b'22American Journal ofTransportation ajot.comSPONSORED CONTENTPorts America Chesapeake:COUNT ON CONNORDriving the future ofJohn S. Connor, Inc., founded in 1917, is an Marylands maritime economy industry-leading providerIn the heart of the Mid-Atlantic,value. Working closely with the MPA,of logistical solutionswhere global commerce meets Ameri- the terminal has invested in electrifi- for global shipping can resilience, Ports America Chesa- cation projects, such as transitioning peake (PAC) stands as a powerhousefrom diesel-powered yard equipmentincluding customs in the maritime industry. As the exclu- to electric alternatives and deployingbrokerage, transport siveoperatoroftheSeagirtMarinesolar-powered lighting systems across TerminalinthePortofBaltimore,the yard. services, project cargo,PAC has become a beacon of opera- Moreover, PAC proudly supports tionalexcellence,innovation,andbroaderenvironmentalinitiatives,and vessel agency.public-private partnership. It plays athrough volunteer community clean-vital role in strengthening Marylandsupsandlivingshorelineprojects economic infrastructure while adapt- innearbycommunities.Through ing to the evolving demands of globalstrategicenvironmentalstewardship, trade. PACdemonstratesthatgrowthand The success story of PAC is rootedsustainability can go hand in hand.in its pioneering 50-year public-privateFurtherextendingitsimpact partnership (P3) with the Maryland Portbeyond the port gates, the company Administration (MPA), signed in 2010.activelyparticipatesincommunity This landmark agreement marked thedevelopmentprojects,sponsors beginning of a transformative era forlocaleducationalprograms,and the Port of Baltimore. The deal includedsupportsregionaltransportation a capital infusion of over $500 million,initiatives.Throughcollaboration earmarkedforthereconstructionofwithlocalchambersofcommerce, Seagirts Berth 4, the procurement ofnonprofit organizations, and academic state-of-the-artSuperPost-Panamaxinstitutions, the company contributes cranes,andlong-terminfrastructuretoabroadermissionofinclusive modernization. economic growth.TheinnovativeP3modelItsexecutivesfrequentlyengage deliveredtangibleresults.Thein policy forums, maritime innovation investmentnotonlybolsteredcargocouncils, and port security initiatives, handling capacity but also positionedproviding thought leadership on criticaljsconnor.com thePortofBaltimoreasthefirstindustryissues.Thiscommitment East Coast port capable of handlingtobothcommunityandindustry410-863-0211 theworldslargestcontainershipsleadershipfurthercementsPACssales@jsconnor.comafterthePanamaCanalexpansion.status as a trusted and forward-thinking PACsforward-thinkingleadershippartner in Marylands economic future.has turned the Seagirt Terminal into oneofthemostefficientcontainere conomici mPacT andj oBc reaTion (PROSPECTScontinued frominventorycorrectionafterCOVID. terminals in North America. As one of the Port of Baltimorespage 16) So, a lot of our customers were over CoretoPACssuccessisitscornerstone operators, PAC has a pro- Theresahugeneedtomoveinventoried,sotheysignificantly commitmenttooperationalefficiencyfound impact on Marylands economycargoinland.[Thiswas]especiallyreduced their import volumes so that andserviceintegration.Capableofby supporting thousands of direct and[true] during COVID. So to keepthey could work through their inven-handling1.5milliontwenty-foot- indirect jobs across the state. your waterfront warehouses [empty],tory. So, we saw a tremendous slow-equivalentcontainersayear,SeagirtsPACdirectlyemploysalargethatsgoingtobemoreexpensivedownbeginningof2023thatpretty practicalyardlayoutplacestheshare of the ports unionized longshorethanyourMidwestwarehousesmuchlastedallthrough2023.And storage area directly behind the berths.workforce and works closely with localempty and turning the containers atthen towards the tail end of 2023, and EnhancingSeagirtsefficiencyisthetradeschools,technicalprograms,the port and then shipping the cargointo 2024, we sort of saw volumes, or adjacent Intermodal Container Transferand community initiatives to provideinland to more affordable storage orimports normalizeFacility,whichbringstherailheadcareerdevelopmentopportunities.closer to where the final destinationBut for the Terminal Corp and the towithin1,000feetofthebulkhead.Theirapprenticeshipandworkforceis [located], Peter Menzies said ofentireBaltimorecommunityevery-Dedicatedon-dockrailconnectionintrainingprogramsensurethatlocalthe transloading dynamic. thing suddenly changed with the col-partnership with CSX, enables seamlesstalent is equipped to meet the demandsAndfromthewarehousingper- lapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge.cargomovementbetweenshipandof a modern port operation. spective,inventorymanagementisaAndthenofcoursethebridge rail. This strategic connectivity reduceskey to balancing out some of the rollercollapsedinMarchof2024,which congestion, shortens transit times, andF uTure -F ocusede xPansion coasterrideinherenttothesupplyreally hurt us. It basically forced our providesasignificantenvironmentalLookingahead,thecompanyischain.AsPerryMenziesremarked,customers,theimporters,todivert benefit by lowering truck emissions onactivelypreparingforfuturegrowththe majority of our customers are verytheir shipments to other ports of entry local roads. throughmulti-phasedterminalexpan- large shippers or importers, and theyon the East Coast. And so, we mobi-PACsneighboringoperationssion plans, expanding container stor- basically set up stocking programs tolized our trucking assets to some of atDundalkMarineTerminalhandleageareas,andexploringadditionalhold inventory close to their custom- theseotherportsofentry,sowere themostversatilegeneralcargoatrail enhancements to boost intermo- ers so that when they make a sale, theyat least able to retrieve the cargo and thePortofBaltimore.Baltimoresdal efficiency. pull it out of our warehouse. bring it up to our service network in proximitytotheMidwestsmajorPACexemplifiesthebestofAndPeterMenziesaddedthatBaltimore. [As a result] we still had farmandconstructionequipmentmodernportoperationsefficient,theres only so much bonded ware- a steady stream of revenue, but a lot manufacturershashelpedthePortresilient, sustainable, and deeply rootedhousespacetogoaround.Theresof the cargo that was diverted to these becometheleadingU.S.portforin community partnership. Its role intonsof[cargo]increasearoundother ports stayed in those other ports. combines, tractors and hay balers, andshapingthePortofBaltimoreintoabonded space, and I know that theresSo, [for] 2024, we really kind of had in importing excavators and backhoes.globally competitive, environmentallynotnearlyenoughbondedspaceinto limp along and just get through the Whether its automobiles, agricultural,conscious,andeconomicallyvitalBaltimore to accommodate all of it.year and wait for the channel to open construction, other Ro/Ro equipment,asset cannot be overstated. back up, Perry Menzies said of the or breakbulk and project cargo, if itAsglobaltradecontinuestoB usinessc ondiTions : d isruPTion business climate in 2024.movesonavessel,PACteamscanevolve,theeyesofthemaritimeTod isruPTion Terminal Corp, saw a rebound in handle it.world are on PACnot just for whatTerminalCorporationexperi- volumes in 2024 but as Perry Men-it has achieved, but for the path itsenced the highs and lows of businesszies says were sort of on the fence e nvironmenTals TewardshiP charting forward. In the corridors ofduring the COVID pandemic period.wonderingwhatthesecondhalfof andc ommuniTye ngagemenT cargo,wherecontainerstellstoriesAs Perry Menzies, said of the period,the year [2025] is going to look like. Inanerawhereenvironmentalofcommerce,PACiswritingaSo, our services were in high demandJust thinking about how much of our responsibilityisnolongeroptional,narrative of innovation, strength, andduring COVID.that was 2021 and(PROSPECTScontinued on PAC embraces sustainability as a coreopportunity for Maryland and beyond. 2022. And 2023, we saw sort of anpage 37)'