Customer Service -- Top Priority

Customer Service is one of the key elements that keep our customers coming back to us.  But the care that we take in handling their material.   Our warehouse facilities handle a lot of tubing for numerous customers and projects.  Some which remain here for a few days and some a year.  But all material is treated with respect and stacked.

Port of Houston Update

Record Cargo and Revenue Continue at Port AuthorityPosted on: April 28, 2015

Port Commission approves contract supporting U.S. Army Corps study of Houston Ship Channel system

The Port Commission, at its regular monthly meeting today, approved several agenda items aimed at further strengthening operations at the Port of Houston Authority.

Port Commissioners awarded a professional services contract to TCB/GBA Joint Venture for professional engineering and planning services in support of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ feasibility study of modifications to improve the Houston Ship Channel system. That system includes the Houston, Barbours Cut and Bayport ship channels.

“This study is critical to the greater Port of Houston and will determine necessary improvements to continue moving commerce in our region,” said Executive Director Roger Guenther. The $3 million contract covers the minimum three-year study period. The Port of Houston is one of three ports in the nation selected for this congressional study.

The Port Commission approved entering into a nearly $120,000, two-year agreement with Versiant Corporation at Port Authority container terminals to better interface with its operating systems and further shorten gate interchange time.

Port Commissioners also amended a one-year contract with Navis for a Vessel Berth Management system, which replaces manual processes, allowing greater visibility and transparency to berth schedules, both internally and externally.

In addition, the Port Commission approved a professional services contract to John C. Martin Associates for the development of a new economic impact study for the Port Authority. The latest study, released in 2012, revealed an economic impact of $178.5 billion, generating more than 1 million jobs each year in Texas alone.

The Port Commission approved the Port Authority’s Strategic Plan, which establishes a long-range plan for the organization, with a horizon of more than a decade. The plan was created through collaboration with external and internal stakeholders. Nick Davidson and Richard Batty from Leigh/Fisher, Inc. consultants gave a summary of the Strategic Plan.

The Port Commission also voted unanimously to amend and extend Guenther’s contract through January of 2018. The current contract would expire in January of 2016.

In his monthly financial report to the Port Commission, Guenther said that the Port Authority’s Barbours Cut and Bayport container terminals were particularly busy in March. A combined 40 percent more loaded containers were handled in March, compared to a year ago. The record amounts of freight were moved, despite issues associated with a ship channel closure earlier in the month, Guenther reported. He again lauded the collaborative effort, led by U.S. Coast Guard in the response and recovery resulting from the collision that caused the closure.

Through the first quarter of 2015, loaded container units increased by 24 percent over 2014, Guenther reported. Import steel continues to exceed projections, up by more than 66 percent for the year, he said. He reiterated that steel increases are expected to taper off over the next several months, as indicated by discussions at the Steel Roundtable held in March.

It was also another record month in revenue for the Port Authority.

Although cargo volumes and cash flows are doing well, Guenther emphasized the challenges with funding that the Port Authority will face over the next decade to build new facilities and maintain existing infrastructure to meet demands. “It is essential that we have public support for our infrastructure needs as we move forward,” he said.

Guenther gave an update on the progress of the new super post-panamax cranes destined for Barbours Cut Terminal, which are expected to arrive and begin offloading to the dock in early May. The cranes are currently in the Caribbean Sea and ready for the homestretch across the Gulf into Houston, he said.

Chairman Janiece Longoria noted some key visits to the port in March, including newly appointed Texas Secretary of State Carlos Cascos. A delegation from Colombia was also hosted.

Longoria cited the efforts of U.S. Reps. Gene Green and Brian Babin and Sen. John Cornyn to ensure that the U.S. Army Corps has the legal directives it needs to address the Bayport Flare. The Port Authority has been working with the Corps to improve both the safety and navigability of the Bayport Flare, which the Houston Pilots have identified as their top safety concern in the Houston Ship Channel system.

Longoria also said she was thrilled to host EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, who visited the port last Thursday and conducted a press conference to highlight the EPA’s awarding of two significant environmental grants administered by the Port Authority. The Port Authority received two Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) grants in amounts of nearly $900,000 each. The most recent grant includes a private $1,680,142 match for a total amount of more than $2.5 million. The port earlier this year was awarded a DERA grant for almost $900,000 in funding to replace 14 older drayage trucks.

Chairman Longoria also noted her participation with Guenther in a Port Region Transportation Committee meeting, hosted by the Economic Alliance.

“We emphasized the need to promote projects that make the entire region more competitive economically, and this meeting set the groundwork for us to move forward as a region with one voice on critical transportation improvements,” she said.

A little extra help

There are times,  when our overhead Heavy Lift Capacity is just not quite enough.  for this 225,000 pound piece,  we teamed up with Consolidated Crane Services to get the job done in a timely manner while taking all safety precautions.

ISF Enforcement

Thank you to our friends at Roanoke Trade for this update:

ISF Enforcement – The Time Has Come!  May 5, 2015 A week from tomorrow marks the end of the final one-year limited liquidated damage (LD)/”three strikes” phase of a six-year evolution of ISF enforcement. In summary, here is what will change: CBP Ports, who will continue to have flexibility in their processes, may commence issuing LD without HQ review and approval. Ports will no longer be under HQ mandate to issue three warnings before assessing LD. Craig Clark is replaced by Peyman Jamshidi as Program Manager, Cargo and Conveyance Security, Office of Field Operations, CBP. CBP is conducting a “last educational outreach” via Webinar later today. Because this event reached maximum capacity almost immediately after being announced by the NEI and via Cargo Systems Messaging Service (CSMS), CBP has indicated they will post a recording of the Webinar to cbp.gov and will also publish a further CSMS on full ISF enforcement, both later this week. These links will be posted to our website for easy access in the Emerging Matters, ISF section. In case you have not already done so, we strongly recommend that you subscribe to receive CSMS email notifications, here is the link. Certain matters (among them, full vessel departure reporting, the future of ISF-5 filings, publication of a final rule) remain unresolved and CBP has yet to commit publicly to routinely provide copies of LD notices to filers.  CBP’s overall common-sense approach to enforcement has continued to prevail over the past two years. It is the hope of all concerned that this attitude will persist in the final enforcement phase upon which we now embark. Still, CBP’s new posture on LD is certain to yield higher claims output. Roanoke looks forward to working with you to underwrite responsibly and control claims exposures sensibly.

Friday Port of Houston Fact: 2004

Port of Houston:  2004

Ground was broken for the construction of the Bayport Container Terminal in Pasadena, TX  on June 21, 2004.   Work is still being completed as the facility is continuing to grow.

Friday Port of Houston Fact: 2000

Port of Houston:  2000

The Environmental Protection Agency selected the Port of Houston Authority to develop and implement a sophisticated environmental management system that meets the rigorous standards for ISO 14001.

Also in 2000, the Port of Houston Authority became the first U. S. port to conduct air emissions testing on off-road equipment.

Friday Port of Houston Fact: 1990's

Port of Fact:  1990's

1991:  

During the Gulf Ware in 1990-91 the Port of Houston was the third-largest load center for the U.S. military and ranked second in the nation in the number of ships handled.

1996:  

In 1996, the Port of Houston Authority became the first U. S. port with a multi-site Disposal Area Management Program

1999:

The Port of Houston first joined the "One Million Container Club" in 1999 when it moved 1,001,170 TEU's that year.

Friday Houston Port Fact: 1990

Houston Port Fact:  1990

The fast loading Spiralveyors were installed at Jacintoport making it the first facility of its kind in the country.

Also in 1990, the Beneficial Uses Group (BUG) was formed to develop environmentally innovative and beneficial ways to use dredge material from the Houston Ship Channel.  A 250 acre demonstration marsh was built, which surpassed anything ever attepted in marsh restoration.  Over the 50 year life of the eppening and widening project, an unprecedented 4.250 acres of marsh, a six-acre bird island, the 3,000 foot long Goat Island and Redfish Island will be built.

Happy New Year!

We Welcome 2015!

We are looking forward to what 2015 is going to bring us as 2014 was a record setting year. Today the last day of the 2014 sees a dedicated train leaving the North East headed to our warehouse facility in Houston to arrive in 2015!

Friday Houston Port Fact: 1962

Port of Houston Fact:  1962

Developed by the Port of Houston Authority,  the Houston World Trade Building was the first facility of its kind in the nation.  The $3.5 million building opened  January 29, 1962, and was designed as a central location for international trade interests including consular offices, transportation companies, importers and exporters.

Friday Houston Port Fact: 1950's

Port of Houston:  1950

After World War II, development of the petrochemical industry along the Houston Ship Channel accelerated and transformed the Port of Houston into the nation's largest petrochemical production complex and one of the largest in the world.


Port of Houston:  1956

Containerization was born when the world's first container ship, M/V Ideal X, sailed with 58 truck trailers from New York/New Jersey and unloaded at the Port of Houston in April 1956

Friday Port of Houston Fact: 1943

Port of Houston  1943:

Synthetic rubber was mass produced for the first time in 1943 by two new Houston-area plants and shipped for use in World War II through the Port of Houston.

Friday Port of Houston Fact: 1930's

Port of Houston  1930:

By 1930,  the Port of Houston has surpassed all it's Texas rivals and ranked THIRD in the U. S. for foreign exports




Port of Houston 1937:

The Port of Houston reached the status of second only to New York in tonnage and importance, according to Fortune Magazine.   Its position slipped slightly during World War II, buy by 1948, the Port of Houston was once again ranked second in overall tonnage.

Friday Port of Houston Fact: 1920

Port of Houston  1920:

The Port of Houston's first directory,  Benjamin Casey Allin III, developed and subsequently patented an industrial site and railway access design that ports and maritime industries continue to use today.

Friday Port of Houston Fact: 1919

Port of Houston1919:  

The first directg shipment of cotton to Europe left the Port of Houston on the M/V Merry Mount.  A total of 23,719 bales of cotton was shipped to Liverpool England.

East Coast Port Updates

Port of New York & New Jersey Winter Contingency

Last winter was exceptionally cold and snowy across most of the United States. The Port of New York and New Jersey (NY & NJ) was hit particularly hard with a record snowfall of 61 inches - nearly 33 inches above normal. The weather had a profound impact on the Port's ability to remain efficient and provide reliable service to our customers. The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration's Winter Outlook, which was issued last month, indicates that a repeat of last year's extremely cold, snowy winter is unlikely. However, measures have been taken at the Port to help minimize the potential impact.

Based on the proven success of last year, The Port Authority of NY & NJ will continue to host planning conferences in advance of each predicted weather event. The terminal operators, trucking associations, labor, equipment providers, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will all work together to develop a unified plan to address any weather-related closings and to plan recovery efforts. Any changes in hours of operations (i.e. weather related closures, additional hours, etc.) will be communicated, as early as, possible so that truckers and Beneficial Cargo Owners can better plan for future container recovery.

Happy Birthday!

Happy 100th Birthday

to the 

Port of Houston

Official opening of the Houston Ship Channel

November 10th,  1914

** For the balance of the 2014 year, we'll be sharing Port of  Houston Trivia every Friday,  so be sure to check back and check it out**

West Coast Ports causing Customer Delivery issues

US Ports' Labor Strife Threatening Deliveries

JUSTIN PRITCHARD ON NOV 11, 2014
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Spreading labor strife at major West Coast seaports is exacerbating importers' problems getting products to market, threatening the on-time delivery of some holiday goods.

Until this week, dockworkers and their employers were negotiating a new contract with little of the public drama that characterized past talks.

No longer. The association representing companies that ship cargo in and out of 29 West Coast ports and manage containers once onshore is accusing the dockworkers union of deliberately slowing work to gain bargaining leverage. Their contract expired in July.

The Pacific Maritime Association said Thursday that the union isn't dispatching enough workers at the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach who are skilled at loading containers from dockside yards onto trucks and trains. The report comes amid months of unrelated congestion at the ports. On Monday, the association said crane operators with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union in Washington state are moving cargo at half-speed.

According to U.S. trade data, cargo worth $892 billion crossed the docks from San Diego to Seattle in 2013, accounting for much of the trade with Asia. A lockout in 2002 cost the economy billions of dollars.

Cargo at Los Angeles and Long Beach, by far the busiest ports in the nation, has been taking unusually long to clear the docks since the summer. Both sides agree a big cause of the congestion is a lack of truck chassis that carry containers off sprawling lots and into the flow of commerce.

Now add what employers term a work slowdown, and the twin ports are approaching "the brink of gridlock," the association said in a statement.

A spokesman for the union did not deny a slowdown, but he also blamed employers for the congestion.

Cargo flow is gummed up for several reasons that predate the recent labor issues, union spokesman Craig Merrilees said. There has been a shortage of not just truck chassis, but also drivers to move containers to distribution centers, an issue Merrilees attributed to poor wages and exploitative working conditions.

Past negotiations have seen work slowdowns. During contract negotiations in 2002, employers locked out longshoremen following slowdown allegations.

Whether the current problems are a prelude to a breakthrough or deeper strife is unclear. At least one outside group with a big stake in the outcome is worried.

"The threat of a West Coast port shutdown is creating high levels of uncertainty in a fragile economic climate," the National Retail Federation wrote Thursday in a letter to President Barack Obama that was signed by 105 trade associations representing an array of industries.

The federation asked that a federal mediator get involved.

The problems come as some importers are trying to hustle a last rush of holiday goods into their warehouses.

Nov 11th -- IMPORTANT NOTICE

I-10 Freeway Closure

Due to an accident yesterday afternoon that had the East Freeway West Bound down to 2 lanes most of yesterday afternoon,  they now have the freeway closed since midnight last night.   This is causing severe traffic congestion in our area this morning, and is anticipated for the balance of the day.

If your trucks are heading into us from the west on I-10,  they should exit Gelhorn, and circle around on the feeder road to our facility.    At this time trucks coming in from the east are being rerouted onto 610 or Market,  both of which are backed up for miles.

From 610  North Loop exit McCarty,  head south to Portwall, turn left onto Portwall and follow it around almost to I-10.  Our gate is the 2nd one past the RR tracks

From 610 East Loop (ship channel area) Exit the East Loop at Market,  turn left onto Market,  just past the Budweiser plant,  turn right onto Gelhorn,  go under I-10 and turn left onto the feeder road,  1st street on Right is Portwall,  turn right and our gate will be the first open gate on the right.

Port-related jobs in Texas!

1,026,820

Port Related Jobs in TEXAS!!!

The Port of Houston Authority has been an active contributor to the Houston local and regional communities for nearly a century.  Through job creation, support of small businesses, environmental stewardship and educational initiatives, we are committed to helping our region reach its full potential.