Oakland, Calif. – (Jan. 25, 2017): Port of Oakland executives are calling 2017 the breakout year for an ambitious growth agenda. They asked their Efficiency Task Force this week to help shape that growth.
The Port expects to begin construction on nearly 750,000 square feet of warehousing this year, said Maritime Director John Driscoll. It will also raise the height of ship-to-shore cranes to load and unload bigger ships. The work is intended to drive more containerized cargo volume through the Port of Oakland.
Executive Director Chris Lytle called on the 60-member Task Force of Port stakeholders for guidance. “We want more cargo,” Mr. Lytle told his audience during a meeting at Port headquarters. “But we need all of you at the table to make sure we do it right.”
It was the first 2017 meeting for the assembly of shipping lines, railroads, motor carriers, dockworkers, Customs officers and cargo owners. The Task Force came together 18 months ago to improve Oakland’s operating efficiency. Now it’s being asked to help refine operations in light of upcoming construction projects that will include:
- A 283,000-square-foot Cool Port refrigerated warehouse scheduled to begin construction in March that could send an additional 30,000 containers full of chilled meet through Oakland annually;
- A 440,000-square-foot Seaport Logistics Complex warehouse that could break ground in late 2017; and
- Raising six cranes 26-feet higher beginning in April so they can reach containers stacked aboard the largest ships calling North America.
“These projects are game-changers for the Port of Oakland,” said Mr. Driscoll. “They give us growth potential for the next 20 years.”
Task Force members said they’re working on new efficiency measures to prepare for Oakland’s growth. Among them: a common online portal to transact business with all four of the Port’s marine terminals and refined metrics to gauge transaction times.
The Port credited Task Force members for 2016 measures that accelerated cargo movement. Those included extended gate hours for trucker transactions and appointments to pick up cargo. “We outperformed the marketplace,” Mr. Lytle told the Task Force. “And you had a lot to do with that.”
About the Port of Oakland:
The Port of Oakland oversees the Oakland seaport, Oakland International Airport, and 20 miles of waterfront. Together with its business partners, the Port supports more than 73,000 jobs in the region and nearly 827,000 jobs across the United States. Connect with the Port of Oakland and Oakland International Airport through Facebook, or with the Port on Twitter, YouTube, and at www.portofoakland.com.
Media Contacts:
Mike Zampa, Communications Director
Port of Oakland
Tel. 510-627-1565
Robert Bernardo, Communications Manager
Port of Oakland
Tel. 510-627-1401
Click here to contact Robert Bernardo
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