Frequently Culled Numbers

The area code for all telephone numbers be/ow is 713 unlessotherwise indicated.

H. Thomas Kornegay, Executive Director ............ 670-2480George T. Williamson, Managing Director ............ 670-2453F. William Colburn, General Counsel ............... 670-2607Customer Service ............................. 670-2569

or 1-800-688-DOCK

Admlnlst~atllenLinda S. Reese, Director ....................... 670-2550William P. Brady, Controller ...................... 670-2555Leonard K. Waska, Purchasing Manager ............. 670-2460

Fa©llltlesPerry M. McGee, Director ....................... 670-2826Brenda McDonald, Real Estate Manager ............. 670-2879Steven DeWolf, Chief Engineer ................... 670-2466

OperationsJohn Horan, Director ........................... 670-2676Barbours Cut Container Terminal

Jimmy Jamison, Manager ................... 470-5530Container Inquiry System .................... 678-7600

Bulk FacilitiesJames Hare, Manager ........................ 671-7100

Turning Basin TerminalWalter Kleczkowski, Manager ................... 670-2435

Protection ServicesJason W. Simpson, Director .................... 670-2632Richard M. Barren, Marine Manager ............... 670-2636Richard F.Gorini, Environmental Affairs Manager ..... 670-2603Sammy Leach, Security Manager ................. 670-2431

Public AffairsRosie Barrera, Director ..................... 670-2568Caleen Burton, Media Relations Manager ............ 670-2644Cheryl Germain, Community Affairs Manager ......... 670-2630Pat Younger, Legislative Affairs Manager ........... 670-2606

Trade DevelopmentDonald R. Allee, Director ...................... 670-2583Jack Beasley, Foreign Trade Zone Manager ......... 739-6522Andy Ott, General Sales Manager ................ 670-2587

Field Offices60 East 42nd StreetNew York, NY 10165Tel: (212) 867-2780Fax: (212) 983-2746

Torre KLM, PenthouseAvda. Romulo GallegosSanta EduvigisCaracas 1071, VenezuelaCountry & City Number: 58-2Tel: 283-1489Fax: 283-2067Telex: 23875

Executive Offices111 East Loop NorthP.O. Box 2562Houston, Texas 77252-2562Tel: (713) 670-2400Fax: (713) 670-2429

Volume 35 December 1993 Number 12

H. THOMAS KORNEGAYExecutive Director

GEORGE T. WlLLIAMSONManaging Director

F. WILLIAM COLBURNGeneral Counsel

DONALD R. ALLEEDirector of Trade Development

ROSIE BARRERADirector of Public Affairs

JOHN P. HORANDirector of Port Operations

PERRY M. McGEEDirector of Facilities

LINDA S. REESEDirector of Administration

JASON W. SIMPSONDirector of Protection Services

TOMMY J. TOMPKINSCounty Auditor

THE PORT OF HOUSTON MAGAZINE ispublished monthly by the Port of HoustonAuthority, P.O. Box 2562, Houston, Texas77252-2562, and is distributed free to mari-time, industrial and transportation interestsin the United States and foreign countries.POSTMASTER: Send address changes toPORT OF HOUSTON MAGAZINE, P.O. Box2562, Houston, TX 77252-2562. The maga-zine staff includes: CommunicationManager, Ria Griffin; Editor, Ann Bordelon;Advertising Sales/Production Assistant,Sheila Adams; Artist/Production Coordinator,Marcella Cabrera; Writer, Susan Humphrey;Photographer, Ray Soto; and Secretary,Carot Finnell. This publication is not copy-righted and permission is given for thereproduction or use of any original materials,provided credit is given to the Port ofHouston Authority. Additional information,extra copies or advertising rates may be ob-tained by writing the PORT OF HOUSTONMAGAZINE.

OFFICIALPUBLICATIONPORT OFHOUSTONAUTHORITY

2Doing The Job, Whatever It Takes

7Shipping People Visit Food Bank

8"Cruise to the Tropics"

12WGMA Program Prevents Accidents

DEPARTMENTSPort Tidings 11

Port Side 32

Liner Service 34

ON THE COVERAt the Port of Houston, heavy-lift ship-pers find the versatile facilities and ex-perienced support industries that arecritical to getting the job done properly.For more details, see Page 2.

Doing the Job, Whatever It Takes

HContainers are fairly standardized;so are pallets. But yachts, boilers,locomotives and oil and gas rigshave little in common. Every hugeor odd-sized piece must be treateddifferently. With heavy-lifts,cargo-handling techniques mustoften be reinvented.

Moving heavy-lift cargo re-quires timing, accuracy and,most important, ingenuity. ThePort of Houston can provide allthree. Here, heavy-lift shippersfind the versatile facilities and ex-perienced support industries-such as stevedores, freight for-xvarders, steamship lines and theira~gencies -- that are critical to get-ting the job done properly.

"We’ve had plenty of practice,"says John Horan, director ofoperations for the Port of HoustonAuthority. "The Houston area usesand produces a large volume ofheavy-lift cargo- oil field equip-ment, plant components, heavymachinery. So over the years, theport facilities and the transporta-tion companies needed to movethis kind of cargo have evolvedhere."Locomotives Without Wheels

The shipment of 11 Russian-made locomotives that weredischarged in Houston earlier thisyear is a prime example of howspecialized a heavy-lift shipper’sneeds can be. This was one of themore complicated shipments tomove through the port in recentyears, but it was handled suc-cessfully. The locomotives werediverted from another port where

the facilities were found to be un-suitable for the job. The shipmentrequired a wharf that was strongenough to accommodate the heavycargo, that offered well-maintainedrail connections leading right up to

eavy-lift shippersare a particularbunch. Theyhave to be.

the dock and sufficient space inwhich to store the cargo tem-porarily. Wharf 32, located in thePort of Houston Authority’s Turning

2

Basin Terminal, met all these specifications.The wheels of each locomotive were

removed prior to shipment to minimizethe weight and ensure safe movement ofthe cargo. Big John, a floating derrickcrane operated by Joe D. Hughes Inc. ofHouston, was brought in to lift thelocomotives from the ship to wharf.With a 500-ton lift capacity, Big John isvery popular among heavy-lift shippers.The crane set each locomotive on atrailer that moved the cargo to the backof the wharf. The locomotives werestored there until the wheels could bereassembled and moved out of the portby rail. Later, another crane loweredeach locomotive onto special iacksbrought from Russia; these jacks inturn would position each locomotiveprecisely over its set of wheels.The jacks were incompatiblewith the electrical connectionsavailable on the wharf, butStewart & Stevenson provideda compatible electricalgenerator.

The locomotive shipment

J

!

/

/

A Variety of Equipment

Two large, expensive luxury yachts are to be shipped se!c

to the Middle East. A floating derrick crane lifts one yacht out of

the Houston Ship Channel and onto the deck of a ship. Meanwhile,

just a couple of docks down, two ship’s cranes working in tandem

lift the second yacht onto another vessel.

Plenty of Space

Eleven Russian-made locomotives reach the Port of Houston

aboard a steamship; they are headed for Kansas. The wheels were

removed before shipment to reduce the weight of each unit. At

Houston, a floating crane lifts the locomotives from the ship and

lowers them onto trailers. They then are held at the back of

the wharf until the wheels are remounted.

illustrates anotherImportant aspect ofhandling heavy-lifts:teamwork. Shipmentslike these depend toa great extent on co-operation among theport operator, stevedore,steamship agent, cranecompany and other supportcompanies involved in the move-ment. In Houston, heavy-lift ship-pers can choose from a variety ofexperienced personnel and power-ful equipment.PHA Assistance

Port Authority staff can assistheavy-lift shippers in a number ofways. Sometimes a Port Authorityengineer is called in to determinewhether the wharf can accom-modate the weight of a particular)iece of cargo. Port Authority

police may provide special trafficcontrol within PHA facilities whena very large piece moves throughthe port. PHA operations staffoften assist in coordinating detailswith the steamship line, cargo in-terest, stevedore and others whoare involved, says Horan.

"When we have a heavy liftmoving through one of ourfacilities, we generally try to haveone of our operations people onhand to make sure everything runssmoothly and lend a hand if a

~ps," says Horans a courtesy, not a necessity,

because the people handling thecargo are experts."Versatile Facilities

Versatile facilities are anotherpart of Houston’s appeal to heavy-lift shippers. The Port Authority’sTurning Basin Terminal featuresseveral spacious open wharves thatoffer easy truck and rail access.Several months ago, a shipper whoneeded to move an enormousboiler from Dallas, where it wasmanufactured, to Russia choseHouston because of the port’sproximity and rail access. Theboiler traveled from Dallas directlyto Turning Basin Wharf 20 on a

\\

A manufacturer wants to ship

415-ton reel of industrial hose from Houstc

The hose maker is permitted to widen the gates leading

to the PHA Turning Basin Terminal and Wharf 32 so the reel,

measures 38 feet across, can be loaded onto a barge.

which

special rail platform; the boiler wasstored on the wharf until the shiparrived. Once the crane hired forthe job was in place, the 254,000-pound boiler was lifted in justminutes.

"Our facilities are spacious, sowe can offer shippers a place tokeep their cargo temporarily," saysHoran. "If they need a place inwhich to stage the cargo ahead oftime, we can accommodate them.If they just need a few days tostore the cargo, whether it’s in-bound or outbound, we can han-dle that."Wharf 32

To say that Wharf 32 is a heavy-

lift shipper’s paradise is probablynot exaggeration. The wharf islocated close to the Turning BasinTerminal’s main gate and offers806 feet of continuous quay and20 acres of paved marshaling area.On any given day, large com-ponents of several differentshipments are likely to be foundhere. The Russian locomotiveswere stored at the back of Wharf32 until their wheels could beremounted.

A Houston company used Wharf32 when shipping out a 415-tonspool of industrial hose. The reelwas 38 feet wide and 32 feet tall,so large it couldn’t fit through the

iterminal gate. Sol the PortAuthority permitted the hosemanufacturer to widen the gate;since that time, the company hasmoved several large reels

through the port.Other Locations

The Port Authority also hasother terminals suitable for heavy-lift shipments. Woodhouse Ter-minal and Jacintoport Terminalboth offer spacious wharves andexcellent truck and rail access.Though primarily a containerfacility, Barbours Cut Terminal hasroom enough for large and over-sized cargo as well; container ship-pers who also book heavy-liftsroutinely use Barbours Cutbecause both kinds of cargo canbe handled in one stop.

The shipper who is choosing a(Continued on Page 19)

It Takes Dedication.

In our business, quality is adirect result of dedication, tn everysense of the word.

It starts with a dedicated spirit,one you can witness firsthand everytime you watch our people workingtogether with a dedicated team effort.But at Ryan-Walsh, that spirit runs much deeper.It’s a company-wide commitment to succeed in theface of the weather, tight turnaround schedules,the specialized demands of loading and unloading,and all the other challenges presented in thelogistics chain.

You can see other hard evidenceof our dedication at each of our

locations -in the highly specializedequipment utilized for specificpurposes such as moving, handling

and tracking cargo.

But probably the most importantform of dedication may be one that’s shapingtomorrow. It’s our dedication to continuousimprovement, to finding better, faster ways ofproviding our quality customers with topquality service.

Ryan.Walsh°Ryan Walsh IncIn Houston contact:11811 East Freeway Suite 555 77029713/450-1610 ¯ FAX: 713/455-2875Serves Freeport and Brownsville Texas

Stevedoring ¯ Cargo Handling ¯ Terminal Operations ¯ Packaging ¯ Distribution ̄ Logistics Management

Shipping RepresentativesVisit Houston Food Bank

S everal members of the Hous-ton shipping community re-cently visited the HoustonFood Bank, hoping to learn

how they could help feed the hungry.Declaring Port of Houston Day, Food

Bank staff and members of the board ofdirectors took guests on a tour of theFood Bank’s 73,000-square-foot warehouse.

The Houston Food Bank is the third-largest food bank in the United States. Thebank does not serve food; it collects fooddonations, then distributes the products to466 charitable agencies such as churchpantries, homeless shelters, and alcoholand drug abuse halfway houses. Theseagencies prepare and serve the food. Lastyear, the Houston Food Bank distributedmore than 17 million pounds of food toneedy people in 29 Texas counties.Major Donors

"Most people think our food comesfrom community food drives," says DavidWilliams, executive director of the FoodBank. "But most of our food -- about 95percent of it -- actually is donated by thefood industry. The remaining 5 percentcomes from food drives."

The tour was organized to educate theshipping community about the Food Bankand its activities. Stevedores, warehouses,terminal operators and other segments ofthe industry often are aware of surplusfood products that could be distributed bythe food bank. Guests on the tour includ-ed representatives of the Port of HoustonAuthority executive staff, the Port ofHouston Commission, West Gulf MaritimeAssociation, a temperature-controlledstorage facility, a private terminal andother companies.Sources of Donations

Food producers, grocery distributors,growers, brokers, shippers and others in-

volved in the industry donate food to theFood Bank that is edible but, for variousreasons, cannot be sold. For example,boxes of a popular cereal could not bedistributed after the cereal maker learnedthat the toys included in the cereal boxesmight be unsafe for children. One millionboxes of the cereal were donated to theHouston Food Bank. Volunteers made anincision in each cereal box, removed thetoy and sealed the box so it could feedhungry children.

Some products are donated becausetheir expiration dates don’t allow suffi-cient time for the food to be distributedto grocers, then sold; the Food Bank,however, distributes most food within 18days of receiving it. Food may be donatedbecause the packaging is damaged. FoodBank volunteers are taught how to ex-amine donated food and determinewhether it may be safely eaten.Food Bank Network

"We also belong to Second Harvest, anetwork of food banks across the UnitedStates that locates available food andnotifies other food banks," says Williams.

The Food Bank warehouse, which wasdonated by a Houston businessman, fea-

(Continued on Page 25))

Several shipping In-dustry representativesrecently toured theHouston Food Bank.Shown are (from left):Ellen Stebbins andPeter Varga of theFood Bank; JurgenSchroder of SchroderMarine Services Inc.;Craig Leiberman ofthe Food Bank; LeRoyBruner, Port of Hous-ton Commission; andTed Thorjussen of theWest Gulf MaritimeAssociation.

Maritime Gala Attendee

estive Caribbean music andexotic tropical cuisine set themood for the 1993 HoustonMaritime Gala, the theme of

which was "Cruise to the Tropics."The annual gala raises funds for the

Houston International and Barbours Cutseafarers centers, which provide seafarersa place to relax while their ships are inport.

In keeping with the evening’s tropicaltheme, clever decor transformed a sec-tion of the Doubletree Hotel on Post Oakinto a cruise ship. Guests entering thefoyer crossed a gangplank as greeterstossed streamers and wished them "bonvoyage." Palm trees and live bands play-ing tropical music added to the festive at-mosphere. A uniformed ship’s captainand cruise director made the arriving"passengers" feel welcome.

The evening’s activities included din-ner, dancing and both a silent auctionand live auction. Benjamin Hall III, at-torney for the city of Houston, was

master of ceremonies for the evening,and Harris County Commissioner JimFonteno was auctioneer. Auction itemswere almost as exotic as the decor, in-cluding a birthday party on a fire truck, aTexas quail hunt for four people, dinnerat elegant restaurants and a seven-daycruise to Mexico.1993 Honorees

In addition to raising funds, the annualgala provides the Houston transportationcommunity an opportunity to recognize

Harris County Com-missioner Jim Fon-teno was auctioneerfor the gala. Assist-ing him was BillyeSmitherman of thegala committee.

The Port of HoustonCommission designatedFather Rivers Patout,one of the galahonorees, as plenipoten-tiary chaplain of the Portof Houston. From leftare: CommissionersHoward Middleton,Robert Gillette, NedHolmes (chairman), JohnWebb Jr.; Patout; andCommissioners J.Michael Solar and C.C.Smitherman.

8

’Cruise to the Tropics"

i~

Genie and Richard Kobarg were recognized for their many years of service to the seafarers centers. Shownare the Kobargs and Lou Lawler (far right), chairwoman of the Barbours Cut center’s board of directors.

those who have donated their timeand effort to Houston’s two seafar-ers centers. This year’s gala honoreeswere Father Rivers Patout andRichard and Genie Kobarg.

For 25 years, Patout has pro-vided spiritual support to sea-farers visiting Houston. He wasinstrumental in the creation ofthe world’s first ecumenical seafar-ers center, the Houston Interna-tional Seafarers Center, where hestill works today. Patout isdiocesan director for port mini-stries in the Houston-GalvestonDiocese; as such, he coordinatesseafaring ministries in Houston,Galveston, La Porte, Texas Cityand Freeport, Texas. He alsoorganized an annual "chaplainschool" in Houston that hastrained over half the chaplains

working in port ministries around theworld.

The Kobargs have volunteeredtheir time for the seafarers centersfor more than a decade. Theyorganized the first HoustonMaritime Festival, now an annualfund-raiser for the centers. Heserved as a member of the boardof directors for the Houston Inter-national Seafarers Center for 10years and as treasurer for twoyears. She has served on theMaritime Gala committee for fiveyears and has coordinated variousactivities for the Maritime Festival.The Kobargs recently moved toAtlanta, Georgia, but have main-rained their commitment to theHouston seafarers centers.Center Services

The Houston International Sea-

farers Center, located within thePort of Houston Authority’s Turn-ing Basin Terminal, and the Bar-bours Cut Seafarers Center, locatednear the Port Authority’s BarboursCut Terminal, provide thousandsof seafarers a "home away fromhome" each year. The nonprofitcenters are staffed by volunteersand chaplains representing ninedenominations. Chaplains provideseafarers spiritual support throughship visitations, counseling, infor-mal religious services and otheractivities.

Both seafarers centers offerrecreational facilities, publictelephones, gift shops and chapelsfor worship. Earlier this year, theBarbours Cut Seafarers Centermoved into a newly built10,000-square-foot building. []

9

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Turning Basin to GetSecond Container Crane

Plans are in the works to installa second wharfside containercrane at the Port of HoustonAuthority’s Turning Basin Terminal.

The Port Authority recentlybegan accepting bids for the pur-chase of a mobile 40-ton diesel-electric container crane to beused at the terminal. The crane isexpected to cost approximately$5 million.

Currently, the terminal has one40-ton wharfside crane that cantravel from Wharves 23 through31. During the past four years, useof the crane has increased frommore than 1,300 to more than1,900 hours annually. Shippinglines and stevedores have in-dicated they would use a secondcrane if one were available.

Team to DevelopPHA Master Plan

The Port of Houston Authorityhas hired a team of consultantsled by Booz-Allen & Hamilton Inc.to develop a PHA master plan.

The plan will include an analysisof the Port Authority’s competitiveposition, assessment of its assetsand recommendations regardingfuture shipping traffic. The con-sultants also will make recommen-dations regarding the PHA capitalimprovement program and willidentify alternative sources offunding to expand the Port Authori-ty’s capital resources.

The consultants will ensure thefinal plan is compatible with andcan be incorporated into local,state and federal planning. Con-sulting costs for the project areexpected to total approximately$265,000.

A second crane would permitfaster turnaround and reduce thecustomer’s overall costs. The ex-isting wharf crane, which is 22years old, is very reliable;however, the terminal currentlyhas no backup should the cranebreak down.

Contracts AwardedFor Three Projects

Contracts recently were award-ed for three projects at the Port ofHouston Authority’s Turning BasinTerminal.

Port of Houston Commissionersawarded a contract to TritonMarine Construction Corp. torepair the wharf and fendersystem at Wharves 26 through 28.The Port Authority has upgradedseveral of the terminal’s fendersystems in recent years, replacingold, worn timber systems withmore durable, steel-and-timberfenders. The project will cost ap-proximately $2.3 million.

Trac-Work Inc. has received acontract to rehabilitate railroadtrackage located near Warehouse25-A in the Turning Basin Ter-minal. The work will cost anestimated $84,600.

Port Commissioners awarded acontract to C.C. Carlton Construc-tion Co. to repair the bunker dockbetween Wharves 9 and 10. ExxonChemical Co. has been leasing thebunker dock and has agreed topay half of the repair costs. Theproject is expected to cost$339,200.

Crane Repairs SetAt Barbours Cut

Contracts have been awarded toreplace crane cabs and repairrailroad crossings at Barbours CutContainer Terminal.

ClD Associates Inc. received acontract for the purchase ofoperator cabs for six PacecoTranstainer cranes. Replacementof the deteriorated cabs willrender the cranes useful foranother 10 years, PHA officialssay. The cabs will cost about$299,000.

Trac-Work Inc. also received acontract to repair railroad gradecrossings at the terminal at a costof approximately $98,500.

Bulkheads To GetCoat of Paint

The Port Authority recentlysought bids for a contractor topaint the sheetpile bulkheads atWharves 1 through 4 at Wood-house Terminal.

The contractor will sandblast theface of the bulkheads, and applyan epoxy coating. The work will beperformed during the wintermonths when the tide is low andwill cost an estimated $180,000.

Two ProjectsReach Completion

Two projects were completedrecently at Port of HoustonAuthority facilities.

Farrell Construction Co. finishedreplacing the timber on the fendersystem at Wharves 1 through 4 atBarbours Cut Container Terminal.The project cost $99,000.

Bencon Management andGeneral Contracting finished pave-ment repairs at the U.S. CustomsService central examination stationat the Turning Basin Terminal at acost of $126,700.

West Gulf Maritime Association

Safety Program Prevents Accidents

teady progress on thesafety front over thepast five years hasbrought a dramatic

Don Huey, devote their full time tothe industry’s accident preventionand training efforts.

"We approached the challenge

focus on moving objects, whether30-ton containers or 20-poundsacks of rice.

Last year’s statistics show that58.8% reduction in the accidentrate at the Port of Houston and acombined 49% reduction for the10 West Gulf ports between LakeCharles and Brownsville. Insiderscredit the safety program admin-istered by the West Gulf MaritimeAssociation (WGMA) in conjunc-tion with its member companiesand the International Longshore-men’s Association.

WGMA calculates that if the inci-

with leadership from top manage-ment and labor," said Thorjussen"And incorporated the viewpointand expertise of the entire workforce. Our members’ existing pro-cedures and their knowledge basewere important resources as well.The cost of the program is a frac-tion of the savings we have realized."Accident Causes

In designing the program,WGMA analyzed past accidents,studied procedures from beginningto end, monitored traffic patternsand sequences, and carefullyanalyzed the role of heavy mobileequipment. One immediate priori-ty that emerged was the need to

PORT OF HOUSTONOCCUPATIONALINCIDENT RATEPer 200,000 Hours Worked

50%

40%

30%

2O%

lO%

1986-87 1991-92

17% of all accidents involvemobile equipment, while 11% in-volve stevedore gear/equipment.Twenty-eight percent of theinjury-causing incidents involvecargo and in over half (58%) those cases, the cargo is in sacks.Containers were involved in 14%,and 11% involved steel/pipe.High-tech Challenges

"The high-tech equipment wehave in our ports today requires

dent rate were still at the 1986-87level, medical and workers com-pensation costs incurred in Hous-ton during the past year wouldhave been $3,006,000 greater thanthey were. The current year’s sav-ings for the 10 West Gulf portsserved by WGMA is estimated at$6.7 million. These figures do notinclude savings from reduceddown time, or the reduction inequipment and property damage.

WGMA records the incident rateas the number of on-the-job or oc-cupational incidents per 200,000hours worked. In 1986-87, thePort of Houston’s rate was 48.6.In 1991-92, that rate dropped to28.6 (31.0 for all WGMA ports),and recent figures suggest con-tinued improvement in 1992-93.Cooperative Approach

According to Ted Thorjussen,president of WGMA, the programbegan when the association’smembers (76 companies in ship-ping, stevedoring and relatedbusinesses) and the InternationalLongshoremen’s Association decidedto develop a cooperative approachto accident prevention and training.The association’s two professionalsafety engineers, Hal Draper and

0%

us to think carefully about our en-tire system," said Draper.

Another modern challenge is thelack of uniformity in equipmentand fittings on the many differentkinds of vessels that call at majorports such as Houston. "Teamwork and clear communicationbetween deck officers and thecargo-handling unit are impor-tant," Draper said "That’s onereason we find it effective to com-bine supervisory safety trainingwith the development of leader-ship and communication skills.Our supervisory people are veryinterested in leadership training,and responsive to it."

The West Gulf Maritime Associa-tion’s safety awards reinforce theteam safety effort and provideindustry-wide recognition ofsuperior accident prevention ac-complishments each year.Analysis & Testing

The WGMA professional staffalso has devised a format forhazard and risk analysis. This baseof information is updated whenregulations are issued, newtechnology is put into use andfacilities are upgraded. Already,observations made in compiling

12

this information have led to physical improvementsand better engineering. In addition, training programsnow place more emphasis on maintenance, frequentinspections and better purchasing procedures.

The attention and skill of heavy equipmentoperators are critical safety factors. Container craneoperators are trained and certified for intermodalfreight, as are large lift truck operators and yard trac-tor drivers. Safety training is required before a workercan obtain a work number and qualify for preferentialhiring. Policies for a drug-free work place includedrug testing after accidents for "reasonable cause,"work-site testing, regular tests for certified skilledoperators in conjunction with required physical ex-aminations, and tests for all new workers before theyreceive work numbers.

WGMA’s central computer sys- 4~,tem works to improve claimdocumentation and verifica-tion. WGMA works closelywith ILA to identify work-ers with repeated acci-dents in order to counselthem and enhance theirsafety performance.Effective Training

WGMA’s training styleis not one of "top-down,"messages riddled withstatistics and warnings. /One example is theaudio-visual presenta-tion called "The Con-vincer" that graphicallyshows injuries sustained ! ’*;by workers who did notwear hard hats. Theseimages are contrastedwith examples of peoplewho have been saved fromserious injury by wearinghard hats.

Waldo Bridges, vice-president of risk management, Shippers StevedoringCo., gives the program highmarks: "It’s a true hands-onapproach, and the number of

(Continued on Page 20)

",t.

i

Sea Land! i

Instructor Hal Draper, left, gives instructions to longshoreman Jesse Thomas duringone of the West Gulf Maritime Association’s safety training sessions at the Port ofHouston.

13

We’ll be therefor .

Meeting Calendar

The Port of Houston Magazine pub-lishes the Meeting Calendar as aservice for local transportation-related organizations. Listings areprovided by the individual organi-zations and may be submitted orupdated by fax to 670-2564 or bywriting to P.O. Box 2562, Houston,Texas 77252-2562.

American Merchant Marine Vet-erans: Meets the second Tuesday ofeach month, 11 a.m. at Houston In-ternational Seafarers Center. For in-formation, call Jim Titus, 337-3131.

Council of American Master Mari-ners inc., Port of HoustonChapter: Meets third Thursday ofeach month at 11:30 a.m. at Brady’sLanding. For information, call JohnEliason, 681-2727.

Houston Customhouse Brokers &Freight Forwarders Association:Meets the third Wednesday of alter-nating months starting with January.For information, call 678-4300.

Houston Transportation Profes-sionals Association: Meets the sec-ond Thursday of each month, 11:30a.m. at the Holiday Inn CrownePlaza. For information, call JeanneHooke, 241-3555.

International MaintenanceInstitute-Sam Houston Chapter:Meets the third Tuesday of eachmonth, 6 p.m. at the Holiday Inn atHobby Airport. For reservations, callJoyce Rhoden, 481-0869.

International Transportation Man-agement Association: Meets thesecond Wednesday of every monthat the Omni Hotel. For information,call Jolie Jourdan, 442-5001.

Marine Square Club of Houston:Meets the second Wednesday ofeach month, 11:30 a.m. at Brady’sLanding.

National Association of RailwayBusiness Women: Meets the thirdWednesday of each month. For in-formation, call Lois Dippel,546-3341.

National Defense TransportationAssociation: Meets the last Thurs-day of alternating months, startingwith February, 11:30 a.m. at Ka-phan’s. For information, call DonDavis, 338-6621.

Port of Houston Toastmasters:Meets every Wednesday at noon atthe Houston International SeafarersCenter. For information, call DoloresSalinas, 670-2551.

Port Safety and Advisory Council:Meets the first Thursday of alter-nating months starting with January,11:30 a.m. at the International Sea-farers Center at the Port of HoustonAuthority’s Turning Basin Terminal.For information or reservations, callEric Harvey, Lt. J.G., 671-5105.

Texas A&M University MaritimeAssociation: Meets the fourthWednesday of the month, 11:30a.m. at Brady’s Landing. For infor-mation, call Jim Moore, 928-5010.

Texas Business Travel Associa-tion: Meets the second Wednesdayof each month. For information, callTina Ruffeno, 236-4079.

Transportation Club of Houston:Meets the first Tuesday of eachmonth, 11:30 a.m. at Brady’s Land-ing. For information, call TomCooney, 237-1315.

U.S. Merchant Marine AcademyAlumni Association, HoustonChapter: Meets the first Thursday ofeach month, 11:30 a.m. at Brady’sLanding. For information, call BillBowes, 451-2711.

Women’s Transportation Club ofHouston: Meets the second Mondayof each month, 5:30 p.m. at Steakand Ale, Post Oak at Galleria. For in-formation, call Gina Zenor, 237-8682, or Ronda Wilkinson, 674-4400.

TOUCH AND GO!Don’t waste time waiting for the

container to be released.

Call before you go!

678-7600Container Inquiry System

Another customer service feature at theFentress Bracewell Barbours Cut Container Terminal

¯ Port of Houston Authority ¯

15

NOCS West Gulf Receives USDA ContractsNOCS West Gulf Inc. has been

awarded several U.S. Department ofAgriculture (USDA) contracts for theshipment of frozen butter and porkto Russia and Armenia.

The Houston facility was the suc-cessful bidder against 16 other portwarehouse locations in the UnitedStates, according to Mark Blanchard,vice president of sales and market-ing. The shipments were awardedby the USDA Kansas City Com-modities Division as part of a majorexport program.

The first shipment of 5,000 metrictons of frozen butter went to Russiaand was loaded aboard the PROLIVVILKELSKOGO at the Port of Hous-ton Authority’s Barbours Cut Con-tainer Terminal. A second contract

was for 2,000 metric tons of frozenprint butter to be transported toArmenia aboard the ATLAS REX.

In addition, NOCS Gulf West hasbeen awarded three shipments of3,600 metric tons each of frozenpork for export to Russia. The pork

will be palletized and unitized in70-lb. boxes.

Blanchard said Houston’s strategiclocation was an important factor in se-curing the contracts, facilitating themovement of the cargo by rail from

(Continued on Page 18)

NOCS West Gulf Inc. handled 5,000metric tons of frozen butter bound forRussia recently. NOCS operates one ofHouston’s six cold storage facilities. Theshipment was loaded aboard a vesselat Barbours Cut Container Terminal.

OLYMPIC CONTAINER CORPORATIONISO Equipment built in Mexico. Delivered in Mexico or Houston!Reduce expensive equipment positioning costs in Mexico NOW/

Container Types:

¯ 20 Ft. thru 53 Ft.

¯ ISO & Domestic¯ Dry Cargo

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Your Source Load Alternative in Mexico! Mexico’s first ISO Container Manufacturer.

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THE PORT OF HOUSTON

Load Center of the U.S. Gulf

gnized asthe Load Center ofthe U.S. Gulf, thePort of Houstonmaintains a com-plex of modernterminals that canefficiently handleany type of cargo.Whatever youneed to move -containerized,breakbulk, drybulk, liquid bulk

or project cargo -Houston has afacility that canhandle your ship-ment capably andeconomically.

State-of-the-artequipment,computerizedtracking systems,well-trainedpersonnel andoutstanding water,

rail and highwayconnections madeHouston the idealport for more than125 million tons ofcargo last year.Shouldn’tyournext shipmentmove via thePort ofHouston? ~

H. Thomas KornegayExecutive Director

Port of Houston AulhorityP.O. Box 2562 ¯ Houston, Texas 77252-2562

Tel: (713) 670-2400 or (800) 688-DOCK

Let the Load Center of the U.S. Gulf work for you.

Independent Worldwide Ocean Services and Agents

Weekly Independent Services To:

Far East ~~~ ScandinaviaAustralia United KingdomNew Zealand Mediterranean

Northern Europe Middle EastSouth/Central America Caribbean

Inbound Service from the United Kingdom and Northern Europe

HOUSTON:1900 North Loop West, Suite 355, Houston, Texas 77018

Phone: (713) 956-7097 ̄ Fax: (713) 956-5403

NEW ORLEANS:300 Poydras St., Suite 1903

New Orleans, Louisiana 70130(504) 581-4845

Fax: (504) 581-4849

MIAMI:1001 N. America Way, Suite 213

Miami, Florida 33132(305) 358-5675

Fax: (305) 371-8928 ~ Tlx: 519407

Nationwide Toll Free Number..1-800-505-6253 For Bookings and Rates Only

NOCS West Gulf.OOt. OOQIO.*Ot,..OO,O.,tOtQtOOO to,o,o.,

(Continued from Page 16)

mid-Western storage sites to the portand from Houston to the finaldestinations.

According to Blanchard, the com-pany is unloading the trucks and railcars, warehousing the butter andpork at zero degrees Fahrenheit anddelivering the palletized cargo to theterminal where local stevedore firmstake over the operation.

NOCS West Gulf is part of thewarehousing division of The NOCSGroup. The 107-year-old companyhas three other divisions. Its interna-tional division provides computer-ized customs brokerage and freightforwarding for both domestic andinternational customers. The inspec-tion services division administersfood product inspections andfumigation services at NOCS loca-tions, and the transport division ex-pedites the overland movement ofcargo to and from all points withinthe continental United States.

S O UtohWeQa l(Sto a W! P~o n RaP 707 0 tncil

P.O. Box 96141, Houston, Texas 77213Phone: (713) 453-8518 ̄ Fax: (713) 453-7209

"Gold Strand’~. Stevedore Supplies. Deck Lashing. Hardware. Fittings.Wire Rope

.Slings

.Chains

. Load Binders

. Nylon Sling

.. ISO 9002 ABS Certified..

Haynes Wire Rope, inc.1902 Federal Rd. ¯ Houston, Texas 77015

Phone: (713) 453-7822Fax: (713) 453-7209

’Spooling & on site rigging services’

National Strand Products, Inc.P.O. Box 96149 ¯ Houston, Texas 77213-6149

12611 Cain Circle ¯ Houston 77015Phone: (713) 455-2888 ̄ Fax: (713) 455-3888

’Manufacturers: Guy Strand’

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