Business View Magazine - May 2024

utilize resilient and maintenance-friendly materials.” In drawing tourists to Conneaut, Trisket speaks to partnerships with local tourism boards and exploring online platforms for marina bookings. “We partner with the Conneaut Convention and Visitors Bureau,” she states, outlining efforts to extend Conneaut’s reach and attract visitors via innovative dock software and collaborations with the Ashtabula County Tourism Board. This strategic approach is designed to put Conneaut on the map for travelers seeking unique experiences on the Great Lakes. Kline reflects on the current visitor demographics, noting the significant draw from surrounding areas the area’s rich historical and natural assets. Kline clarifies the Port Authority’s focus on accommodating recreational rather than cargo vessels. The ambition to attract Viking’s Great Lakes cruises emphasizes a strategy to boost tourism by leveraging Conneaut’s scenic marina, its proximity to renowned wineries, and its historical significance, including connections to the Underground Railroad. “We’d love to have Conneaut be a port where they stop,” Kline says, “to introduce passengers to the area’s attractions, from local tours to the Ashtabula County region’s natural beauty and historical depth.” Regarding sustainability and the technical specifics of construction projects like the breakwall platform, Trisket provides insight into the materials and designs being considered. She references a pier in Saint Clair Shores, Michigan, as a model for the Conneaut project, emphasizing the need for durability against ice and wave action. “It would need to be a fairly sturdy structure,” Trisket notes, “meaning that it will Kurtz Bros., Inc has championed alternative methods for reducing the sediment burden of communities, watersheds, and ports, including: • Developing beneficial reuse opportunities and sediment commoditization activities • Transforming CDFs into sediment recycling facilities • Implementing sediment collection technology We can also provide turnkey environmental consulting services, ranging from engineering and permitting to feasibility analysis. www.kurtz-bros.com SEDIMENT SOLUTIONS 175 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 11, ISSUE 05 PORT OF CONNEAUT