Friday, June 8, 2018

New Tenant for Portland Business Park

By Karen Robes Meeks

The Port of Portland-owned Gresham Vista Business Park has announced a new tenant. U.K. synthetic diamond manufacturer Element Six, which is part of The De Beers Group, will begin building a $94-million advanced manufacturing facility this summer, with hopes to be fully operational by 2020.

“We selected the Portland region based on critical success factors such as competitive power distribution, access to a high-quality talent pool and strong support from the City of Gresham and other local partners,” said Ken Sullivan, Element Six’s Global Operations Director.

This comes on the heels of news that De Beers plans to debut Lightbox Jewelry, a line of affordable diamond fashion jewelry.

The 60,000-square-foot facility located east of Portland will initially house about 60 full-time engineers, technicians and other employees related to synthetic diamond production. Once at full scale, the plant will be able to make up to 500,000 rough carats of lab-grown diamonds annually.

“We’re very excited to welcome Element Six to our Gresham,” said Gresham, Oregon, Mayor Shane Bemis. “Gresham is becoming a hub for advanced industries, and we’re happy to welcome the new job and investment. The City of Gresham has the fastest guaranteed land-use review process in the region, which makes us especially attractive to prospective companies.”

Olympia Executive Resigns

By Karen Robes Meeks

Last week, the Port of Olympia commission accepted the resignation of Executive Director Ed Galligan. The commission put Galligan on administrative leave last month to spark “a leadership change that would be instrumental in positioning the Port for the future,” according to the port.

The commission said that Galligan, who served 12 years, will be available as an on-call consultant if necessary, and thanked him for his service.

Galligan was known during his tenure to emphasize environmental innovation including a modern facility that treats stormwater and the eco-friendly Swantown Marina and Swantown Boatworks.

Meanwhile, airport director Rudy Rudolph will serve as port interim executive director while the commission searches for a new leader in the coming months.

Los Angeles Harbor Boulevard Open for Business

By Karen Robes Meeks

Port of Los Angeles and civic leaders on Thursday feted the newly finished $15.6 million Harbor Boulevard Roadway Improvements Project in San Pedro, California.

Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino, Los Angeles Harbor Commission President Jaime Lee and Harbor Commissioner Anthony Pirozzi were on hand to celebrate the completion of the street realignment project, designed to make the road safer and more efficient for vehicles and pedestrians. The project also makes the Los Angeles waterfront more accessible to the public. It features a refurbished Plaza Park and new hillside landscaping along Miner Street.

“This project exemplifies the Port’s commitment to our Public Access Investment Plan, which has allocated about $400 million in capital for LA Waterfront public access projects,” Lee said. “Next up we’ll begin investing almost $33 million on a new town square at 6th Street and a waterfront promenade in front of the future San Pedro Public Market.”

Port of San Francisco Adds Artwork

By Karen Robes Meeks

The Port of San Francisco has teamed up with the San Francisco Arts Commission on a new art installation that will serve as an official gateway to the Bayview neighborhood.

Famed public artist Cliff Garten designed the sculpture located at the intersection of Third Street, Arthur Avenue and Cargo Way.

“The Port is proud to collaborate with the Bayview community and the San Francisco Arts Commission to enhance Islais Creek Gateway area with the installation of a magnificent art sculpture,” said President of the San Francisco Port Commission Kimberly Brandon. “The sculpture is the newest addition to the Bayview Gateway open space, which was improved by the Port in 2015, and adds to the series of recent public realm and Blue Greenway improvements in the area including: Bayview Rise, Heron’s Head Park, Cargo Way bicycle facility and Heron’s Head Park improvements. The Gateway is a long-envisioned improvement by and for the Bayview community, and can be enjoyed by all San Francisco residents and visitors alike.”

Tuesday, June 5, 2018

New Line for NW Seaport Alliance

By Karen Robes Meeks

The SM Line Qingdao made its first weekly call to the Northwest Seaport Alliance’s North Harbor on Thursday.

Six 4,300-TEU vessels will call each week at SSA Marine’s Terminal 18 on Seattle’s Harbor Island as part of the new Pacific Northwest Service, which stops at ports in Yantian, Ningbo, Shanghai, Busan, Vancouver, Seattle, Tokyo and Kwangyang.

“We are proud to welcome SM Line to our family of steamship lines calling at The Northwest Seaport Alliance,” said Courtney Gregoire, Port of Seattle commission president and co-chair of The Northwest Seaport Alliance. “This new weekly service and the cargo it brings means jobs and revenue for our region.”

This service gives shippers another carrier option and more direct ports of call to south and central China, Korea and Japan.

Green Port Award

By Karen Robes Meeks

The Port of Long Beach was recently named the world’s “Best Green Seaport” at the 32nd annual Asian Freight & Supply Chain Awards in Shanghai, the port announced Friday.

Hosted by the Asia Cargo News, the award is based on freight transportation service professionals who voted in an annual poll. It is given to ports that have “demonstrated compliance with green freight transport regulations and environmental standards; investment in green initiatives, technology and action plans; incorporation of environmental requirements in strategic planning; use of a policy on reducing fuel emissions from freight handling operations; and ongoing training of staff in green initiatives and in measures to lower carbon footprints.”

“The Port of Long Beach is thrilled to be named the Best Green Seaport. This award reflects the continuing serious commitment of our Board of Harbor Commissioners and staff to improving air and water quality, and serving as a model of environmental sustainability for seaports around the world,” said Long Beach Harbor Commission President Lou Anne Bynum.

San Diego Energy Management Award

By Karen Robes Meeks

The Port of San Diego recently received a 2018 Excellence in Energy Leadership award from San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) at its 13th annual Energy Showcase event.

The port, which was feted with 11 other local businesses, was honored for developing California’s first Energy Management Plan, authorized by Assembly Bill 628 and signed into law in 2013.

The law allowed ports and harbor districts to team with their electrical and/or gas corporations on emission-curbing energy management plans that would also nurture economic development within the port.

“Thanks to continuous collaboration with our partners, local government, tenants and SDG&E, the Port’s Energy Management Plan will serve as a road map to continue to make positive environmental impacts for years to come,” said Rafael Castellanos, chairman of the Board of Port Commissioners. “We are honored to be recognized as a 2018 Energy Champion.”