Industry Leaders

In the late 2000s, one of the leading marine terminal operators was Seattle, Washington-based SSA Marine (formerly Stevedoring Services of America). With roots stretching all the way back to the late 1800s, the company's present owners became involved with the company in 1949, when the Bellingham Stevedoring Company was founded. Over the years SSA has grown by acquiring other terminal operators, including Ryan-Walsh, Inc. Ryan-Walsh became well known throughout the maritime industry as a bulk cargo and container handling company. It was a subsidiary of Pittsburgh-based Vectura Group, Inc., a holding company that also owned National Marine, Inc., a barge transportation company based in New Orleans. In 2004, SSA had estimated annual sales of more than $1.2 billion. It grew from some 10,000 employees in 2004 to 13,000 in 2007. In addition to having a presence in all of the United States' major coastal shipping zones, SSA was involved in river operations and rail management. In addition, it operated abroad via some 150 international operations.

International Terminal Operating Company, Inc. (ITO) was founded in 1921 by Captain Franz Jarka. Originally called The Jarka Corporation, the company specialized in handling freight and passengers in the Port of New York. Soon, The Jarka Corporation expanded its services to encompass the ports of Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Hampton Roads, Virginia. In 1962, ITO was acquired by Ogden Corporation. In 1983, the company merged with John W. McGrath Corporation, which included Atlantic and Gulf Stevedores, Inc. and integrated their North Atlantic and Gulf Coast operations. Ogden and McGrath continued to share ownership of ITO.

ITO opened its first public container handling facility in 1967, and it was among the first to utilize computers in its terminal operations. The company used the latest technology to coordinate all its port activities, including receiving and delivery functions, cargo documentation, and terminal security. ITO worked with many of the largest container, break-bulk, and specialized cargo carriers in the world and became one of the largest stevedores and marine terminal operators in the United States. In 1999 the United Kingdom-based Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co. (P&O) acquired ITO. The company then became part of P&O Ports, one of P&O's many subsidiaries. P&O Port's operations spanned 18 countries around the globe. In all, P&O Ports ran 27 container terminals in over 100 ports, making it the world's largest port operator.

SSA Marine has established a global network with 150 operations worldwide, handling about 22 million containers twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) annually. From a reported 13,000 employees in 2007, the company shed 3,000 employees between 2007 and 2009 as demand dwindled for container handlers. In 2007, SSA had estimated annual sales of more than $1.6 billion.

Дата добавления: 2015-09-07