay is very pleased to be a recipient of the prestigious Saint Lawrence Seaway Pacesetter Award for increasing our international tonnage,” said Dean Haen. “That increase is mainly attributable to the newest port terminal operated by U.S. Venture as well as to the Fox River Dock Company. The addition of the U.S. Venture terminal in the port increased our overall tonnage by more than 210,000 mt of petroleum products in 2011 of which 46,000 mt was internationally bound, while Fox River Dock imported 14,500 mt of pig iron from Quebec.”
An economic impact study of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System released last October showed that for the State of Wisconsin, the System supports 8,777 jobs resulting in over $622 million in personal income, generating annual business revenue of over $1.405 billion and nearly $180 million in federal, state and local taxes.
The Pacesetter Award is presented annually to U.S. Great Lakes Seaway ports that register year-on-year increases in international overseas cargo tonnage shipped through the Seaway. The other three ports receiving the award this year are the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority, the Port of Chicago and the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor.
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The Chamber of Marine Commerce (CMC) is a bi-national association that represents diverse marine industry stakeholders including major Canadian and American shippers, ports, terminals and marine service providers, as well as Canadian domestic and international ship owners. The Chamber advocates for safe, sustainable, harmonized and competitive policy and regulation that recognizes the marine transportation system's significant advantages in the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence, Coastal and Arctic regions.
Media Contact:
Jason Card
Chamber of Marine Commerce
jcard@cmc-ccm.com
(613) 447 5401