ST. BERNARD PORT HOSTS MARITIME MONTH PORT TOUR

The St. Bernard Port, Harbor & Terminal District hosted its second annual guided tour of its Chalmette and Arabi Terminals on June 1 to highlight the facilities’ positive economic impact on St. Bernard.

For the past two years, St. Bernard Port, Harbor & Terminal District has celebrated Maritime Month by holding a guided tour of its Chalmette and Arabi Terminals, and Executive Director Drew Heaphy said they intend on continuing to make it an annual tradition.   

“The tour has been well received by those who have attended, and we welcome future opportunities to showcase what makes us a catalyst for the success of local commerce,” Heaphy said. 

 Originally scheduled for May 25, but rescheduled to June 1 due to inclement weather, Heaphy said the tour provided participants with an inside look at how things work at the Port and highlighted its positive economic impact on St. Bernard. 

 More than a dozen people were in attendance at this year’s event which included a presentation about the Port at the Administration Building, followed by a bus tour through the Chalmette and Arabi Terminals and a crew boat tour of the Port’s Terminals from along the Mississippi River.

 “The boat tour is a highlight of the day because it gives everyone a look at what we do from a rather unique perspective,” Heaphy said. “Everyone can easily look at our operations from the land side, but most people don’t get a chance to see all of the activity and hard work that happens from the river side view.”

 Heaphy said participants were able to witness first hand vessels operating in the river, the transferring of cargo and the embarking and disembarking of vessels. 

 He hopes participation in the tour will grow in the coming years.

 “We invite anyone who missed the tour this year to please consider attending next May,” Heaphy said. “We would love you to join us.”

 Maritime Month is celebrated each May to coincide with National Maritime Day on May 22.

 During the month-long celebration, Heaphy said local maritime leaders from throughout the New Orleans area hold various events to recognize the region’s rich maritime history and honor the industry’s hard working men and women.

 Heaphy touts the exceptional work being done by the employees at the Port, and the continued partnership with the Marine Terminal Operator Associated Terminals and its diligent workers.

 “Our hardworking, dedicated employees, along with the relationship we have with our Marine Terminal Operator Associated Terminals, have both played a significant role in helping the Port become one of the driving forces behind economic opportunity and prosperity in St. Bernard Parish,” Heaphy said.

 Through Heaphy’s leadership and Associated Terminals’ wide range of berthing options and cargo handling solutions, St. Bernard Port moves annually millions of bulk, break-bulk and general cargo transfers, to and from thousands of barges and hundreds of cargo ships from around the world.

 Along with its tenants and users of its facilities, the Port produces an estimated $325 million in direct and indirect spending annually for the local economy, and creates more than 2,000 full-time jobs, Heaphy said.

 In addition to the Chalmette Terminal, St. Bernard Port’s operations also include maritime facilities in Arabi and Violet, as well as Chalmette and Meraux Mid-Stream Mooring Facilities.

 Associated Terminals, which operates the Arabi and Violet Terminals and the Midstream berths at Chalmette and Meraux, provides an array of services, including truck and rail loading and unloading, warehousing and storage, bagging capabilities and screening/processing services.

 Heaphy said when the company first commenced operations at the Port in 2002, Associated Terminals employed about 40 people. Today, he said, Associated Terminals boasts more than 250 employees, many of whom are St. Bernard Parish residents.