 |
| Photo from New Orleans Wikipedia |
The Port of New Orleans set records for container traffic and cruise passengers in 2012 – all while completing more than $100 million in new infrastructure projects port-wide.
Port of New Orleans President and CEO Gary LaGrange touted those achievements during the 26th Annual State of the Port Address today hosted by the International Freight Forwarders and Customs Brokers Association of New Orleans.
“During the last few years we have seen a major economic resurgence, as our City provides the right conditions to encourage economic development and business investments,” LaGrange told the more than 200 stakeholders gathered at the Marriott Convention Center. “The Port of New Orleans is a major contributor to providing those conditions and our business leaders understand our future is tied to international trade.”
To plan that future, LaGrange applauded state Sen. Conrad Appel for his efforts establishing the Louisiana Office of International Commerce, a 23-member board housed within the Louisiana Economic Development Office, created during the 2012 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature. The Board’s goal is to formulate a single vision for Louisiana’s trade community.
“This effort is the culmination of years of work, which will bring Louisiana ports, economic development officials and trade-based businesses together to provide a focus for the entire international trade community,” LaGrange said.
Those efforts will build upon recent investments made by the Board of Commissioners of the Port. In May, Gov. Bobby Jindal cut the ribbon on a $36.4 million investment in the Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal, which added two new gantry cranes and 4.5 acres of container marshalling yard – bringing the terminal’s capacity to 640,000 twenty-foot-equivalent units per year. A week later, Port officials joined Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne to dedicate the Port’s new $20.1 million Julia Street Cruise Terminal, which more than doubled the Port’s cruise capacity.
Continue reading at source: cruiseindustrynews.com
