Key Topics

Thirty-one ports earned accolades and three received an Overall Award of Communications Excellence trophy for submitting top-scoring entries in AAPA’s 53rd annual Communications Awards Program. The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) has notified 31 of its 130-member seaports throughout the Western Hemisphere that they’ve earned one or more awards for exemplary communications projects and programs as part of the ...

Ports Are Aggressively Pursuing Creative Solutions to Make Their Operations More Environmentally FriendlyBy Tom Gresham Seaports operate on the front line of climate change. Consequently, the port industry has proved ambitious in its attempts to take a leadership role on critical sustainability issues, often exceeding expectations and regulations while pushing for impactful and innovative new ways of operating. Through the ...

Crucial Steps Are Being Made in the Exploration and Testing of Information Technology at PortsBy Sandy Smith Derrick Whalen, director of information and technology services for the Port of Halifax, has spent just a few months on the job and in the seaports industry. But he already sees opportunities to make an impact. “This is the challenge I was hoping ...

By Mary Lou Jay Seaports have always used data – like the number of TEUs handled or passengers served – to measure their current success and to plan for the future. Now they have the potential to do even more. New methods of collecting information and the growth of computing power and cloud storage has made it possible for ports ...

Revolutionary Strides Being Made with Cranes, Conveyors and Equipment Options for Ports Equating to Drastic Changes in Operations and AestheticsBy Lori Musser One of the few constants in the dynamic field of seaport operations is that cargo must move between ships and other modes. But the cranes, conveyors and other equipment that shift cargo from ship to shore-based mode of ...

“Business Development”…it’s a big name for something that, in its purest form, is really quite simple. Whether in the maritime sector or any other, business development is really just sales and marketing with a strategic vision and focus. It’s the allocation and use of personnel and resources to galvanize your port’s long-term vision and viability while maximizing its current and ...

Taking the time to invest in career growth might seem to fall at the end of a very long to-do list. The payoff, however, can be deep and extend well beyond that next career move. Follow these up-and-coming leaders sharing these personal and insightful stories. * By Sandy Smith * Port leaders – whether departmental leaders or at the top ...

Apprenticeship Programs: Tried, True and Effective A centuries-old method of training skilled workers could help supply ports and their maritime partners with the modern workforce they need. * By Mary Lou Jay * Apprenticeships have long been a well-established and well-respected route to good jobs, but for a time they fell out of favor because of the perception that college ...

Defining where worker training and development should start and where it should end may be the answer. * By Lori Musser * Ports generate plenty of jobs. In the United States, alone, there were 31 million at last count – 2.3 million within the port sector and the remainder in related industries. Filling all these positions with top-notch talent and ...

Ports seek skilled, experienced workers to tackle security needs, including rising demands on the cybersecurity front. * By Tom Gresham * The growing economy and corresponding increase in activity at the nation’s ports have put pressure on the security side of port operations, officials say. More traffic means more to protect – and to protect against. However, the strength of ...