b'MAY 24 - JUNE 20, 2021ST. LAWRENCE SEAWAY & GREAT LAKES PORTS 7SAVE SAVETIME & MONEYDIRECT ACCESSTRADING INBULK, BREAK BULK,SEAMLESS SUPPLY INTO ALL OF NORTHOVER 50 GLOBALLIQUID & CHAIN WITH A AMERICA MARKETS SPECIAL CARGO CONNECTED NETWORKPartly completed Mark W. Barker being floated back to drydock earlier this spring.(Photo by SIMPLE. Interlake Steamship Company.) COMPETITIVE. First US-flagged Great Lakes bulk carrier being built in 35 years CONNECTED.By Leo Ryan, AJOTThesearepivotaltimeswithaBay Engineering jointly designed theEUROPE SPECIAL CARGOU.S. MID-WESTstrong focus on expansion for Inter- bulk carrier, complete with advancedTO TOlakeSteamshipCompany,aleadingvesselandunloadingsystemsauto- U.S. MID-WEST ICON/BADGE NORTH AFRICAU.S. shipping enterprise on the Greatmation.Scheduledforcompletionin Lakes which started the constructionmid-2022, the carrier is being built by lastJuneofthefirstU.S.-flaggedFBSsnearly700tradeworkersand Great Lakes bulk carrier in more thanwillgeneratebusinessforpartneringSHIP WITH US TODAYthree decades. Named after the com- contractors,vendorsandsuppliers. pany president, the Mark W. Barker isMajor partners for the project include: scheduled to enter commercial serviceAmerican Bureau of Shipping (ABS); during the 2022 navigation season. ArcelorMittal, Bay Engineering (BEI); Inanothersignificantdevelop- EMD Engines; Caterpillar; EMS-Tech, mentinthelastweekofDecemberInc.; Lufkin (a GE Company), Kongs-2020,InterlakeHoldingCompanyberg and MacGregor.acquired the assets of Pere MarquetteAsked by theAmerican Journalnotablyironore(down22%)and ShippingCompanyandLakeMichi- ofTransportationhowheviewedcoal (down 33.2%) as the pandemic gan Car Ferry Company that included(UPBEATcontinued from page 6) prospective trends in 2021, Mr. Tin- stifledNorth Americandemandand an articulated tug-barge and a historicexports and handling of cement. dall-Schlichtreplied:WhilePortproduction. The silver lining in 2020 passenger-and-carferry.Theacquisi- Port Milwaukees resilience wasMilwaukee had its best commercialturned out to be wind energy cargo, tion ushered in the creation of a newon full display in 2020, commentedperformance in over 7 years in 2020,with Duluth Cargo Connect welcom-businessentity,InterlakeMaritimePort Director Adam Tindall-Schlicht.challenges remain in 2021 as marketsing 525,000 tons of wind cargo, shat-Services, which manages the new busi- WeovercamefloodingresultingsupportedbythePortMilwaukeetering the previous record of 306,000 nesses along with Interlake Steamshipfrom unusually high water levels onsupply chain remain under economictons set in 2019.and its fleet of nine freighters. Lake Michigan at the start of the year.duress.PortMilwaukeesfocusinAdditionally, grain approached 1.4 Tracing its origins back to 1913,Wealsoovercamethepandemics2021 is sustaining its traditional cus- milliontons,slightlyabovethefive-familyownedInterlakeSteamship,sustained effect on the economy andtomer base as the economic recoveryseason average. This helped to generate nowbasedinMiddleburgHeights,on the Ports essential operations. continues. 85 overseas vessel arrivals, equaling the OH handles some 20 million tons perIn addition, last year brought Port2020 total.yearofironore,aggregates,lime- Milwaukeeitslargestnewinvest- D uLuths hoWingB ounCeBaCk IntheperiodthroughApril,the stone, coal and other bulk commodi- mentsindecades.TheDelongCo.AtthePortofDuluth-Superior,porthandledabout4.2milliontons, ties.It,infact,operatesnearlyoneannounceditsplantobuilda$31the biggest U.S. maritime gateway onrepresenting a 48% spike over the 2020 fifth of the 52 vessels in the U.S. flagmillionAgriculturalMarineExporttheGreatLakes,shipmentsin2021pace.Domesticdrybulkshipments, fleet on the Great Lakes. Its fleet pri- Facility, and Michels Corp. signed ahave been off to an encouraging startsuchascoal,ironoreandlimestone marily delivers iron pellets from thenew lease to expand its marine con- followingaweak2020whentotalsparkedbriskearlyseasonactivity. MichiganandMinnesotarangestostruction operation. volume plunged to 25.8 million shortDomestic grain volume also exceeded steel mills on the Lower Lakes, mostNew infrastructure is part of a diver- tonsthe lowest since 1938. the 2020 pattern, rising by 18%.operated by Cleveland Cliffs. sification strategy adjusting to the portsEachoftheportsmajorcargoWhile its too early to predict how Atthekeellayingceremonyathistorical decline from coal cargo. categories experienced declines, mostthe full season total will compare to theFincantieriBayShipbuildingotheryears,DebDeLuca,executive facility in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin,directoroftheDuluthSeawayPort Mark Barker, son of chairman JamesAuthority,hasdescribedtheearly Barker, did not hide his emotion. Itmonthsof2021asencouraging is truly amazing, he said, to havewith indications particularly positive a ship that is built here in Wisconsinfor iron ore, limestone and cement.and made from steel from Indiana thatIn another Great Lakeport effort came from iron ore mined in Minne- to capitalize on increased bulk ship-sota with U.S. crews, U.S. workers,ments,thePortofClevelandisfin-and U.S. miners all doing this for ourishing up an $11 million project at its great Country. bulkterminalthatmixestwotypes The new River-Class, self-unload- of iron ore before sending it up the ing bulk carrier measures 639 feet inCuyahoga River. The project, which length (78 feet W, 45 feet H, 28,000is largely finished, extended the bulk DWT) and will transport raw materi- terminals ore tunnel by 440 feet The als such as salt, iron ore, and stone toinfrastructureprojectisoneoftwo support manufacturing throughout thenearing completion at the Cleveland-Great Lakes region. Cuyahoga County Port Authority and TheInterlakeSteamshipCom- is expected to bring another million pany, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding andAgricultural exports were a key contributor to Port Milwaukees highest volume in seven years. (UPBEATcontinued on page 10)'