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Guest Articles
Guest Article Economic Realities Beget Opportunities The economic reality of today presents a challenge that few of us have experienced in our lifetimes. But in challenge is opportunity. It's the opportunity to take a fresh look at how we operate, what is important to our core business, and reestablishing priorities. Read Full Article Guest Article 'Last mile' begins with national plan Transportation and economic competitiveness are intertwined. There is perhaps no more visible example of this vital connection than that which can be gleaned by a visit to one of our busy ports. Whether it is containers of freight from China unloading at Long Beach or an ore barge embarking on the Great Lakes - the nation's ports represent both the economy and the transportation foundation which keeps it moving. Read Full Article Guest Article Pier project digs deep for 'green' solutions As part of its long-term strategic plan to support large-scale containerships, the Port of Long Beach initiated the Pier G Berth G232 wharf and backlands redevelopment project to serve ships capable of holding the equivalent of more than 8,000 twenty-foot-long containers. Read Full Article Guest Article Internal Audiences Must Be Engaged Whether embarking on a new branding campaign, seeking community approval for growth or hoping to build a greener image, seaports today must engage their internal audiences to attain strategic goals. Read Full Article Guest Article Lean Enterprise model supplies strategic shift Most recently, leaders of seaports have been focusing on the challenges of operating efficiently during an economic downturn, while, in the years leading up to the present global financial struggles, they searched for ways to operate more efficiently with existing capacity during a period of record growth. Read Full Article Guest Article Underwater imaging shows 'what's really going on' What is the true state of your port's underwater infrastructure? Most ports have regular survey programs involving divers going down to check out underwater structures, pilings, bridge supports and pier walls. The problem is that, in often murky conditions, visibility is very poor and divers are forced to feel around blindly, raising survey quality control and safety issues. Read Full Article Guest Article Is training a burdensome cost or competitive advantage? In any industry, attitudes toward training fall somewhere between two extremes -- from burdensome cost to competitive advantage. Economic recessions have tended to amplify one view or the other. Those who see training as a burdensome cost will cut training in difficult times. Those who see it as a way to build competitive advantage use training as a tool to increase efficiency and productivity. Read Full Article Guest Article Five Steps Promote Value of Seaports Illustrating the indispensable role seaports play in the global economy is one of the greatest communications challenges facing the American Association of Port Authorities and its members. Read Full Article Guest Article Ports Face Uphill Climb in Gaining Acceptance The simple fact is one that's hardly inspiring or even encouraging: As much as those of us connected with seaports might prefer things to be otherwise, for the general public, to the extent they think about them, ports are more liability than asset, if anything a problem waiting to happen or which has already happened. Read Full Article Guest Article Transportation System Demands Stimulus Aid In 2007, Martin Associates estimated that U.S. deepwater ports supported more than 13 million jobs throughout the United States and contributed about $3.2 trillion to the national economy. The economic value of this cargo activity represents about 25 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product. Read Full Article Guest Article SAFETY Act offers ports vast liability protections A common concern for owners and operators of port facilities across the United States is the significant liability that could follow a terrorist attack. Such concerns were validated by a 2008 decision holding the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey liable for the 1993 attack against the World Trade Center. That decision has left ports scrambling for ways to manage their liability, particularly in light of the security requirements of laws such as the Maritime Transportation Security Act, or MTSA, and the Chemical Facilities Antiterrorism Standards, or CFATS. Read Full Article Guest Article It's Time for Ports to Look To Einstein As port leaders in Latin America and throughout the world look to weather today's economic storm, it may be appropriate to consider the words of Noble Prize-winning physicist Albert Einstein. Read Full Article Guest Article Technologies, partnerships buoy unique security district When discussing the Houston Ship Channel Security District, I am always asked about technologies and public-private partnerships. Both are of obvious importance to an effort that involves protection of people and equipment assets associated with the maze of industries and communities located in and around the Houston Ship Channel. And both are keys to this uniquely sustainable effort, chartered by Texas state law to deter, mitigate, recover and otherwise save from harm channel-area industries, their employees and communities. Read Full Article Guest Article Port command centers must provide true business value Today, port command centers are known by several names, largely depending on the size, scale and type of port. Regardless, the role that these centers play has dramatically changed in recent years. They are now, or at least should be, the center of gravity for monitoring the breadth of port activity. Read Full Article Guest Article Risk management impacts all areas of port operations What keeps you up at night? You wake up at night in a cold sweat! In your dream (or nightmare), you are on the witness stand in front of the judge, jury and, of course, the local media, having to answer questions as to why you approved a lease agreement that has now caused a class-action lawsuit against the port for $14 million... Read Full Article Guest Article Decision-makers should be asking 10 key questions Recent data showing that world economic activity and trade are recovering indicates it is time to change our stance from "batten down the hatches" to positioning to benefit from recovery. Those who don't may soon find themselves trying to catch up with the first movers. Read Full Article Guest Article How 'Tweet' it is: High-tech tools help ports communicate Social media -- Web-based networks that facilitate a two-way flow of information with short e-mails, text messages and video clips -- represent an increasingly important communications tool that allows the Port of Long Beach to interact with our many diverse stakeholders in an informal, immediate and personal way. We encourage users to attend events, learn about new innovations and become engaged with the port community. Read Full Article Guest Article Viability of seaports demands new look at asset management How ironic it would be if the success of the American Association of Port Authorities in bringing much-needed attention to the intermodal connections to our ports is qualified by the condition of infrastructure at our ports. To avert this, new approaches to asset management must be employed. Read Full Article Guest Article Cooperative efforts key to forming security web During my time as the Homeland Security adviser for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I served as co-chair of the U.S. Coast Guard Area Maritime Security Group and saw firsthand the importance of truly cooperative partnerships in port security. Read Full Article Guest Article Public-private partnerships offer viable option for ports Seaports are, by their very nature, large and complex publicprivate partnerships. They are intermodal facilities for cargo and passengers which involve the private sector in a variety of capacities to provide construction, operations, maintenance and/or financing. Read Full Article Guest Article Press, Community Relations Critical to Successful Ports Today's seaports have two constituencies -- their customers and their surrounding communities -- and positive relationships with both groups are critical to any port's ability to thrive and grow. One way to help ensure those positive relationships is to build and maintain constructive working relationships with the news media. Read Full Article Guest Article Transshipment to impact port infrastructure plans A snapshot of economic data for 2009 and forecasts presented by reliable practitioners show world gross domestic product fell last year, but it was pulled down by the severe recession in developed nations, while emerging markets never went completely negative. Read Full Article Guest Article Ad Campaign Delivering For New York Area Port The Port of New York and New Jersey is the third-largest port in the United States, yet few people stop to think how critical a port is to its region, providing everything from steel to coffee to clothing and telecommunication components. Read Full Article Guest Article Value-creation opportunities attract investments in ports What makes a marine terminal infrastructure development opportunity attractive to private investors? Read Full Article Guest Article Proper Planning Vital to Effective Response We've all heard the familiar quotes: "He who fails to plan, plans to fail," and "Bad planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part." Then there's my personal favorite, "Don't let the perfect get in the way of the doable." Read Full Article		Most Read Articles: Viewpoint: Kurt J. Nagle Seaports Deliver Prosperity Seaports have served as a crucial economic lifeline by bringing goods and services to people around the world for hundreds of years. Seaports continue to be a critical link and play a vital role in the global marketplace, but they don't always get credit for the significant contribution they make to our society and economy. Read Full Article Case Study: Port Metro Vancouver Stakeholders Engaged in Port Amalgamation Port Metro Vancouver's amalgamation represents a unique achievement in the dynamic world of shipping. On Jan. 1, 2008, after nearly 150 years of existing separately, the Fraser River Port Authority, North Fraser Port Authority and Vancouver Port Authority combined to become the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, now known as Port Metro Vancouver. The amalgamation process included a comprehensive communication plan to support the creation of the new organization. Read Full Article