Page 66 - Rukert - 100th Anniversary

Birth of a Harbor Workhorse
[1981-1984]
I n June 1981, Rukert Terminals celebrated its 60th anniversary
with a banquet in the ballroom
of the Belvedere Hotel. Among the 200 guests was Mayor Schaefer, who had been
key in helping Rukert Terminals survive and even thrive during the tunnel construction. At this gala, guests also celebrated Norman Sr.’s 50th anniversary with the company. With three history books already under his belt, Norman Sr. compiled the first six decades of Rukert Terminals history into The Rukert Story: 60 Years of Private Enterprise. Norman Sr. ended his written account with Rukert Terminals poised for a bright future and on the cusp of its most significant turning point.
At an important Board meeting early in 1981, Rick Wolfe and Bill Bienert were elected Vice Presidents. At this time, the company discussed buying a bulk unloading crane for Pier 5 at a cost
of $2 million. Norman Sr. was initially reluctant
to spend this amount, but the new management team, headed up by Norm and Bud, went about convincing him. Norm remembers telling his father, “If we build the crane, the sky is the limit.” After weighing the risks, Rukert Terminals decided to take the plunge and purchase an American-made crane from Products Engineering Company (PECO) near Seattle. A $1.5 million low-interest industrial revenue bond was assured through the efforts, again, of Mayor Schaefer and the Maryland National Bank.
Once manufactured, components of the crane were sent to Baltimore by rail and truck so the McLean Contracting Company could begin
assembling the crane on their property. Next, sections of the crane were floated on barges to Pier 5 for final assembly. During this phase of the project, Rukert Terminals’ new Master Electrician, Joe Ey, worked alongside McLean’s crew, becoming an expert in every aspect of the crane. For the next 30 years,
Joe tended to the PECO, keeping it in excellent
BELOW:
60th anniversary celebration at the Belvedere Hotel.
Left to right: Norman Rukert Jr., Norman Sr. and Bud Nixon.
58