Thor Fest links trade partners

Thor Fest 2004, the Port of Duluth-Superior's first-ever gathering of local, regional, national and international maritime/trade professionals, was hosted July 14-16 by the Duluth Seaway Port Authority (see related items, Pages 2 and 3).

Captain Tjakko B. Bouwman, retired managing director of the Royal Association of Netherlands Shipowners, was the keynote speaker for the dinner, on July 15. The event provided a good mix of social and business pursuits, with the diversity of industry professionals attending allowing many important connections for future commerce opportunities.

You can't have a Fest without a feast. Here, from left, Port Director Adolph Ojard and his wife, Leigh Ann Ojard, and Captain Tjakko Bouwman with his wife, Beverley Bouwman (left to right), enjoy the Thor Fest dinner.

Pacesetters
The Thor Fest maritime gathering in Duluth provided a good opportunity for Craig Middlebrook, deputy administrator for the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, to present the Robert J. Lewis Pacesetter Award to two local docks. The award recognizes increased international tonnage moved via facilities on the St. Lawrence Seaway System.

Accepting honors from Mr. Middlebrook were:
In left photo, William McGiffert, vice president operations, Hallett Dock Company. In right photo, Gary Nicholson, president, Lake Superior Warehousing Co., Inc.

A Fest-ive occasion

From left: Errol Francis, vice president-operations, Canfornav, Ltd., Mon-treal; Paul Pathy, vice president and general manager, Federal Marine Terminals, Inc., Montreal; Dan Sydow, manager, FedMar International, Duluth (with his wife, Karen Sydow, FedMar International, Duluth); and Robert van den Ende, Gresco Limited, Montreal, enjoyed the Thor Fest celebration. 
Thor Fest
We thank our sponsors
As Adolph Ojard, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority (left) and Bill Kron, president of the Port Authority's board of commissioners, gathered for a Thor Fest Breakfast and Harbor Tour, they acknowledged a lengthy list of event sponsors, which included (in alphabetical order): Canfornav Limited; Cargill, Inc.; Ceres, Inc.; CHS; Fednav International, Ltd.; General Mills; Great Lakes Fleet, Inc.; The Great Lakes Towing Company; Guthrie-Hubner, Inc.; Hallett Dock Company; ILA Great Lakes District Council & ILA Locals 1000, 1037 & 2061; Lake Superior Warehousing Company, Inc.; Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council; Murphy Oil USA, Inc.; North Dakota Wheat Commission; S.A. McLennan Company and the University of Wisconsin-Superior/Department of Business and Economics.