Page 21 - Port of Baltimore Magazine January/February 2016

PORT PLAYS LEAD ROLE AS ECONOMIC ENGINE FOR MARYLAND
It was a record year in 2016 for the Port of Baltimore’s public marine terminals. Despite some challenges created by both worldwide economic conditions and unstable container freight rates, new records were established in Baltimore in both general cargo and containers. Additionally, this Port once again handled more autos than any other port in the nation.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan likes to say that Maryland is “Open for Business.” The Port is a leading proponent of that wish as we are one of our state’s leading economic engines.
General cargo surpassed the
10 million tons plateau for the first time in our history. It was a nearly 5 percent jump over 2015. One of the major reasons for that impressive mark was the performance of our containers. More than 538,000 containers crossed our public
piers in 2016, more than any previous year. Last year, we also welcomed our first big container ship that traveled through the newly expanded Panama Canal. Baltimore is currently one of only four U.S. East Coast ports with the necessary infrastructure to handle some of the biggest ships in the world.
The ability to handle the
big ships has not come at the expense of productivity. For the third consecutive time, the Port was recognized as being the most
efficient container port in the U.S., averaging 71 container moves per hour per berth.
Some of our other key commodities also had impressive years. Rolled paper was up more than 30 percent. That industry is undergoing some unique changes. Packaging materials, especially with the rise of online shopping, are giving that industry a boost. We were very happy to re-sign UPM, a longtime forest product customer, to a 10-year contract extension.
95 and an easy drive for both Maryland residents and those coming from neighboring states, such as Pennsylvania, Virginia, New Jersey and Delaware. Cruise passengers this year will see upgrades that we have made to the cruise terminal to make their experience even better.
While we are proud of our records and national rankings, it
is our role as a leading economic engine for Maryland that is most satisfying. More than 13,600 direct
General cargo surpassed the 10 million tons plateau for the first time in our history.
Our Port once again handled more autos than any other U.S. port. Our unique quality program and geographic advantage as
the closest East Coast port to
the Midwest continue to be key factors in our success. Baltimore’s reputation for vehicle handling is also boosted by the presence of four on-dock vehicle processors.
Since beginning a year-round cruise schedule in 2009, the Port has proven to be a very popular destination. Last year, more than 212,000 people set sail on a cruise from our cruise terminal. Our location within one of the largest and most affluent U.S. consumer markets makes Baltimore an ideal cruise port. The cruise terminal itself is aided by a wonderful location immediately off Interstate
jobs are generated by the Port. Nearly 130,000 jobs throughout Maryland are linked to Port business. Without a healthy, vibrant and bustling Port, many of those jobs would be lost.
Our successes would not happen without our most important resource: people. Our labor is second to none and highly skilled to handle many different cargos.
To continue our successes in 2017, we will need those skilled men and women as we look to grow our market share and remain a leader in Maryland for creating jobs.
James J. White, Executive Director Maryland Port Administration
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