Port of Tacoma | Winter 2015
NEW GAME,
NEW TEAM
Tacoma and Seattle ports join
forces to stay competitive
Intermodal velocity
Partnerships drive
performance of rail network
Corporate Social
Responsibility
CSR program strengthens
community connections
Pier 3 upgrade
Rebuilt pier paves way
for further transformation
FROM THE
COMMISSION
W
atching market share erode in an evermore-competitive shipping industry, the
ports of Tacoma and Seattle have taken the
bold step to form a Seaport Alliance. This
is not a merger, but a way to unify the
management of our marine cargo facilities
to better prioritize infrastructure investments.
Combined, the ports of Seattle and Tacoma are the thirdlargest container gateway in North America. A recent analysis
performed by Martin Associates estimates that the two ports’
marine cargo operations supported more than 48,000 jobs,
which generated nearly $4.3 billion in economic activity in
2013. If the farmers and manufacturers who ship products
through the ports of Tacoma and Seattle are factored in, the
ports’ activities reach 443,000 jobs overall in Washington.
Find out more about our Corporate Social Responsibility
Program and the liquefied natural gas facility Puget Sound
Energy plans to build at the Port to serve Totem Ocean
Trailer Express and other customers with cleaner-burning
fuel sources.
In this issue, we also introduce you to more of the people and
customers who contribute to those jobs. You’ll meet Thais
Howard, the Port’s first female director of engineering, who
oversees tens of millions of dollars in infrastructure projects.
You’ll learn more about Premier Transport and NNR Global
Logistics, two customer-focused local businesses that connect
the Puget Sound region to the global supply chain.
We will continue to focus on keeping our region competitive
in this challenging marketplace.
The stakes are high.
That’s why we are prepared to do what it takes to keep—and
grow—port-related, family-wage jobs in our state. Learn more
about the Seaport Alliance in this issue’s cover story.
You’ll also read about how we are working with our rail partners
to keep our connections with the U.S. Midwest efficient in the
face of increasing rail traffic.
Don Johnson
President, Port of Tacoma Commission
On the cover: Sue Coffey, director of business development, and Akira Tatara,
director of Asia, have a passion for the industry and are ready to help with any of
your shipping needs.
IN THIS
ISSUE
2 News briefs
4 Thais Howard:
Comfortable with
abstracts and concrete
Our first female engineering
director brings a personable touch
to project management.
6 Intermodal velocity
Maximizing the performance
of our rail network through
partnerships with our rail providers.
18 The ABCs of CSR
The Port’s Corporate Social
Responsibility Program
strengthens our community
connections.
20 Cleaner fuel option
Puget Sound Energy’s proposed
liquefied natural gas facility
will serve consumers and
transportation companies.
21 Calendar
8 New game, new team
The ports of Tacoma and Seattle
join forces to stay competitive on
a global scale.
14 Pier 3 upgrade
complete
The rebuilt pier is the first step in
transforming the General Central
Peninsula to serve the world’s
largest ships.
16 Trade connections
NNR Global Logistics and
Premier Transport connect the
Puget Sound gateway to the global
supply chain.
Correction
In the Fall 2014 issue, we failed to
acknowledge a $200,000 grant from the
Washington State Department of Ecology
to repower a Tacoma Rail locomotive.
The grant helped the Port secure a Diesel
Emission Reduction Act (DERA) grant from
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Commission
Connie Bacon
Don Johnson
Dick Marzano
Don Meyer
Clare Petrich
Chief executive
officer
John Wolfe
Subscriptions and information
Pacific Gateway is produced by the Port of
Tacoma. Subscriptions are free by visiting
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information about articles in this edition or
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contact the Communications Department.
Pacific Gateway
© 2015 Port of Tacoma
Port of Tacoma
P.O. Box 1837
Tacoma, WA 98401-1837
Phone: 253-383-5841
Email: [email protected]
www.portoftacoma.com
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twitter.com/portoftacoma
Port of Tacoma | portoftacoma.com | 1
NEWS
BRIEFS
Summit Award nominations
due by Feb. 13
Nominate top-performing Port
customers and tenants for our
2015 Summit Awards.
The award program honors
significant contributions to Port
business and Pierce County’s
economy and livability.
The awards recognize three categories of leadership:
• Business Magnet for efforts and investments that led to an
increase in business volume or new business opportunities
and had a positive economic impact for Pierce County citizens.
• Environmental Stewardship for a project, program or
PCC Logistics received the 2014 Business Magnet Summit Award. The warehousing,
distribution and logistics services company employed more than 50 people in 2013.
Port ranks highest on West Coast
for value, ease of doing business
For the second year in a row, the Port of Tacoma ranked
highest among West Coast ports for ease of doing business
in Logistics Management’s 2014 Quest for Quality awards.
Tacoma also placed highest in the value category.
Overall, Tacoma was rated second highest among ports on
the West Coast.
Winners were selected by the magazine’s readers—the buyers
of logistics and transportation services. Readers evaluated
ports using five criteria: ease of doing business, value, ocean
carrier network, intermodal network, and equipment and
operations. A port had to receive at least 5 percent of the
category vote to win.
initiative that supports sustainability in Pierce County,
and honors biodiversity and the interconnected nature
of industry, people, wildlife and natural systems.
• Livable Community for a project, program or initiative
that demonstrated the business community’s positive
contribution to Pierce County through social responsibility.
Winners will be announced at our Annual Breakfast
March 25 at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade
Center. Find nomination forms and award criteria at
www.portoftacoma.com/summits
Mark your calendar
Port of Tacoma Annual Breakfast
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
7:30 to 9:30 a.m.
2 | Pacific Gateway | Winter 2015
Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center
1500 Broadway, Tacoma
Learn more at: www.portoftacoma.com/breakfast
Anita Fichthorn, water quality project manager, samples stormwater runoff from the
log yard’s biofiltration treatment system.
The Port’s annual boat tours provided more than 1,100 people with a ship-side view
of the jobs and cargo on our terminals.
Innovative stormwater
treatment system earns
top honors
Port named green
supply chain partner
fifth year in a row
Boat tours give
community glimpse
of Port operations, jobs
An innovative stormwater treatment
system at the Port’s West Hylebos Log
Yard won the American Association of
Port Authorities 2014 Comprehensive
Environmental Management award.
The Port’s sustainability commitment
earned it an Inbound Logistics Green
Supply Chain Partner honor for the fifth
year running.
More than 1,100 people got a ship-side
view of some of the local jobs and
monster machines at the Port during
our annual free boat tours.
One of seven U.S. ports selected,
Tacoma was recognized for its many
environmental efforts. These include
reducing seaport-related emissions
through the Northwest Ports Clean
Air Strategy, cleaning up legacy
contamination to put more than 420 acres
of industrial land back into productive
use, and finding innovative solutions
to manage stormwater runoff.
A regular part of the Tacoma Maritime
Fest, the narrated tours provide visitors
with an up-close view of ships, marine
terminals and some of the world’s
largest container cranes. Tour participants
also glimpsed Port-constructed wildlife
habitat and learned about some of the
Tideflats-based businesses that boost
the region’s economy.
The $2.7 million biofiltration treatment
system completed in December 2013
meets Washington state’s stringent
water quality standards and protects
Commencement Bay. The four-stage
process mimics nature’s own filtering
processes by moving stormwater
through gravel, sand, compost and
plants to remove pollutants. The system
measures 600 feet by 45 feet.
The log yard biofiltration system was
one of three industrial rain gardens at
the Port featured as successful green
infrastructure projects in the September
issue of Stormwater Magazine. The
magazine also profiled the industrial
rain gardens at Totem Ocean Trailer
Express’s terminal and the Port’s “rain
gardens in a box.”
The trade magazine honored 75
organizations from various transportation
sectors, including ports, trucking
companies, railroads, shipping lines,
freight forwarders and air cargo carriers.
In addition to the annual boat tours,
the Port hosts bus tours nearly every
month. See the 2015 schedule and
learn how to reserve your seat at
www.portoftacoma.com/tours.
“The 75 Green Supply Chain Partners
is a very select group, and we found
the Port of Tacoma to be one of those
companies that is truly ‘walking the
walk’ when it comes to supply chain
sustainability,” said Felecia Stratton,
editor of Inbound Logistics.
Port of Tacoma | portoftacoma.com | 3
EMPLOYEE PROFILE
ALL ABOUT
THAIS HOWARD
BORN:
Bennettsville,
South Carolina
NOW LIVES:
University Place,
Washington
FAMILY LIFE:
Married, with
15-year-old daughter
and 12-year-old son
HOBBY:
Reads Christian fiction,
watches her kids play
basketball and football
NAME ORIGIN:
Thais (pronounced
tie-ESE) is the name of
an opera—but that’s
not how Howard got
her name. Her mom
knew someone growing
up in Brooklyn, New
York, with that name
and decided if she ever
had a daughter that
would be her name, too.
“
We’re a government agency, but we’re
fast paced. We have to be dynamic in meeting
customer needs. It’s always evolving, being
tied to what’s going on in the industry. To me,
that keeps it interesting.”
Thais Howard, engineering director
4 | Pacific Gateway | Winter 2015
THAIS
HOWARD
Comfortable with abstracts and concrete
The Port’s first female engineering
director brings a personable touch to
project management.
G
rowing up, Thais Howard
wanted to be a TV anchorwoman.
But thanks to Mr. Humbert,
a chemistry and physics
teacher at Bennettsville High School
in South Carolina, she is now the Port
of Tacoma’s first female director of
engineering. Howard is responsible for
leading the design and construction of
road, rail and terminal improvements.
Humbert suggested she attend a summer
career workshop aimed at minority
students at Clemson University. She
chose the engineering workshop and
found the sheer variety of career
opportunities available to those with
an engineering degree appealing.
“For me, it was all about opportunity,”
Howard said.
After two summers at the Clemson
workshop, she decided to attend college
there and earned a bachelor’s degree in
electrical engineering. She is a licensed
professional engineer in Washington,
Florida and Tennessee.
Howard has worked at the Port of
Tacoma for seven years, beginning her
tenure as a project manager. She was
promoted to engineering director in
fall 2013.
The path, as a female in a male-dominated industry, wasn’t always easy.
“I’d look around my classes and realize,
‘Hey, there’s no one like me here,’”
she said. “I felt like I had to work harder
and be better than everyone else to
prove myself.”
But her work ethic was instilled at a
young age from her grandmother.
“Growing up, what I saw in my grandmother—she was a hard worker,”
Howard said. “It taught me that if you
work hard, you can achieve whatever
you want.”
Before joining the Port, Howard
worked for GLE Associates and
The Walter Fedy Group in Florida,
Williams-Sonoma in Tennessee and
Westinghouse Electric Company in
Utah. Those professional experiences
helped shaped her technical expertise.
She has also refined skills in listening,
collaborating, being inclusive and
working with teams of people.
“I especially like the Port because I get
to manage people, lead a group and
also be involved in managing projects,”
Howard said.
One of her biggest and most rewarding
Port projects to date was to manage
upgrades related to the Transportation
Workers Identification Credential
(TWIC) program, which requires a
federal ID card to access secure marine
terminals. The $13.2 million project
included upgrading and replacing
security cameras, and installing the
supporting fiber infrastructure and an
access control system to comply with
the federal Department of Homeland
Security program.
These days, the list of projects her
13-member team manages runs several
pages long and includes improvements
to piers 3 and 4 at Husky Terminal, rail
connections, site grading and habitat
construction.
“We’re a government agency, but we’re
fast paced,” she said. “We have to be
dynamic in meeting customer needs.
It’s always evolving, being tied to what’s
going on in the industry. To me, that
keeps it interesting.”
Port of Tacoma | portoftacoma.com | 5
INTERMODAL
VELOCITY
Maximizing the performance of our rail network through
partnerships with Tacoma Rail and the Class I railroads.
T
he Port industrial area’s 75 miles of rail connect intermodal yards to support track and the mainline, tying
Tacoma to points east, north and south.
Two-thirds of that rail is owned and maintained by
the Port of Tacoma. The remaining third is the
responsibility of Tacoma Rail, which provides switching and
terminal service, and performs maintenance on locomotives
for the BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad.
Rail has been essential to the success of the Puget Sound
gateway for nearly 150 years. Today, intermodal rail carries
more than half the international containers arriving at the
Port to the U.S. Midwest. We partner with Tacoma Rail, the
BNSF and Union Pacific to help ensure the rail system serving
Tacoma is efficient and competitive.
“We must have a competitively-priced and service-driven rail
product across the board, whether that’s commercial cargo,
6 | Pacific Gateway | Winter 2015
intermodal cargo, or unit trains of liquid or dry bulk,” said
Mike Reilly, director of intermodal business development.
“So much of our economy is dependent on moving cargo
efficiently through this gateway.”
Freight rail contributes at least $28.5 billion to Washington
state’s economy—approximately 7.5 percent of the state’s
gross domestic product, according to a study released last
September. Commissioned by BNSF and the Washington
Council on International Trade (WCIT), the study also found
freight rail supports more than 342,000 jobs in the state.
“Four in 10 jobs are tied to international trade in our state,”
said Eric Schinfeld, president of WCIT. “With increased
competition from the rest of the world, it’s critical that
our state and the nation make investments now to keep
Washington competitive in the future.”
Maximizing Tideflats’ rail service
The Port signed a 20-year agreement with Tacoma Rail
in 2013 to increase capacity and improve the operational
efficiency of our rail system. Key performance indicators
(KPIs) measure what’s working in the rail network and where
opportunities for improvement exist.
The measurements, reported monthly, are interconnected.
For example, meeting the target for on-time terminal
switching should result in hitting the target for on-time
eastbound train departures.
The agreement extends to coordinating infrastructure
investments to optimize the rail network for future growth.
Over the last decade, dozens of projects have rebuilt track
or added new capacity. Our first joint effort built 400 feet
of track to serve the East Blair One breakbulk terminal.
Daily rail moves are coordinated through conference calls
and the Business Exchange online portal. The Web-based
system developed by the Port and Class I railroads helps
identify equipment, locomotive and crew needs.
RAIL KPIs
KPI:
TARGET:
Marine terminal
intermodal switching
performance
On-time placement
Import intermodal
(eastbound) train
departure performance
Commercial business
performance
Investments beyond the Tideflats
BNSF and Union Pacific provide service between the Pacific
Northwest and population centers across North America. Rail
service suffered last year, due to a backlog from harsh winter
weather and unprecedented demand.
Last year, the Port and Tacoma Rail met jointly with executives
at BNSF and Union Pacific to discuss specific opportunities
to improve rail service in the Pacific Northwest.
Westbound blocking
efficiency
>95%
On-time performance
>95%
On-time placement
>85%
BNSF
Union Pacific
<25% <10%
“The railroads realize that there are serious issues and it’s
going to take some time and major monies to fix them,” Reilly
said. “They’re willing to make those investments.”
BNSF spent $5.1 billion in capital projects in 2014, including
$1 billion on the Great Northern Corridor route most
cargo travels between the Pacific Northwest and Chicago.
Meanwhile, Union Pacific invested $4 billion in its national
network.
“Even with both railroads investing billions into the national
rail infrastructure, what we don’t have is a unified national
transportation plan,” Reilly pointed out. “The Canadian
government was astute enough to develop a national plan
back in 2006, which has put them in an extremely competitive
position.”
Port of Tacoma | portoftacoma.com | 7
Ports of Tacoma
and Seattle join
forces to stay
competitive
on a global scale
8 | Pacific Gateway | Winter 2015
The port commissions
expect to hire Port of Tacoma
CEO John Wolfe as head
of the Seaport Alliance upon
approval of an agreement
this spring.
To John Cahill, president of
Pac-Rim Building Supply, it
doesn’t really matter whether
the port of Tacoma or Seattle
is winning the battle for new
customers or cargo.
C
ahill’s Renton-based company, which ships
construction materials throughout the Pacific Rim
and transloads import and export cargo, makes
use of both ports. “We need both of them to be
successful,” Cahill said.
The same goes for the Puget Sound region. The Seattle
and Tacoma ports have been fierce competitors for decades,
but now the global trade game has changed. Puget Sound
ports face challenges from Canada, California and even the
East Coast, said Clare Petrich, Port of Tacoma commissioner.
“We realized that the competition isn’t next door, it really
is global,” Petrich said.
The Seaport Alliance, formed by the Tacoma and Seattle
port commissions last fall, aims to maximize the strengths
of both ports and ultimately make the Puget Sound gateway
more competitive.
Port of Seattle Commissioner Stephanie Bowman said the
Seaport Alliance represents a paradigm shift. “It’s the first
time you see two ports coming together to work together,”
she said. “It won’t matter which port the cargo comes into—
we’ll both win.”
Photo by Don Wilson, Port of Seattle
Port of Tacoma | portoftacoma.com | 9
John Cahill, president of
Pac-Rim Building Supply, said
the success of his business
depends on a competitive
Puget Sound gateway.
Increasing options, decreasing market share
Since 2000, the volume of container cargo moving through
West Coast ports has grown from 17.4 million TEUs (20-foot
equivalent units) to 29.8 million TEUs. While Tacoma has
certainly benefitted from that container boost, the figures belie
an important fact: During the same time period, the Puget
Sound ports’ share of that cargo decreased from 16.5 percent
to 11.6 percent.
“Little by little we’ve lost opportunity, even while our volumes
have been growing,” Petrich said.
The ports continue to face threats that could erode that
market share even further. Most significant is the growing size
of container ships as shipping lines seek increased economies
of scale to reduce operating costs.
The largest container ships built two decades ago carried
about 9,000 TEUs. Today some of the largest ships built can
handle more than twice as much cargo. These ships require
the ports to make major infrastructure improvements to
accommodate them, and they also stop at fewer ports, adding
to the competition for their business.
10 | Pacific Gateway | Winter 2015
Now consider that three-quarters of the import cargo that
comes through Puget Sound ports is en route to the U.S.
Midwest. That discretionary cargo is up for grabs. Ports
challenging Seattle and Tacoma for that business include:
• Canadian ports The British Columbia ports of Prince
Rupert and Vancouver credit much of their growth
to cargo diverted from U.S. ports. And both of these
Canadian powerhouses are making significant infrastructure
improvements in an attempt to win even more business.
In fact, Prince Rupert, which is the closest West Coast
port to Asia, plans to grow from half a million TEUs to
2 million TEUs in the next five years. Seattle and Tacoma
handled about 3.5 million TEUs combined last year.1
• Californian ports The port of Los Angeles, the nation’s
largest container port, anticipates spending approximately
$1.1 billion on its capital improvement program over the
next five years. Meanwhile the Port of Long Beach, the
country’s third largest port, is in the midst of a multibilliondollar project aimed at improving its capacity and efficiency.2
Additionally, these ports have the benefit of a much larger
population base, making them a required stop for many
shipping lines.
THE ECONOMIC
IMPACTS OF
MARINE CARGO
REVENUES AND INCOMES:
YEAR:
$138.1 billion 2013
Ports’ related economic
activity is affiliated with
$138.1 billion in total
economic activity in the
state, which is 1/3 of
Washington’s GDP.
At the Ports of Tacoma & Seattle
$4.3 billion
BUSINESS REVENUES BY MAJOR CATEGORY:
$2.2 b
$391 m
Rail
Terminal
$379 m
Truck
$362 m
Warehouse
$361 m
Shipyards & Ship Repair
$337 m
Support Services
$231 m
Port Authority
• East Coast and Gulf Coast ports The expanded Panama
Canal is scheduled to open in 2016, giving eastern and
southern ports the opportunity to handle cargo headed
to and from Asia. Much of that cargo currently travels
inland via the West Coast.
“The study revealed the breadth and depth of the ports’
economic impact,” Mefford said. Together, the ports
form the third largest container gateway in North America.
Just as impressive: Port activity supports 48,000 jobs in
Washington state.
Bowman, with the Port of Seattle, is concerned that the big
ships could stop in British Columbia and then head directly
to California. “They would be skipping us entirely,” she said.
That figure includes:
The region’s economic engine
For many people, discussions of Puget Sound market share
and container volume may seem fairly removed from their
daily life. But the economic impact the Tacoma and Seattle
ports have on the region and state merit attention. That’s
because what we’re really talking about is jobs.
For the first time, Seattle and Tacoma examined their joint
economic impact. The resulting study, released last fall,
provided an incredibly clear picture of how much the Puget
Sound relies on both international and domestic trade. Chris
Mefford is president of Community Attributes, a Seattle
consulting firm that helped the ports contextualize the data
compiled by Martin Associates.
1
2
Talking Ports, Seaport Alliance, Port of Tacoma
The Big Ship Race, AAPA Seaports featured story, October 2014
• 18,900 direct jobs These include longshore workers,
terminal employees, port administration staff and people
working in shipyards and warehousing. “These jobs wouldn’t
exist if the ports didn’t exist,” Mefford explained.
• 11,100 indirect jobs These jobs are generated in supporting
industries and suppliers. For example, indirect jobs include
fuel providers, parts and equipment suppliers, and maintenance and repair shops.
• 18,100 induced jobs These are jobs supported by wages
earned by people in direct port jobs. They include positions
at banks and grocery stores to gas stations and restaurants.
Mefford noted it’s a conservative figure, but one that reveals
the ripple effect the ports’ presence has throughout the
community and region.
Port of Tacoma | portoftacoma.com | 11
REGIONAL
FISCAL IMPACTS
$379 m
in State &
Local Taxes
$231 million
Both Tacoma and Seattle are working hard to address the
challenges of the future. Combining the ports’ marine
operations gives them another advantage in an increasingly
competitive industry. As the Seaport Alliance, the ports can
provide customers with a selection of facilities and services.
“If we want to accommodate ultra-large ships, there are four
terminals to offer,” Petrich said. “We don’t have to shoehorn
customers into just what Tacoma has available.”
MARITIME CARGO ACTIVITY:
WASHINGTON STATE:
Two ports are stronger than one
COUNTIES & CITIES:
$148 million
The ports will combine their capital improvement dollars
and prioritize which facilities need improvements first.
Petrich noted the partnership permits the ports to time their
investments to what makes sense for the market, instead
of competing with each other to finish projects first. The
arrangement will also allow the Seattle and Tacoma ports
to repurpose terminals that aren’t being used at full capacity.
Just as important, the Seaport Alliance gives the ports one
voice when speaking to partners such as the railroads, as well
as advocating for issues and funding at a local and federal
level. Teams from both ports are still determining exactly how
the alliance will operate on a day-to-day basis, but a few things
are clear:
• Each port keeps its own commission The existing port
commission governance structure won’t change, and
each commission will retain its direct responsibility and
accountability to the residents of their counties. The
commissions will act jointly on Seaport Alliance policies,
with no project able to move forward unless it has majority
approval from both commissions.
In addition to jobs, port activity also generates $138.1 billion
in total economic activity in Washington state. That accounts
for about one-third of the state’s total gross domestic product.
The figure includes revenue generated by port-related businesses
as well as wages paid to people holding direct jobs.
• Each port contributes and benefits equally Each port
will make an equitable investment and keep ownership
of its respective property and facilities. “We want to make
investments that serve both places and return those
investments to each community,” Petrich said.
Bowman touted maritime as our state’s original industry, predating aerospace and tech by decades and with a longer reach.
The commissions have proposed that John Wolfe, currently
the Port of Tacoma CEO, serve as the head of the Seaport
Alliance. The ports plan to submit a more detailed framework
for how the alliance will function to the Federal Maritime
Commission this spring.
“The effects of the ports are felt statewide. From Spokane
and Yakima to Moses Lake and Wapato, businesses rely on us,”
she said.
Cahill, with Pac-Rim, experiences the economic impact of
the ports daily. Pac-Rim began by consolidating and selling
building supplies to contractors in Alaska. The company then
expanded that service to Hawaii and Japan, capitalizing on
the demand for American-style housing in Asia.
Moving into the transload business proved a natural segue as
Pac-Rim, which employs 14 people, was already a master at
loading containers. “We don’t sell locally, so we’re 100 percent
dependent on the ports,” Cahill said.
Forming the alliance is a bold move. It alters historical
relationships and paves a new path for the future, one that
Petrich hopes will benefit the regional and state economy
for years to come.
“We are the largest Puget Sound ports. The numbers are big
and the impact is large,” Petrich said. “We don’t want to let this
maritime industry fail. We want to keep it growing and we
want it to expand.”
Nick Price loads a container at Pac-Rim Building Supply’s Renton facility.
12 | Pacific Gateway | Winter 2015
“
It’s the first time you
see two ports coming
together to work together.
It won’t matter which
port the cargo comes into—
we’ll both win.”
Stephanie Bowman, Port of Seattle commissioner
Port of Tacoma | portoftacoma.com | 13
PIER 3
UPGRADE
COMPLETE
The rebuilt Pier 3 at Husky
Terminal is the first step
in transforming the General
Central Peninsula to serve
the largest container ships.
T
he $20 million construction project, completed last
October, strengthened the wharf to support larger
container cranes by installing new pilings and
rebuilding the pier. We also installed 100-gauge
crane rail and built a new electrical substation to
support the increased power demands of larger cranes.
The next step is to reconfigure the adjacent Pier 4, which will
enable two of the world’s largest ships to berth simultaneously.
Construction is expected to begin in 2016.
PIER 3
OLYMPIC CONTAINER TERMINAL (OCT)
BY THE
NUMBERS
PROJECT COST:
$20 million
DAYS OF CONSTRUCTION:
462 days
LABOR HOURS ON CONSTRUCTION SITE:
54,500 hours
LENGTH OF REBUILT PIER:
940 ft
14 | Pacific Gateway | Winter 2015
EXISTING
PIER 4
NEW PIER 4
(CONSTRUCTION BEGINS 2016)
HUSKY TERMINAL
NORTH INTERMODAL YARD (NIM)
Anticipated design of reconfigured Pier 4
NEW PILES INSTALLED:
138
If those piles were
stacked end-to-end,
they would stretch
1,650 feet—taller
than the Empire
State Building
in New York City
REBAR USED:
ASPHALT USED:
900,000 lbs 5,900 tons
Approximately equal in weight
to 30 full-grown blue whales
CONCRETE USED:
3,500
cubic
yards
REBUILT CRANE RAIL:
Equal to the weight of 60 full-grown male African elephants
1,189 ft
Port of Tacoma | portoftacoma.com | 15
TRADE CONNECTIONS
COMPANY STATS
ESTABLISHED:
2000
LOCATION:
Tacoma, Washington
EMPLOYEES:
9 office staff,
40 to 45 drivers
PRODUCT:
Intermodal drayage and
pick-up/delivery to points
in Washington, Oregon,
Montana and Idaho
WEBSITE:
www.premiertransport.net
PREMIER
TRANSPORT INC.
T
rucking is in Ian Collins’ blood.
“I was born into it. When people
ask, I say my babysitter was a
line driver,” said Collins, president
of Premier Transport Inc.
Collins’ father, Ken, worked in the
trucking industry most of his life, first
as a driver and then as the owner of two
transportation companies. Ken Collins
founded Premier in 2000, and his son
purchased the company in 2013.
Located in the heart of the Port
industrial area, Premier is an intermodal
drayage and delivery company. Premier
provides service for ocean carriers,
shippers, railroads and intermodal
companies to points in Washington,
Oregon, Montana and Idaho. The
company’s 2012 purchase of Yakimabased Container Systems expanded its
presence in Eastern Washington and
increased its ability to handle heavier loads.
Safety is an integral part of Premier’s
culture, explained Jill Snyder, safety
director. Snyder sits on the board of
directors for the Washington Trucking
16 | Pacific Gateway | Winter 2015
Association’s Safety Council and
received the association’s 2013 Safety
Professional of the Year award.
“We take safety very seriously,” she said.
“Our drivers have a difficult job. Many
people don’t realize how limited a
driver’s vision is in the truck or the
space needed to maneuver a truck on
our congested highways.”
Premier is also serious about finding
solutions to the many issues currently
facing the trucking industry, from the
driver shortage to increasing regulations
and rising costs. The company is actively
engaged with industry associations,
government organizations and regulators.
“I want to work with other trucking
owners and professionals to explore
issues and concerns, and help find sustainable solutions that can serve us well
for the next 50 years,” Collins explained.
However, it’s not all work at Premier.
The company also does its fair share
of playing, supporting several local
charities and sponsoring two professional
bull riders.
“It’s a fun company to work at,” Snyder
said. “I can honestly say I enjoy coming
to work and working with our staff and
professional drivers.”
“
I want to work with
other trucking owners and
professionals to explore issues
and concerns, and help find
sustainable solutions that
can serve us well for the next
50 years.”
Ian Collins
President, Premier Transport Inc.
COMPANY STATS
ESTABLISHED:
1971
LOCATION:
Kent, Washington
EMPLOYEES:
10
PRODUCT:
Comprehensive
transportation services
through export, import,
brokerage and thirdparty logistics services
WEBSITE:
www.nnrusa.com
NNR GLOBAL
LOGISTICS
E
xcellent customer service, a
knowledgeable staff and strong
relationships are the keys to
success at NNR Global Logistics
USA’s Seattle office.
An affiliate of Nishi-Nippon Railroad
Co., Ltd., NNR Global Logistics USA is
headquartered in Chicago and provides
comprehensive transportation services,
including export, import, customs
brokerage and third-party logistics
services. The company’s 20 domestic
offices are complemented by nearly
400 offices worldwide.
“We have a tight network in Asia
and in Europe, in South America and
Australia—anywhere in the world,
really,” said Yasuko Ota, branch
manager in Seattle. Her office is nestled
in the Kent Valley, which boasts the
second largest concentration of distribution centers on the West Coast.
“We’re not the biggest of the biggest
transportation service providers. We
are here to serve the customer,” she said.
“Every customer has specific needs, and
because we aren’t a big conglomerate,
we can address each of those needs.”
works to avoid or solve the problems
before they delay a shipment.
Meeting those needs includes being
available any time of day or night to
help solve a logistics puzzle.
“I like to think we’re like family to our
customers,” Ota said.
When a ferry sank off the coast of
South Korea last year, Ota received a
last-minute, late Saturday night request
to help a customer ship special sonar
equipment to the accident site the
following day.
Even though the customer was carrying
the equipment on the flight, they
needed the proper documentation
or risked having the cargo delayed in
customs. Ota pulled together a team of
three employees to complete the paperwork and ensure the equipment arrived
in time to assist the search efforts.
“
Every customer has specific
needs, and because we aren’t
a big conglomerate, we can
address each of those needs.”
Yasuko Ota
Branch manager, NNR Global Logistics
“We were very proud,” she said.
With a mix of local knowledge and a
global perspective, NNR plays a critical
role in their customers’ supply chains.
Ota said her team tries to anticipate
potential problems, based on their
experience and database history, and
Port of Tacoma | portoftacoma.com | 17
THE ABCs
OF CSR
The Port’s Corporate Social Responsibility
Program works to further strengthen our
connections to the community.
Partnerships.
Community engagement.
Accountability.
T
hese three characteristics best sum up the Port’s
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Program
introduced last year. It supports our strategic plan goal
of strengthening the Port’s community connections.
The effort to develop, launch and sustain the
program is co-led by Julie Collins, chief external
affairs officer, and Louis Cooper, senior director of security
and labor relations. A grassroots task force of 20 employees,
representing a cross section of staff from all levels of the
organization, worked for two years to build the program.
It focuses on six major areas, from employee volunteerism to
creating more opportunities for small and emerging businesses
to provide goods or services to the Port and its customers.
“People value our Port, but to many, we’re just not visible to
them,” Cooper said. “Our CSR program will help our Port be
more visible throughout our community.”
While the Port has been involved for many years in all the
areas covered by the new program, the CSR taskforce worked
to better coordinate these diverse efforts and ensure they are
integrated into the Port’s business plans and values.
18 | Pacific Gateway | Winter 2015
“What we really wanted to do was be more intentional and
more accountable for our CSR efforts,” Collins said, “as well
as be able to measure our progress in the key focus areas.”
In many cases, the Port is developing new partnerships
with various segments of the community to move specific
initiatives forward.
For example, to launch the small and emerging business
program, we partnered with the William Factory Small
Business Incubator in Tacoma and the Washington
Procurement Technical Assistant Center (PTAC). The
Incubator provides a venue for classes and outreach, while
PTAC offers targeted training on how to do business with
the Port. The training includes everything from understanding
the public procurement process to insurance and bonding.
“Building on these partnerships,” said Cooper, “and developing
new opportunities is going to allow our Port and some of
our customers to find new ways to put money back into our
community.”
Collins added, “The CSR program is a comprehensive
expression of how the Port is engaged in our community
and how we do our business.”
Jasson Smith, facilities maintenance journeyman electrician, demonstrated bending and deburring metal conduit at Pierce County Career Day.
The Port’s booth also included carpenter, plumbing and equipment mechanic tools and supplies.
AREAS OF FOCUS
JOBS OUTREACH
SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES
Create a more diverse workforce by formalizing an outreach
program to broaden the number of veterans, women and
minorities who apply for jobs.
Reduce the impacts of Port operations by integrating
sustainable practices that balance natural resource efficiencies
with economic benefits.
SKILLED TRADES DEVELOPMENT
EXPOSE STUDENTS TO THE MARITIME INDUSTRY
Broaden and diversify the applicant pool for vacant positions
and provide port-specific training to support employee
advancement and succession planning.
Provide hands-on internships to post-high school students and
partner with high schools on activities that demonstrate connections
between school curriculum and future maritime job opportunities.
SMALL AND EMERGING BUSINESS PROGRAM
EMPLOYEE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Enhance economic development opportunities for small and
emerging businesses within Pierce County and throughout the
region to compete for contracts to supply goods and services.
Encourage and support employees to increase their volunteerism
in our community, helping our employees get better connected
to the Port’s citizen stakeholders throughout Pierce County.
Port of Tacoma | portoftacoma.com | 19
This digital rendering shows Puget
Sound Energy’s proposed liquefied
natural gas facility on a 33-acre site
on the Hylebos Waterway. Totem
Ocean Trailer Express will be a
primary customer.
CLEANER
FUEL OPTION
Puget Sound Energy’s proposed LNG facility
will serve consumers, transportation companies
P
uget Sound Energy (PSE) plans
to build a $275 million liquefied
natural gas facility at the Port
of Tacoma to support both
maritime and consumer uses.
Commissioners approved a 25-year
lease last August with the company for
a 33-acre site and pier on the Hylebos
Waterway. The lease includes a feasibility
period expected to last 12 to 24 months.
“We are excited to make this environmental and economic investment for
Tacoma,” said Kimberly Harris, PSE’s
president and CEO. “It provides
significant clean air benefits, reinforces
our service to existing customers,
generates economic opportunities in the
region, allows us to pursue new markets
and keeps our customers’ rates down.”
The facility will help PSE meet the
demands of its 770,000 residential and
commercial natural gas customers in
20 | Pacific Gateway | Winter 2015
Western Washington during peak
use periods. It will also serve local
transportation companies looking to
shift from traditional fuel sources to
cleaner-burning LNG.
Totem Ocean Trailer Express, which
operates twice-weekly sailings between
Tacoma and Anchorage, will be a
primary customer. The Alaska shipping
line is upgrading its two Orca-class
cargo vessels to operate on LNG instead
of diesel fuel to meet new air emission
requirements. Under the new regulations, ships traveling within 200 miles
of the U.S. and Canadian shore must
reduce their engine sulfur emissions to
improve air quality.
Switching from diesel to LNG reduces
greenhouse gas emissions by up to 30
percent and eliminates visible particulate
emissions, according to PSE. LNG’s
environmental benefits have made it
an increasingly popular fuel option for
the transportation sector, including
both maritime shippers and long-haul
trucking fleets.
Once completed, the PSE facility will
provide enough LNG production and
storage capacity to replace approximately
47 million gallons of diesel fuel a year.
PSE is working with the community,
local government and permitting
agencies during the feasibility period to
reduce construction impacts and ensure
the facility meets or exceeds all safety
and environmental requirements.
Construction is anticipated to begin with
site preparation in 2015 and expected
to be completed by the end of 2018.
Find more information about the
project at TacomaCleanLNG.com.
CALENDAR
Meet Port of Tacoma staff at upcoming events.
Jan. 14 – 15
March 31
May 15
Washington State Hay
Growers Association
Annual Expo and Trade Show
Kennewick, Washington
Coalition of New England
Companies for Trade (CONECT)
Annual Northeast Trade
and Transportation Conference
Newport, Rhode Island
Tacoma Propeller Club
Chowdown
Tacoma, Washington
April 20 – 21
Transportation Club of Tacoma
Spring Open Charity Golf Classic
Auburn, Washington
Jan. 27
Agriculture Transportation
Coalition Workshop
Portland, Oregon
Feb. 22 – 25
Retail Supply Chain Conference 2015
Retail Industry Leaders Association
Orlando, Florida
March 1 – 4
Trans-Pacific Maritime Conference
Journal of Commerce
Long Beach, California
American Association
of Port Authorities
Spring Conference
Washington, D.C.
April 22 – 24
Northeast Association
of Rail Shippers
Spring Conference
Newport, Rhode Island
May 21
June 24 – 26
Agriculture Transportation Coalition
Annual Meeting
San Francisco, California
May 13
March 25
Tacoma Propeller Club
Maritime Day Lunch
Tacoma, Washington
Port of Tacoma Annual Breakfast
Tacoma, Washington
May 13 – 15
Washington Public Ports Association
Spring Meeting
Spokane, Washington
Port of Tacoma | portoftacoma.com | 21
PRESORTED
STANDARD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
TACOMA WA
PERMIT NO 543
Port of Tacoma | Winter 2015
P.O. Box 1837
Tacoma, WA 98401
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Please include mailing label with request
PORT OF TACOMA COMMERCIAL CONTACTS
Sales
Container business
Sue Coffey
P.O. Box 111
Summit, NJ 07902
Tel:253-592-6241
Mobile:201-486-8557
Email:[email protected]
Tom Bellerud
Tel:253-383-9405
Mobile:253-226-8011
Email: [email protected]
Intermodal business
Real estate business
Mike Reilly
Tel: 253-383-9418
Mobile: 253-405-2368
Email: [email protected]
Non-container business
Larry St. Clair
Tel:
253-592-6791
Mobile: 253-592-6791
Email: [email protected]
Scott Francis
Tel: 253-383-9407
Mobile: 253-245-8688
Email: [email protected]
Pacific Gateway is printed
on recycled paper