Business Facilities - October 2008 - (Page 29)

All of the terminal facilities are located in close proximity, and have easy access to all major trucking routes. I-95 runs adjacent to the port facilities, and I-76, a major east-west thoroughfare, has entrance ramps close to the terminals. Over 400 local trucking companies operate in the region, with a combined total of over 20,000 trucks. These trucking companies offer experience in every type of cargo handling, and regularly meet a demand for as many as 1,500 reefer trucks per week, as well as heavy lift and specialized trucks. In June, Governor Edward G. Rendell applauded the signing of a historic agreement that will officially begin a five-year, $379-million project to deepen the Delaware River’s shipping channel, calling it a major milestone in ongoing efforts to expand commerce and enhance economic development in the region. “I consider this to be the most important project in the history of the Port of Philadelphia,” said Governor Rendell at the signing ceremony. “It is a major milestone that will shape the future of maritime commerce on the Delaware River.” The agreement allows the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in partnership with the PRPA, to increase by five feet the current 40-foot depth of the river’s shipping channel from Camden’s Beckett Street Terminal to the mouth of the Delaware Bay—a distance of 102 miles. The new, 45foot channel depth will allow Delaware River ports to compete more effectively for cargo, to provide safe passage for vessels, and to increase jobs and cargo to the region. This process will take from five to seven years. The deeper channel will be beneficial to both Pennsylvania and New Jersey. In Pennsylvania, the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal, Piers 78, 80, 82, 84, 96, 122, and 124, Penn Terminals, the Aker Philadelphia Shipyard at the A S P E C I A L A D V E RT I S I N G S E C T I O N O F B U S I N E S S FA C I L I T I E S Philadelphia Naval Business Center, the three Sun Oil refineries, and the Tosco refinery all will benefit from a deeper navigation channel. In New Jersey, Beckett Street and Broadway Terminals, Gloucester Marine Terminal and the Eagle Point and Paulsboro refineries among others, also will benefit from a deeper navigation channel. “We have the highest marine productivity on the East Coast,” says Leo Holt, president of Holt Logistics Corp. On the container front, pick rates average 36 moves per hour and have topped out at a record 92 for twin-lift operations. Among Philadelphia’s many niche commodities, years of experience produce similar efficiencies in handling a wide range of breakbulk, project and temperature-controlled products. Steel, perishables, forest products and cocoa are some of the mainstays. The key to this high handling effectiveness remains the port’s workforce, which is trained, experienced, flexible, equipped and on board with the port’s vision. At minimum, port officials expect 100 to 200 acres to be reserved for future development at the PRPA’s highly anticipated Southport project. The commonwealth of Pennsylvania is also onboard. Philadelphia’s port players are partnering to extend their vision across the river. Cooperation among Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware maritime and political concerns was instrumental in securing the recently announced channeldeepening project. Taking the channel to a 45-foot navigable depth will put Delaware River ports on an equal footing with their Atlantic competitors in attracting deeperdraft large container ships, dry bulk vessels and breakbulk ships emerging from the world’s shipyards. #0907 at www.BusinessFacilities.com 29 http://www.bflivexchange.com http://www.philaport.com http://www.philaport.com http://www.BusinessFacilities.com

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Business Facilities - October 2008 Contents First Word Snapshots Metro Spotlight: Phoenix, AZ Essential Relocation Tips Metro Spotlight: Fayette County, GA Corporate Moves: Kentucky Austria: Hungry for International Trade Foreign Trade Zones: Global Expansion at Reduced Cost New York is Banking on High-Tech Growth Metro Spotlight: Cuba, MO The Garden State is Growing it's City Centers Information Technology: No Signs of a Slowdown Advertiser Index Inside LiveExchange

Business Facilities - October 2008

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