Port of New Orleans-Marketing Plan and Association with Pilots

Crescent River Port Pilots harbor a special knowledge of the Mississippi, adeptly navigating ships to their destinations through fog, swift currents, sharp curves and underwater hazards. However, their life and career rely on a symbiotic relationship with not only the river but the ports as well.

This is precisely why the support and cooperation of the Crescent River Port Pilots’ Association in the development of the Port of New Orleans’ new marketing plan has led to high expectations for a successful future.Capt. A.J. Gibbs, president of the Crescent River Port Pilots’ Association, believes the port has tremendous potential for growth.

“As pilots and businessmen, we are acutely aware of the port’s importance, not only to our future, but also to thousands of other businesses that depend on its success,” Gibbs said. “The Crescent River Pilots are actively working with the port director and staff on their marketing efforts and we are committed to using our time, talent and resources to assist in developing business for the port.”

With the 107,000 related jobs, $2 billion in earnings, $13 billion in spending and $231 million in taxes, the port of New Orleans is an economic engine that pulls not only the economy of this region but the State of Louisiana.

Since 1908, port pilots have kept commerce moving smoothly by guiding ocean-going vessels safely along the Mississippi River to and from the port of New Orleans and Jefferson Parish. However, they also exert efforts on land to help stimulate the port’s business relationships.

The association played an instrumental role in the expansion of the cruise ship industry in the port, accepting the challenge of an increase in traffic and successfully keeping ships on schedules.

They also actively lobbied Washington to prevent the loss of thousands of jobs at the New Orleans’ port and many others throughout the country from unfair restrictions on the importation of steel. Steel trade supports approximately 8,600 jobs and over $750 million in income and taxes in the New Orleans region.

Additionally, the Crescent River Pilots have worked toward economic development by becoming directly involved with developers of projects such as Stolt Haven (a bulk liquid terminal storage facility in Plaquemines Parish), Sea Point and the New Millennium Port project.

Sea Point, a proposed container transshipment facility to be located at Venice, LA, will provide access to six Class 1 railroads, a rail network reaching deep into North and mid-continent population centers, including Canada. Carriers using Sea Point could enjoy cost benefits from reduced cargo handling and port storage costs and savings in vessel time.

However, because of its location, Sea Point reduces the amount of work by pilots, making their trip up the Mississippi a shorter one. W.J. Amoss, Jr., president of Sea Point, finds it admirable that pilots support the project although it will take some of their own revenue away.

“Thankfully, the Crescent River Pilots have given strong support to Sea Point, which is very important to us. Capt. Gibbs is a realist, and he sees that this is the only way to go. The Millennium Port is too far away in completion, and without Sea Point, we could lose the container business entirely,” Amoss said.

The Millennium Port, a major new container cargo port the state plans to build near the mouth of the Mississippi, could possibly by the year 2040 handle more than 10 times the number of containers the Port of New Orleans now attracts. This increase results from the growth in Latin American container cargo of finished goods.The Crescent Pilots look forward to working with both the Millennium Port and Sea Point projects.

A recent concern addressed by the port was safety. Crescent Pilots are helping the Coast Guard develop a communication system called Vessel Tracking Service (VTS), which provides navigation and safety information.

“We are extremely proud of the leadership role the Crescent Pilots have played in helping the Coast Guard enhance safety, security and efficiency of not just this port, but all maritime activities on the Mississippi River,” Gibbs said.

From safety to commerce to new developments, the Crescent Pilots have been a major supporter of the betterment of the port and will continue to assist in the future. Once the marketing plan for the Port of New Orleans is completed, the Crescent River Port Pilots’ Association will determine what further contributions will yield the greatest impact.

“We look forward to working with the Board of Commissioners and Executive Director Gary LaGrange over the next several months to determine the most effective use of our resources to accomplish the short and long-term goals of the port,” Gibbs said.

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