The Port of Vancouver USA has been named top dog among Washington state's nearly 70 ports by the Washington Public Ports Association.
In naming the Vancouver USA port as the 2010 Port of the Year, the WPPA cited the port for creating transportation connections including the June 2010, completion of a state-of-the-art unit train facility at the port's recently developed Terminal 5. The $14 million project, part of the ongoing West Vancouver Freight Access rail improvement project, was completed on time and on budget.
The annual award, meant to honor leadership and innovation in economic development efforts, also acknowledged the port's role as a sponsor in the recently completed Lower Columbia Channel Deepening Project.
"The Port of Vancouver was presented this award because of their tremendous recent success in bringing jobs and investment to Clark County. They are a shining example of how to spur job-creation, and they have been recognized by their peers for their hard work," said WPPA Executive Director Eric Johnson.
The WPPA noted that the port's investments to date are attracting almost $400 million in private investment and the anticipated creation of between 1,000 and 2,000 new, permanent jobs and nearly 4,000 construction jobs.
"A prospective major tenant at the Port of Vancouver said they were drawn to the port because of the capability and professionalism of its staff and by the significant investment the port had made in rail infrastructure," said Port of Vancouver Commission President Jerry Oliver. "The Port of the Year award is a reflection on the staff and the economic vitality they bring to Vancouver."
