b'42American Journal ofTransportation ajot.com(CUSTOMERScontinued fromect cargo operators and their custom- just about technology and facilitiesitsoftware, moving physical infrastruc-page 23) ers.Tariffuncertaintieshavecausedalso depends on people. To build thatturerequiresunderstandingmultiple years ago, Swanson noted. Theressome project delays as companies reas- pipeline of expertise, the company hastransportation modes, customs proce-a lot of opportunity. The infrastruc- sess budgets and sourcing strategies. launched its Next Gen IP program, adures and risk management strategies.ture requirements for these facilitiesTherealchallengehasbeentwo-year training initiative that recruitsInanindustrywhererelation-mirrortraditionalheavyindustrialdelays in certain projects, Swansonrecent university graduates and rotatesshipsmatter,Swansonemphasized projectstransformers,generators,said.Whencustomersfaceuncer- themthroughdifferentdepartmentstheimportanceofmaintainingcred-cooling systems and structural com- taintyespecially around budgets orand regions globally. ibilitywithallstakeholders.The ponents that fall squarely within thenotknowingwhatdutiestheymayThe program addresses the indus- most important thing that you have is project cargo wheelhouse. havetopayonsourcedmaterialstrys well-documented talent shortageyour reputation, he said. Dont be Thedigitalinfrastructureboommany decide its safer to pause. while building expertise for emergingdishonest. Dont commit or promise has created a parallel surge in powerSwanson believes the uncertaintymarketsegments.Participantsspendsomethingthatyoucantdoorthat generation equipment demand. All ofis only temporary. Once things stabi- severalmonthsinHoustonbeforeyou never were going to do. That will these facilities require power, Swan- lize and everyone understands what therotatingthroughAsia,theMiddlestay with you. People will remember son said. Were seeing a tremendoustariffs will be, then customers can buildEast,andEurope,gainingexposurethat, and the industry is very circular.amountoftransformersandothertheir budgets and move forward, heto chartering, operations, finance andAstechnologygiantscontinue types of power generation equipmentsaid. Its not that they dont want tomarketing functions. entering the project cargo space, this coming into the country. proceed with projectsthey just needadvice becomes increasingly relevant. During a recent visit to Colombia,a clear picture of the costs. v aluableP ersPeCtive Companies accustomed to rapid digi-Swansontouredtransformermanu- Swansonsdiversebackgroundtal transformations must adapt to the facturingfacilitiesthatwereoperat- i nvesting ini nnovation andt alentincluding time at sea after graduat- longertimelinesandcomplexcoor-ing at full capacity. Its full, its busy,Swanson also told Project Cargoing from the United States Merchantdinationrequiredforphysicalinfra-theres a lot of activity, he observed. Professionals how DHL has investedMarine Academy, work on the oceanstructure projects.in innovation centers across multiplecarriersideandexperiencewithanTheconvergenceoftraditional r egionalo PPortunities regionsincludingChicagointheEPCcontractorprovidesvaluableproject cargo expertise with cutting-WhiletheU.S.representsDHLU.S. but also Europe, Asia Pacific, andperspectivewhendealingwithcus- edge technology demands represents Industrial Projects largest market inDubaitohelpcustomersnavigatetomers new to project cargo. both an opportunity and a challenge the region, Swanson highlighted sig- complex project cargo requirements.Just having that understanding offor the industry. Success will depend nificantopportunitiesacrossLatinThese facilities serve as collaborativethe processes they have to go through,on a logistics service providers abil-America, for which hes responsible.spaces where teams work with clientswhat their perspective is as they analyseity to adapt their services while main-Mining projects in Chile and Argen- to develop customized solutions. bids, what kind of things they look for,tainingthereliabilityandprecision tinacontinuetogeneratesubstantialWeve developed tools for track- whatchallengestheyhaveinternallythat major capital projects requirecargo volumes, particularly in lithiuming material, using existing technolo- when it comes to developing a logisticswhether the customer is building an extraction despite market volatility. gies and our systems so that we canbudgetits very helpful to bring thatoil refinery or a data center.Mexico presents particular prom- provide solutions to our customers,with me here to DHL, he said. To watch host Luke Kings inter-ise due to nearshoring trends, he said.Swanson explained. The company hasThiscross-industryexperienceviewwithJakeSwanson,visitthe Weseemoreandmoretechnologyalso deployed cameras and drones forprovesparticularlyvaluablewhenProject Cargo Professionals YouTube projects and, of course, oil and gas andmeasuring material in warehouses andworkingwithtechnologycompanieschannel: https://www.youtube.com/@mining is big there, Swanson noted. laydown yards and used digital twin- unfamiliarwithprojectcargocom- ProjectCargoProsThecurrenttradeenvironment,ning technology for major projects. plexities. Unlike their typical procure- h t t p s : / / w w w. y o u t u b e . c o m /however, presents challenges for proj- But DHL believes innovation isntment processes for cloud services orwatch?v=1-e24A32V2Y&t=1228sL A K EC H A R L E S ,L A ,U S AGlobal capability.Global capacity.When shippers around the globe move cargoes that require efficient, large-scale handling, they rely on the Port of Lake Charles and the Calcasieu Ship Channel in Louisiana, recognized as Americas Energy Corridor.Our capacity and efficiency have long made the Port of Lake Charles the choice for cargoes of all weights, dimensions, and handling requirements.Let us put our capabilities to work for you. The Calcasieu Ship Channel is an ideal connection along the central U.S. Gulf Coast.portlc.com|[email protected]|'