Dockside SU2008.indd - Port Freeport
Dockside SU2008.indd - Port Freeport
Dockside SU2008.indd - Port Freeport
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FROM THE BRIDGE<br />
TABLE OF CONTENTS<br />
DOCKSIDE<br />
A.J. “Pete” Reixach, Jr.<br />
Executive <strong>Port</strong> Director/CEO<br />
Blossoming like a flower<br />
Looking out over <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> from the bridge<br />
of the heavylift project carrier M/V Beluga<br />
Fusion on a recent Sunday evening, I could<br />
plainly see how our seaport is blossoming, its<br />
petals unfurling like those of a rose in bloom.<br />
The vessel, berthed at our Dock 5, was the<br />
site that evening of a reception celebrating the<br />
moves through <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> by RBC Project<br />
LLC of windmill units that over the past year<br />
have been streaming through our port on<br />
their way from manufacture in India by Suzlon<br />
Energy Ltd. to eco-friendly wind energy farms<br />
in West Texas and beyond.<br />
From the bridge, I could see on Quintana Island the twin domes of the<br />
<strong>Freeport</strong> LNG facility, a state-of-the-industry liquefied natural gas receiving<br />
terminal that in April took delivery of its first shipment of the environmentally<br />
favorable energy source.<br />
Closer in view was the American Rice Inc. (ARI)/Grupo SOS facility, with<br />
recently completed additional rice bins that are augmenting the longtime<br />
<strong>Port</strong> tenant’s capabilities in annually serving U.S. and global markets with<br />
hundreds of thousands of tons of rice, much of which originates in Texas<br />
and South Louisiana paddies.<br />
Other time-honored <strong>Port</strong> tenants such as banana importers Dole and Chiquita,<br />
as well as the latest addition to their number, Turbana, are expanding their<br />
export business, with southbound shipments of everything from synthetic<br />
resin and PVC pipe to clothing and automobiles.<br />
Containerized cargo activity is already on the rise at <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong>, where<br />
we’re developing the Velasco Terminal to be the newest container facility<br />
on the Texas Gulf Coast.<br />
Meanwhile, the Texas General Land Office is proceeding with dismantling<br />
and removal of an old oil drill rig from the <strong>Port</strong> channel – a port channel<br />
that we look forward to seeing deepened and widened to accommodate even<br />
more trade.<br />
Everywhere one looks at <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong>, there’s activity blooming, and, with<br />
some 7,500 acres expanding farther than the eye can see for future development,<br />
the petals of our proverbial rose have plenty more room to unfold.<br />
Stay tuned. The best is yet to come!<br />
PORT COMMISSION<br />
James F. Brown, Jr.<br />
Chairman<br />
Thomas S. Perryman<br />
Vice Chairman<br />
Ravi K. Singhania<br />
Secretary<br />
Bill Terry<br />
Assistant Secretary<br />
John W. Damon<br />
<strong>Port</strong> Commissioner<br />
J. M. “Mike” Lowrey<br />
<strong>Port</strong> Commissioner<br />
George T. Wommack, Jr.<br />
General Counsel<br />
DIRECTORS<br />
A.J. “Pete” Reixach, Jr.<br />
Executive <strong>Port</strong> Director / CEO<br />
Phyllis Saathoff<br />
Managing Director<br />
David M. Knuckey<br />
Director of Engineering/<br />
Construction<br />
Al Durel<br />
Director of Operations<br />
Michael Wilson<br />
Director of Trade Development<br />
ON THE COVER<br />
The <strong>Freeport</strong> LNG receiving terminal’s first vessel call came<br />
April 15, when a 908-foot-long LNG tanker arrived from<br />
Trinidad & Tobago carrying 133,000 cubic meters of LNG.<br />
8th Annual<br />
TACFT<br />
5<br />
<strong>Freeport</strong> Harbor Project<br />
9<br />
<strong>Port</strong> News<br />
11<br />
Employee Focus<br />
TWIC Enrollment<br />
Krewe of <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong><br />
<strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> partners with Dragados SPL<br />
Peter Wurschy joins <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong><br />
Homeland Security<br />
Gulf Chemical<br />
3<br />
<strong>Freeport</strong> LNG<br />
7<br />
<strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong><br />
Golf Tournament<br />
10<br />
Nancy Stephens<br />
Editor<br />
Tricia Park<br />
Assistant Editor<br />
Sarah Romero<br />
Art Director<br />
<strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong><br />
Publisher<br />
Edna Hancock-Varner<br />
Em-Print Company<br />
Account Executive<br />
Paul Scott Abbott<br />
Writer<br />
Abercrombie Photography<br />
Christman & Lincecum Imaging<br />
Photographers<br />
A.J. “Pete” Reixach, Jr.<br />
Contributing Writer<br />
DOCKSIDE is published by<br />
<strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong><br />
200 West Second St., 3rd Floor<br />
<strong>Freeport</strong>, TX 77541<br />
Phone: 1-800-362-5743<br />
Fax: (979) 233-5625<br />
E-mail: stephens@portfreeport.com<br />
Web site: www.portfreeport.com<br />
DOCKSIDE © 2008 by <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong>,<br />
all rights reserved. Reproduction in<br />
whole or part without express written<br />
permission is strictly prohibited.<br />
P O R T F R E E P O R T 1 D O C K S I D E<br />
P O R T F R E E P O R T 2 D O C K S I D E
Gulf Chemical<br />
has long history<br />
of supporting<br />
<strong>Freeport</strong>, its port<br />
Ever since opening its <strong>Freeport</strong> facility three<br />
and a half decades ago, Gulf Chemical<br />
& Metallurgical Corp. has relied upon<br />
<strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> for shipment of the essential<br />
materials it derives from recycling of spent<br />
catalysts from petroleum refiners.<br />
“We do have choices of other ports, but<br />
I have no desire to support anything but<br />
our local port,” said Jay Jaffe, vice president<br />
of catalyst acquisitions at Gulf Chemical,<br />
which was formed in 1947 and has had its<br />
key facility in <strong>Freeport</strong> since 1973. “There<br />
are other ports that would like our business,<br />
but they can’t compare with the service we<br />
get from <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong>.”<br />
P O R T F R E E P O R T 3 D O C K S I D E<br />
The vital metallic materials that Gulf Chemical<br />
exports to Asia from <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> typically are<br />
transported in 1.5-metric-ton bags, or “super sacks,”<br />
on flatbed trucks that move at the pace of more than<br />
1,000 runs over a three- to four-day<br />
period between Gulf Chemical’s<br />
<strong>Freeport</strong> facility and the dock.<br />
<strong>Port</strong> officials have coordinated<br />
efforts with Gulf Chemical<br />
leaders and other stakeholders in<br />
development and implementation<br />
of procedures that facilitate the<br />
swift movement of these trucks<br />
through port gates and the efficient<br />
loading by stevedores of the cargo<br />
onto oceangoing vessels.<br />
“Gulf Chemical is a local industry<br />
that has gone out of its way<br />
to support its local port with<br />
its exports,” said <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong><br />
Executive <strong>Port</strong> Director/CEO<br />
A.J. “Pete” Reixach, Jr. “We have<br />
worked together to find logistics<br />
solutions, and we’re both enjoying<br />
the rewards of our partnership.”<br />
Gulf Chemical also continues to play<br />
a major role, in conjunction with the<br />
<strong>Port</strong>, in significant community events,<br />
including the annual Take-A-Child<br />
Fishing Tournament that is hosted<br />
by <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> and the Coastal<br />
Conservation Association - Texas<br />
for which Gulf Chemical has been<br />
a platinum sponsor since the event’s<br />
inception in 2001. Gulf Chemical<br />
also was top-level sponsor of <strong>Port</strong><br />
<strong>Freeport</strong>’s March golf tournament,<br />
which benefited Junior Achievement<br />
of Brazoria County.<br />
Gulf Chemical’s <strong>Freeport</strong> facility,<br />
located just 2 miles from <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong><br />
docks, employs some 175 people in<br />
an around-the-clock operation.<br />
Operations such as those of Gulf Chemical are<br />
instrumental in usefully coupling the increase in<br />
North American oil refining with growing global<br />
demand for steel and related products.<br />
Captain Kovacsik Stefan accepts a maiden voyage plaque from <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong><br />
Managing Director Phyllis Saathoff aboard the M/V Tasman Chief on May 30.<br />
P O R T F R E E P O R T 4 D O C K S I D E<br />
As the world’s largest recycler of spent catalysts<br />
– more than 2 billion pounds since 1973 – from<br />
the oil-refining industry, Gulf Chemical extracts<br />
commodities such as molybdenum, vanadium, nickel<br />
and cobalt. These materials, because<br />
of their high strength and ability<br />
to resist heat and/or corrosion, are<br />
valuable in the making of stainless<br />
steel and various alloys used in<br />
specialty steel, automotive and<br />
foundry industries.<br />
Gulf Chemical is a strong proponent<br />
of numerous recycling initiatives,<br />
from recycling of office paper and<br />
aluminum cans to a new effort to<br />
collect unused hotel amenities and<br />
donate them to local women’s and<br />
homeless shelters and the Texas<br />
<strong>Port</strong> Ministry that serves mariners<br />
calling at <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong>.<br />
Gulf Chemical’s operations are<br />
slated to soon expand to a facility<br />
in Fort Saskatchewan, a suburb of<br />
Edmonton, Alberta, and company<br />
officials are looking at how <strong>Port</strong><br />
<strong>Freeport</strong>’s extensive rail connection<br />
may be used to facilitate links<br />
between the Canadian and Texas<br />
facilities. Company officials also are<br />
looking forward to the opening of<br />
Velasco Terminal containerized<br />
cargo operations at <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong>,<br />
which should play a role in serving<br />
the firm’s European customers.<br />
Gulf Chemical is a subsidiary of<br />
Eramet, a global leader in mining<br />
and metallurgy based in Paris,<br />
France. Eramet has a workforce<br />
of about 15,000 employees in<br />
more than 20 countries on five<br />
continents. The strategy of<br />
sustainable development<br />
using innovation,<br />
investment and<br />
continual improvements in safety<br />
and performance are the benchmarks<br />
that Eramet conveys to its customers,<br />
employees and shareholders.
New facility receives<br />
first LNG shipments<br />
Both Henry and <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> Executive <strong>Port</strong><br />
Director/CEO A.J. “Pete” Reixach Jr. noted that<br />
the process of bringing in the first vessels went very<br />
smoothly, with solid performances from everyone<br />
from tug and pilot boat captains to line handlers.<br />
“<strong>Freeport</strong> LNG has done a commendable job,<br />
including in carrying out construction in a manner<br />
that has served to protect wetlands and through the<br />
way in which company officials have explained to<br />
the community the safety of their product and their<br />
operations,” Reixach said.<br />
Natural gas offers an environmentally friendly<br />
fuel alternative to coal and oil. Because of its<br />
colorless, odorless, nontoxic nature, LNG poses no<br />
significant environmental concern in the unlikely<br />
event of accidental release. For more than 40 years,<br />
the LNG industry has a solid track record of no<br />
pollution and no fatalities.<br />
The product comes to the <strong>Freeport</strong> facility aboard<br />
double-hulled tanker vessels, arriving in highly<br />
compressed, superchilled form. The vaporization<br />
trains at the facility are used to heat the liquidform<br />
product, increases its volume 600-fold before<br />
transporting it as natural gas through a 9.6-mile<br />
pipeline to Stratton Ridge, a major interconnection<br />
point with intrastate pipeline systems.<br />
Culminating more than seven years of efforts, the<br />
<strong>Freeport</strong> LNG terminal on <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong>’s Quintana<br />
Island property is in operation, having received<br />
its first vessel shipment of liquefied natural gas in<br />
April.<br />
The $750 million-plus project, developed by<br />
<strong>Freeport</strong> LNG Development L.P. and ConocoPhillips,<br />
already has been a generator of more than 1,500<br />
construction jobs and will maintain a role as a<br />
significant force in the economic wellbeing of <strong>Port</strong><br />
<strong>Freeport</strong> and Brazoria County, as well as in providing<br />
a ready source of eco-friendly energy.<br />
The <strong>Freeport</strong> LNG receiving terminal and<br />
regasification facility, which entered planning stages<br />
in early 2001, now is in service on 172 acres on<br />
Quintana Island, where its twin white tank domes<br />
have quickly become a landmark for mariners and<br />
fishermen alike.<br />
The terminal’s first vessel call came April 15,<br />
when a 908-foot-long LNG tanker arrived from<br />
Trinidad & Tobago carrying 133,000 cubic meters<br />
of LNG. On May 9, a second vessel brought a<br />
P O R T F R E E P O R T 7 D O C K S I D E<br />
similar shipment, with the combined offloaded cargo<br />
sufficient to fill the two tanks to 80 percent of storage<br />
capacity.<br />
Gradual offloading of the LNG allowed the tanks<br />
to safely reach their operating internal temperature<br />
of minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit. That process has<br />
been followed with testing of the send-out portion<br />
of the plant, including seven vaporization units, or<br />
trains.<br />
“We’re delighted to see these ships come in and<br />
the commissioning of our plant,” said Bill Henry,<br />
vice president of <strong>Freeport</strong> LNG Development L.P.<br />
“We’re really excited about bringing additional ships<br />
and LNG into <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong>.”<br />
When at full first-phase operation, the facility will<br />
be able to vaporize 1.55 billion cubic feet (BCF) of<br />
LNG per day. A planned second phase could yield<br />
additional throughput of 1.15 BCF per day.<br />
The initial capacity is fully contracted for<br />
under separate long-term terminal use agreements<br />
with ConocoPhillips, The Dow Chemical Co. and<br />
Mitsubishi Global Gas Corp.<br />
P O R T F R E E P O R T 8 D O C K S I D E
PORT FREEPORT GOLF TOURNAMENT RAISES<br />
$20,642.21<br />
FOR JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF BRAZORIA COUNTY<br />
A project to significantly enhance <strong>Freeport</strong> Harbor<br />
and its ability to handle tanker ships and other large<br />
vessels is moving forward.<br />
“I am pleased to see this important project continue to<br />
move forward,” said U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas. “I<br />
have been a strong supporter of the <strong>Port</strong>’s efforts to<br />
meet the increasing trade needs of our country and<br />
this region.<br />
“It is vitally important to our economy that we<br />
maintain our trade infrastructure, and this project is<br />
a prime example of doing just that,” he continued.<br />
<strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> <strong>Port</strong> Commission Chairman James<br />
F. Brown Jr. commented, “We are pleased with the<br />
manner in which this vital project is advancing.<br />
“These harbor improvements are essential to our<br />
<strong>Port</strong>’s capability to efficiently accommodate vessel<br />
traffic, including the new class of increasingly large<br />
ships coming into service, for the benefit of the local<br />
and national economies,” Brown added.<br />
A draft feasibility report and environmental impact<br />
statement are moving this summer through U.S. Army<br />
Corps of Engineers review processes. Corps of Engineers’<br />
Galveston office Project Manager Cynthia Burke said<br />
she anticipates the final versions of these reports to be<br />
complete by next spring, with final feasibility phase<br />
approval expected to come from the federal agency’s<br />
headquarters in calendar year 2009. Pending availability<br />
of funds, the pre-engineering and design phase would<br />
begin before the end of fiscal year 2009.<br />
A preliminary benefit-to-cost ratio has indicated that<br />
the project’s benefit will be more than three times<br />
its $347 million cost, which is to be shared evenly<br />
between the <strong>Port</strong> and the federal government.<br />
The project calls for deepening the <strong>Port</strong>’s main<br />
channel, currently 45 feet deep, to 55 feet. The<br />
project also calls for additional improvements,<br />
including the expansion of the navigation channel to<br />
the Stauffer Channel that serves the <strong>Port</strong>’s emerging<br />
Velasco Terminal, as well as channel width and<br />
turning basin enhancements.<br />
C o n t i n u i n g i t s<br />
commitment to the<br />
younger residents of<br />
the community, <strong>Port</strong><br />
<strong>Freeport</strong> has presented<br />
to Junior Achievement<br />
of Brazoria County<br />
more than $20,000<br />
raised through a benefit<br />
golf tournament.<br />
“<strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> is<br />
dedicated to giving back<br />
to our community and,<br />
in particular, supporting<br />
efforts that benefit the youth of our community,” said<br />
<strong>Port</strong> Commission Chairman James F. Brown Jr., who<br />
presented a $20,642.21 check to Junior Achievement<br />
representatives at the commission’s March 27<br />
meeting. “We’re really proud to have the opportunity<br />
to serve as host of the tournament and play a role in<br />
the commendable efforts of Junior Achievement.”<br />
Since 1956, Junior Achievement of Brazoria<br />
County has been educating and inspiring<br />
youth to value free enterprise,<br />
business, financial literacy and<br />
economics in order to improve<br />
the quality of their lives. Last<br />
year, nearly 8,000 students<br />
in all grades, kindergartners<br />
t h r o u g h h i g h s c h o o l<br />
seniors, in 43 local schools<br />
were presented Junior<br />
Achievement programs by<br />
some 500 volunteers.<br />
“We’re thrilled with <strong>Port</strong><br />
<strong>Freeport</strong> and all the hard work the<br />
people of the <strong>Port</strong> put into the event, as well<br />
From left, <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> Executive <strong>Port</strong> Director/CEO A. J. Reixach, Jr.; JA Program Manager Stephanie Ward;<br />
<strong>Port</strong> Commission Chairman James F. Brown Jr.; JA Board Member Freddy Jagush; JA Board Chairman Rich<br />
Raun; JA Board Member Jim Heath; JA President Kim Effenberger; JA Board Member Tim Daeschner.<br />
as delighted with the<br />
amount of funds raised,<br />
which is the largest<br />
amount raised this<br />
school year,” said Kim<br />
Effenberger, president of<br />
Junior Achievement of<br />
Brazoria County, who<br />
noted that the funds will<br />
be used to buy program<br />
materials. “This will<br />
help us significantly in<br />
preparing the workforce<br />
of tomorrow by giving<br />
these students an understanding of how business<br />
operates today.”<br />
<strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> Executive <strong>Port</strong> Director/CEO<br />
A.J. “Pete” Reixach Jr. commented, “<strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong><br />
has a history of making a concerted effort to assist<br />
community organizations that focus on the children<br />
of Brazoria County. We are pleased to extend this<br />
commitment this year to Junior Achievement.”<br />
In previous years, <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> has played a<br />
role in support of such organizations as the<br />
Boys & Girls Club of Brazoria County, has<br />
presented backpacks and school supplies to<br />
local children and, each spring since 2001,<br />
has sponsored the Take-A-Child Fishing<br />
Tournament.<br />
More than 100 golfers, most from the<br />
F r e e p o r t<br />
and Houston maritime<br />
t r a n s p o r t a t i o n<br />
industry, took part<br />
in the benefit golf<br />
tournament, held March 14 at the<br />
Wilderness Golf Course in Lake Jackson. The<br />
event was capped off with a crawfish boil dinner.<br />
P O R T F R E E P O R T 9 D O C K S I D E<br />
P O R T F R E E P O R T 10 D O C K S I D E
PORT FREEPORT NEWS<br />
PORT FREEPORT NEWS<br />
Employee Focus<br />
TWIC<br />
Krewe of <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong><br />
Dragados SPL Partnership<br />
Westerlin joins port<br />
as safety supervisor<br />
<strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> area begins<br />
TWIC Enrollment<br />
‘Krewe of <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong>’ puts unique<br />
twist on community outreach<br />
<strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> to partner with Dragados<br />
SPL on Velasco Terminal project<br />
Ben Westerlin<br />
Safety Supervisor<br />
Since joining <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> in<br />
October in the newly created<br />
position of safety supervisor, Ben<br />
Westerlin has made significant<br />
strides in further ensuring the<br />
safety of employees of the port and<br />
its tenants.<br />
“Ben has been a great asset and<br />
addition to the <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> team,”<br />
said <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> Director of<br />
Operations Al Durel. “He’s doing a<br />
terrific job of promoting a portwide<br />
safety culture.”<br />
Even before joining the <strong>Port</strong> staff, Westerlin was familiar with<br />
<strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong>, having served the preceding year as security<br />
manager at the <strong>Port</strong> for contracted provider Securitas Security<br />
Services USA Inc.<br />
Prior to that, he served four years in the U.S. Air Force as a<br />
nuclear, biological and chemical weapons expert, attaining the<br />
rank of senior airman.<br />
“My job is to put in place a general awareness and training<br />
programs to heighten safety awareness so that everyone who<br />
works at <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> can go home to their families at the end<br />
of their day here,” Westerlin said.<br />
A native of Santa Fe, Texas, Westerlin is a graduate of Santa Fe<br />
High School. He and high school sweetheart Kelly have been<br />
married five years and just expanded their family with the birth<br />
of their second daughter, Ella, whose big sister, Abigail, is 3.<br />
Having previously taken classes at Alvin Community College<br />
and College of the Mainland, Westerlin, 28, currently is working<br />
toward his safety, health and environmental management degree<br />
at Brazosport College.<br />
When he’s not working, studying or spending time with his<br />
family, Westerlin enjoys “gadgetry,” golf, rollerblading and<br />
martial arts.<br />
Enrollments in the federal Transportation<br />
Worker Identification Credential (TWIC)<br />
program are proceeding smoothly for<br />
<strong>Freeport</strong> area workers requiring<br />
access to Maritime Transportation<br />
Security Act (MTSA) regulated<br />
facilities. <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> is a MTSA<br />
regulated facility, according to Rick<br />
Benavidez, the <strong>Port</strong>’s security manager<br />
and facility security officer.<br />
The <strong>Freeport</strong> rollout of sign-ups for the U.S. Department of<br />
Homeland Security’s Transportation Worker Identification<br />
Credential program began May 1 at an off-port enrollment<br />
center at Brazos Mall. The first seven weeks of the center<br />
being open brought 1,122 enrollments, including those of 591<br />
truck drivers whose work requires access to “secure” port areas,<br />
Benavidez said.<br />
The August 15, 2008 opening of a mobile center at <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong><br />
is anticipated to facilitate enrollments of about 350 <strong>Port</strong> and<br />
tenant employees, he said.<br />
“I’m impressed how things are going at the <strong>Freeport</strong> area<br />
enrollment center,” Benavidez said. “We are very grateful for<br />
the high level of cooperation we’ve been receiving from tenants<br />
and, in particular, the truck drivers.”<br />
Benavidez noted those seeking access to “secure” areas at <strong>Port</strong><br />
<strong>Freeport</strong> who do not possess a TWIC must be escorted by an<br />
appropriate TWIC-carrying representative of the tenant firm<br />
being visited. <strong>Port</strong> staff will not provide escorts.<br />
Enrollments in the TWIC program began at the <strong>Port</strong> of<br />
Wilmington, Del., in October 2007 and have been rolled out<br />
incrementally at other ports across the nation. More than 1<br />
million workers from throughout the country are anticipated to<br />
sign up by the April 15, 2009, nationwide compliance date. The<br />
compliance date had previously been announced for September<br />
25, 2008 but federal officials have found TWIC program<br />
implementation more demanding than initially perceived.<br />
Federal officials are encouraging workers to pre-enroll online<br />
at www.tsa.gov/twic to accelerate credentialing and schedule a<br />
time to complete the application process in person.<br />
The kind of “crews” typically associated with seaports are those<br />
that work on docks or man vessels, but <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> is putting<br />
a new twist on this term, involving local community leaders on a<br />
recently formed board known as the “Krewe of <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong>.”<br />
The uniquely named port outreach entity is bringing together<br />
a diverse range of area residents – from retirees to rice farmers<br />
– for quarterly gatherings aimed at keeping the people of Brazoria<br />
County aware of <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong>’s ever-expanding contributions<br />
while gaining their valuable input.<br />
“The Krewe of <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> was formed as part of our ongoing<br />
efforts to educate the public as to how <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> is an asset<br />
to Brazoria County, the state of Texas and the nation,” said<br />
Executive <strong>Port</strong> Director/CEO A.J. “Pete” Reixach Jr., noting<br />
the <strong>Port</strong>’s direct generation of more than 11,000 jobs and overall<br />
$9 billion-a-year economic impact. “Our interactions help us to<br />
work together to get the word out and at the same time, hear<br />
what those throughout the community have to say.”<br />
Reixach, who is originally from New Orleans, came up with the<br />
notion of a “krewe” (pronounced the same as “crew”) because<br />
of his familiarity with the krewes that play an integral role in<br />
Mardi Gras events and charitable efforts.<br />
Krewe member Curt Mowery, a principal of a family ricegrowing<br />
business and mayor of the small north-central Brazoria<br />
County city of Sandy Point, explained, “Since being part of<br />
this committee, I have developed a greater appreciation for the<br />
impact that <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> has, not only with my industry but<br />
also with fresh produce, the petrochemical industry and, the<br />
new liquefied natural gas facility at the <strong>Port</strong>.”<br />
Officials of <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> are looking forward to partnering with<br />
Madrid, Spain-based Dragados Servicios <strong>Port</strong>uarios y Logisticos<br />
in development of the newest facility at <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong>.<br />
<strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> has entered into negotiations with Dragados SPL<br />
on a multi-decade contract for a public-partnership to develop<br />
the <strong>Port</strong>’s Velasco Terminal, following unanimous approval by<br />
the <strong>Port</strong> Commission.<br />
“We are truly delighted to team up with such a widely known<br />
and well-respected international player as Dragados SPL,” said<br />
<strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> Executive <strong>Port</strong> Director/CEO A.J. “Pete” Reixach<br />
Jr. “Together, we will bring the Texas Gulf Coast a premier<br />
facility that represents our <strong>Port</strong>’s first major construction project<br />
in more than a quarter century, as well as the entry of Dragados<br />
into the U.S. port market.”<br />
Dragados SPL is a significant force in terminal operations<br />
and infrastructure development in Europe, China and South<br />
America. Gina Wang, Madrid-based project development<br />
manager for Dragados SPL, is equally enthused.<br />
“We are very excited to soon be involved with <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong><br />
on the Velasco Terminal project,” Wang said. “Dragados is<br />
the largest independent terminal operator in Spain and is also<br />
actively pursuing new terminal projects worldwide.<br />
“We see the Velasco Terminal as an excellent opportunity to enter<br />
the U.S. market,” Wang said. “Now, we look forward to working<br />
with <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> officials and bringing success to the project.”<br />
<strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> is currently investing $42 million in development<br />
of the Velasco Terminal’s initial phase, to include an 800-footlong<br />
berth. Upon full buildout, the $225 million facility, with<br />
1,200 linear feet of berthing and 90 acres of developed backland,<br />
is to have a capability to handle an annual throughput of more<br />
than 750,000 twenty-foot-equivalent container units (TEUs).<br />
P O R T F R E E P O R T 11 D O C K S I D E<br />
P O R T F R E E P O R T 12 D O C K S I D E
PORT FREEPORT NEWS<br />
Trade Development<br />
Wurschy joins <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> Team<br />
Homeland Security<br />
<strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> partners with police in<br />
state homeland security grants efforts<br />
Bringing more than 30 years<br />
e x p e r i e n c e i n t h e m a r i n e<br />
transportation industry, Peter<br />
Wurschy recently accepted the<br />
position of Trade Development<br />
Representative for <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong>.<br />
Peter Wurschy<br />
Trade Development Representative<br />
Wurschy is the Houston-based<br />
sales representative for the <strong>Port</strong><br />
and responsible for calling customs<br />
brokers, freight forwarders,<br />
shippers, agents and carriers. His<br />
years of experience in international<br />
marine business, management,<br />
sales and marketing, and an array<br />
of numerous other job responsibilities make Wurschy a good<br />
fit for the new position.<br />
“I am extremely confident that I can make meaningful<br />
contributions to <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong>’s growth aspirations as well as<br />
serve the <strong>Port</strong>’s current clientele in a most professional and cost<br />
effective manner,” said Wurschy. “Furthermore, I am extremely<br />
excited about meeting the challenges ahead and working with<br />
the <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> staff in the spirit of one team – one goal.”<br />
Born and raised in Germany, Wurschy immigrated with his<br />
family to Connecticut while he was in high school. Upon<br />
his arrival to the States, Wurschy completed his high school<br />
education, and went on to study at the Merchant Marine<br />
Academy and sailed in various deck officer capacities aboard<br />
Gulf Oil Corporation’s Tanker Fleet prior to joining their<br />
New York-based marine management staff. Wurschy also<br />
served with the U.S. Navy and holds the rank of retired<br />
lieutenant commander.<br />
Wurschy and his wife of 40 years, Marieta, reside in Houston<br />
and have one daughter, Christina.<br />
Thanks to a group effort by <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong>, the <strong>Freeport</strong> Police<br />
Department, State Representative Dennis Bonnen and the<br />
state of Texas, <strong>Freeport</strong> PD has the potential to obtain funds<br />
to purchase equipment.<br />
<strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> worked closely with Rep. Dennis Bonnen and<br />
his Austin office to coordinate a December meeting in which<br />
representatives from <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> and the <strong>Freeport</strong> PD met with<br />
the Chief of Emergency Management Division for the state of<br />
Texas Jack Colley, who is in charge of grant funds, to discuss<br />
the need of equipment to help make the <strong>Freeport</strong> community<br />
and local industries safer.<br />
“The meeting with Jack Colley went well,” said Chief of Police<br />
for <strong>Freeport</strong> Jeff Pynes. “Colley was very receptive of our needs<br />
and appreciated the relationship that <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> holds with<br />
the <strong>Freeport</strong> Police Department.”<br />
<strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> Security Manager Rick Benavidez, commented,<br />
“The <strong>Freeport</strong> Police Department is the critical first responder to<br />
the <strong>Port</strong> and other companies such as <strong>Freeport</strong> LNG, The Dow<br />
Chemical Co., BASF etc. so it was imperative that they have<br />
proper equipment. Everyone will benefit from this.”<br />
“Although the <strong>Freeport</strong> Police Department has a great need the<br />
assistance and support of <strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong> helped make the meeting<br />
with the state possible,” said Pynes. “We greatly appreciate <strong>Port</strong><br />
<strong>Freeport</strong>’s efforts.”<br />
P O R T F R E E P O R T 13 D O C K S I D E
<strong>Port</strong> <strong>Freeport</strong><br />
200 West Second St., 3rd Floor<br />
<strong>Freeport</strong>, Texas 77541