BLOG: A Visible Sign of Progress
By Secretary Beverly Swaim-Staley
Today, a very visible sign of progress sailed under the Bay and Key bridges and on into the Port of Baltimore. Four huge cranes have arrived to complete the new 50-foot berth at the Port of Baltimore. The landside portion of the new berth was completed earlier this year. The four super-sized cranes will now be off-loaded from the ship over the next ten days. They will be assembled in place during the summer with the entire berth becoming operational in September of this year.
The creation of this new, deep-water berth is vitally important to the future of the Port of Baltimore. The Panama Canal is being widened and when construction is complete in 2014, larger ships carrying goods from Asia and around the world will be able to pass through the Canal to the U.S. East Coast. Baltimore will be one of only two ports on the U.S. East Coast with a 50-foot facility, something that will be critical to maintaining our strong position in the highly-competitive shipping industry.
All this was made possible as a result of our innovative, award-winning public-private partnership with Ports America Chesapeake. In 2009, we agreed to a long term lease with Ports America where they would assume day to day operation of Seagirt Marine Terminal and pay for the hundreds of millions in capital investments that are needed in the near term and over the length of the 50-year agreement. The state retains ownership of Seagirt and benefits from financial terms that are beneficial to both partners. Working together, our collective goal is to grow business at the Port of Baltimore. More business means more stability for the more than 14,000 men and women who depend on the Port for good family supporting jobs.
This agreement is already producing dividends, even before the new berth is operational. Earlier this year, Hapag Lloyd, one of the top 5 container companies in the world, began service to Baltimore. The Port of Baltimore is now the first US port of call for Hapag’s northern Europe to North America service. We likely would not have secured the Hapag business without the new berth. Today, the Port of Baltimore is now served by three of the top 5 container shipping companies in the world.
Thanks in part to our partnership with Ports America and the new 50-foot berth, the future is bright at the Port of Baltimore.
Martin O'Malley is the Governor of Maryland. He writes a regular blog for his official website.
Jim Burnetti
7:27 pm on Friday, June 22, 2012
The picture shows a Chinese ship carrying Chinese manufactured equipment to an American port, where it will be used primarily to unload cheap Chinese goods. Governor O'Malley - did you know there is a company in Pennsylvania that manufactures large industrial cranes? Maybe next time buy American?
Arbutus Town Crier
10:39 pm on Friday, June 22, 2012
How can someone do such a thing,when America has engineers, welders, quality control etc...I remember the term American ingenuity? Martin only supports public sector where the money is every government Federal worker guaranteed job, guaranteed income for the state. Private sector,builders,suppliers,down to the Roach Coach workers and our pride of MADE IN AMERICA are shun upon by our own leaders that pledge to support the people!
jag
11:37 am on Saturday, June 23, 2012
Wait, what? This is adding thousands of American jobs ("engineers, welders, quality control, etc."), so what's your point? Are you for that or against it? You contradict yourself immediately and repeatedly in a matter of sentences. It'd be impressed, if I thought it was done on purpose.
Arbutus Town Crier
10:28 pm on Saturday, June 23, 2012
Jag, I think you got the wool was pulled over your eyes, They blur the words Private and Public,
Lets say, Coast Guard Yard ,Civilian Government Employed at one time was called "civil servants", but the terms of today is "PUBLIC" workers,
Independent companies Mom and POP and Roach coach today are called "PRIVATE" sector.
My belief Dem or Rep?(your choice) use these terms to let the citizens ignorance believe that america is doing great! But Government jobs have Increased dramatically! But the building blocks of America (the people) manufacturing goes down. Obama will use the term "Public is doing Great!" So ignorance got Obama elected ! Now Romney uses "Private sector is down and continues to decline".
Blur the line and "old 6 pack Joe" don't realize it the difference therefor confusion.
Don't worry I did the same thing! ignorance got Barry elected, but now 6 pack Joe is baffled as he looks around and see his neighbors that lost there job and house? Most will not get caught up in these tactics because the Hype is not there as was the first time, I know many who voted for him that will not again. just pass the word around about these two words meanings so they can put the lite on the right call (vote)
jag
11:37 pm on Saturday, June 23, 2012
...? Are you having a stroke?
Arbutus Town Crier
12:16 am on Sunday, June 24, 2012
You may not have a clue, Its called Fabrication where engineers design and build from raw material from American Machine shops welders. Jag Now where did this crane come from? The Francis Scott Key Bridge was Fabricated from drawings then Raw material JOBS at the Pittsburgh Des Moines Company Then the Pittsburgh Des Moines Erection division assembled it.. That is the part missing Fabrication of the Crane Creating jobs and more opportunities of the Private sector. Please be more descriptive of your comment to get the proper answer you are trying. Do you believe we cant build a crane? Make Jobs? stifle the power of our citizens of AMERICA or just get it from Walmart and assemble it yourself mentality? When you build and create new ideas processes and expansion. The Article State "ASSEMBLED" So Jag ARE YOU AGAINST MADE IN AMERICA?
jag
12:57 pm on Sunday, June 24, 2012
Okay, I don't know if you're joking or not. I'm not talking about the cranes. No one here should be talking about the cranes because you and Jim are just making stuff up - how do you know that there was even an American bid for the cranes? You don't. What, if there was one, was the bid price for American-built cranes? Quit pretending like you're capable of intelligently speaking on the issue. There is no way that you are capable of doing so. You're embarrassing yourself.
I'm speaking of the thousands of Americans employed during the construction of the berth and the thousands of American employed to meet the increased capacity of the port. If you're against that, fine. I don't care. I, personally, am not. Deal with it.
Arbutus Town Crier
9:55 pm on Sunday, June 24, 2012
Jag, I agree with you only in that issue, but not on the fabrication at a time when government writes checks outrageous checks to any country that detest us play games with manipulating currency, The worst is supporting a country that has no humanitarianism, apple and suicidal workers , come on exploitation, Slavery I give the money of the people that are free supporting family's here. I hope you don't believe in slavery! Military relations with China in international waters is like watching that show Whale Wars