Around the Port

Update for legislative leaders

Three veteran Minnesota state legislators — all longtime Port of Duluth advocates — received an update on general cargo activities from Lake Superior Warehousing Co., Inc., President Gary Nicholson.  From left are Senator Sam Solon, Representative Mike Jaros, Mr. Nicholson and Representative Tom Huntley.  

The Port Authority invited local legislators to tour Port properties prior to the opening of the 2001 Legislature.

Honoring Earl Olson

Fellow Commissioner Sharon Clark recognized Earl B. Olson for his 13-plus years as a Port Authority commissioner when his term expired in January. Originally appointed by the late Gov. Rudy Perpich, Mr. Olson joined the board in 1988 to fulfill an unexpired term. He was then appointed to a six-year term in 1989 by Gov. Arne Carlson and reappointed in 1995.

Founder of Jennie-O Foods, Inc., Mr. Olson brought great fame to his company and to the state of Minnesota through his extraordinary achievements in agricultural business, and the Port and Port Authority gained distinction through Mr. Olson’s international prestige. 

The Port Authority’s seven-member board is made up of three appointees by the Duluth City Council, two by the governor and two by the St. Louis County Board.

It’s odd — as usual

Unusual cargo seemed the norm late last year. In November, two pieces of a stone crusher manufactured in Pennsylvania and destined for northern Alberta passed through the Port. The 86-ton pieces arrived aboard a tug/barge, with one large piece on a special 12-axle truck — which itself was on the barge. 

The crusher parts, manufactured by McLanahan Fabrication, Holidaysburg, Pa., were transported via truck to the Port of Erie, where one piece was driven directly onto a 107-foot-long Dawes Marine BMI 105 barge.  The other equipment was transferred to the barge by crane, and then the tug Sea Chief powered the barge to Duluth. 

Mullen Trucking Inc., Aldersyde, Alberta, provided both the heavy-load truck that was driven off the barge in Duluth and an additional 12-axle truck that met the shipment here. 

Lake Superior Warehousing used its gantry cranes to transfer the second part of the crusher onto the additional truck, and then both of the 86-ton pieces continued on to Fort McMurry, Alberta, for use in an oil sands recovery project.

Port Authority wins two AAPA awards

The Duluth-Seaway Port Authority received two awards of excellence — including one for this publication — and one award of merit in the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) 34th Annual Communications Competition in October.   

The Award of Excellence recognized the Port Authority’s annual wall calendar (this year’s edition accompanies this item), and the Award of Merit was for an educational CD produced for the Port by Pat Lapinski, Robbinsdale, Minn.

The competition recognizes excellence in the products and services that ports produce to meet public relations and marketing goals. Fifty ports submitted 175 entries in the 2000 competition.

The AAPA represents more than 150 public port authorities in the United States, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Meeting the prime minister

Port Authority Trade Development Director Ron Johnson (right), his wife Lois and daughter Natalie had the opportunity to meet with Finnish Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen on a recent trip to Michigan. The prime minister was visiting Hancock, Mich., to deliver the commencement address at Suomi College, where Natalie is a student.