Business View - October 2015 47
then Baltimore and then New York. They’ve got a sched-
ule that they like to keep to. So, again, our proximity to the
Gulf helps. The ships come in, they get to the dock right
away, meaning they can start offloading or on-loading the
cargo, get done what they need to get done, and they’re
on their way. So they have very short turnarounds. That
makes us a stronger port for that type of activity than
maybe our big brother up the channel from here.”
Mierzwa says that while the Port is always looking for new
clients, a key factor in its business model is maintaining
a productive relationship with its current customers. “We
work very hard with them to make sure that their opera-
tions are run efficiently and effectively and that they’ve
got everything that they need to run their business.”
Some examples he points to include partnering with Wal-
lenius Wilhelmsen Logistics, one of the world’s largest
shippers, on a deal that will allow the company to move
32,000 new BMW vehicles a year, starting in 2016. “Be-
tween the two of us, we’re putting in about $11 million in
a public/private partnership to develop 18.9 acres down
LOGISTICS