Write a commentAdam Tindall-Schlicht, administrator, U.S. Dept. of Transportation, for the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp., presided over a community roundtable Wednesday, Aug. 8, hosted by the Port of Oswego Authority (POA), to discuss ways the federal government, port, city and county can collaborate on economic development.
William Scriber, POA executive director and CEO, said it was “a productive, lively exchange of ideas on how we can all work together to address the tremendous potential of our waterfront for both economic and recreational development. A great deal of our discussion centered on how both the Port and our region can best prepare to meet the needs of Micron as construction nears, and a large workforce will follow.”
Among those attending were Robert Corradino, president, Oswego Common Council; Phil Church, Oswego County Administrator; Austin Wheelock, executive director, Operation Oswego County; Pam Dowd, president CSEA Local 068; Sharon Lynett, publisher, The Palladium-Times and Oswego County Media Group; POA Board President Francis Enwright; POA board members Kathleen Macey, Diane Zeller, and Dr. John Kares Smith; as well as H. Lee White Maritime Museum Executive Director Mercedes Niess and museum Vice President Dr. Robert Morgan. Representatives of Logistec marine cargo handling company, as well as Spliethoff shipping were also involved in the discussion.
During his visit, Tindall-Schlicht presented the Port with the Robert J. Lewis Pacesetter Award for recording increases in international cargo tonnage shipped through the port during the 2022 navigation season. This is the fourth time in the past five years that the Port of Oswego has received this award, and it coincides with a recently released U.S./Canadian research study showing that over the past five years, the POA made a $513 million impact on the local and regional economy and supported 2,229 jobs by its maritime activity. The Port of Oswego generated $201.2 million in wages, salaries, and local consumption expenditures for the regional economy. This is the 18th time the Port has won this award.
“The port’s 3.31 percent increase in international tonnage over the 2021 shipping season is to be commended,” Tindall-Schlicht, “I applaud your your leadership and your commitment to keeping the port thriving. Earning the Pacesetter Award reflects the hard work, dedication and vision of the committed professionals at the port and your faithful customers.”
The Robert J. Lewis Pacesetter Award was established in 1992 to recognize the achievements of U.S. ports whose activities result in increasing international tonnage shipped through the St. Lawrence Seaway, excluding Canada, in comparison to the previous year. More than 237,000 jobs and $35 billion in economic activity are supported annually by movement of various cargoes on the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System. A total of nine ports earned this award for 2022 performance. In addition to Oswego, these included the ports of Buffalo, Chicago, Cleveland, Manitowoc, WI Milwaukee, Monroe, IL, Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority, and Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, OH.
The Port of Oswego set a record year in 2022. Shipping alone was up over 300% compared to 2021, and the port generated considerable economic impact, Scriber said. The port hosted 77 ships, paid over $2.8 million in wages and benefits to local labor, handled 634 rail cars, and 11,210 trucks.
The Port of Oswego's strategic location at the crossroads of the Northeastern North American shipping market, puts them less than 350 miles from 60 million people.
