Port of Longview Chief Executive Officer Geir Kalhagen, who
was hired a year ago to replace the retiring Ken O’Hollaren, will receive a six
percent pay raise and new three-year contract, which is expected to keep him at
the port through at least 2016.
Kalhagen is slated to be paid $170,000 annually as CEO, up
from the $160,000 salary he earned after replacing O’Hollaren in September 2012.
O’Hollaren, who retired Dec. 31, 2012 after 32 years with the port, had earned
about $135,600 annually at the time of his departure.
The new contract, which was discussed by the port’s Board of
Commissioners in closed session Sept. 11, was signed Sept. 15 and goes into
effect Oct. 1.
The new contract was a vote of confidence in Kalhagen, who
has overseen measurable growth at the Port of Longview during his relatively
short tenure. In 2012, the port generated $33.8 million in operating revenue,
surpassing the Port of Vancouver as second-largest port on the Columbia River
for the first time. During the first half of 2013, the port took in about $15.2
million, about two percent above last year’s pace, according to data.
Prior to joining the Port of Longview, Kalhagen was the
general manager for the Pacific Northwest office of Tidal Transport and Trade
for a little over two years. Before joining Tidal Transport in June 2010, he
spent 15 months as an operations manager with Grieg Star Shipping. From
December 2007 to January 2009 he was an operations manager with Star Forest
Carriers PTE Singapore.
