the struggle for perfection...

what’s it worth to you?

YOUNG AND COMPANYContract Stevedores and Terminal Operators

P.O. Box 4445 2855 Mangum Road Houston, TX 77210Western Union Cable: YOUNGCO Telephone: (713) 688-7700 TWX: 910-881-1710

New Orleans ̄ Beaumont ̄ Galveston ̄ Orange ̄ Freeport ¯ Port Arthur

Our many satisfied andloyal customers know ofour harbor tug service inHouston and other Texasports

We can please YOUR shipowners,shipmasters, pilots, and agents Giveus the opportunity

We offer the safety, know-how,promptness and dependability youneed.

STATUE OF LIBERTY RESTORATION

Repairs to stairway. Add new emergencyStab-way to be widened, and maintenance

elevator frommuseum level toshoulder area.

New interior andexterior lighting. Floor to be made

Closed circuitTV viewing in

colonnade area forthe handicapped.

\ventilation

th/xx~out.

New dock shelter.

New mezzanine’ to be added.

New elevator in

IT]" TUGS are pleased to donate thisspace to tell others about something

besides our superior tug service

INTRACOASTAL TOWING& TRANSPORTATION CORP

Houston ¯ Galveston ¯ Freeport ¯ Corpus ChrisU

January 1985 1

Louisiana Gulf Shipyards

(S04)$2S.342SLOUISIANA GOLF SHiPYARDs JNC320 RAC~ STREETNEW ORLEANS, LA 20130 USAf504) 5253425 TELFX 6821204

Volume 29 Number 1 January 1985Port Staff

RICHARD e. LEACH, Executive DirectorJAMES D. PUGH, Managing DirectorJ.R. CURTIS, Director of Port Operations

TED WALTERS, Deputy Director of Port OperationsJOHN GREEN, Deputy Director of Port OperationsW.D. DUNNAHOE, Manager, Turning Basin Terminals

JOHN P. HORAN, Manager. Barbours Cut and BayportTerminals

W.E. GREER, Manager, Houston Public Elevator

LESLIE J. SANDERFER, Manager, Bulk MaterialsHandling Plant

A.J.M. VAN DE WEN, Manager, MaintenanceDepartment

CLAUDE BARTH, Manager, Security DepartmentARMANDO S. WATERLAND, Director of Trade

DevelopmentLEON UTTERBACK, Eastern Sales ManagerJACK WOJEWNIK, Asst. Eastern Sales ManagerDAVID W. SIMPSON, Western RepresentativeMARGARET PLATTEEL, Midwestern RepresentativeM1SAEL BRETON, Latin America RepresentativeDiana Payne, Marketing AnalystLEE VELA, Communications Manager

NORMAN E. HUENI, Director of EngineeringTOM KORNEGAY, Chief Engineer

F. WILLIAM COLBURN, Director of AdministrationLINDA REESE, ControllerALTON U. LANDRY, Manager, Personnel DepartmentBETTY GARRETT, Manager, Purchasing Department

A. MONROE BEAN, Manager, Real EstateJAMES ELDRIDGE, Manager, Management Information

ServicesJERRY t. FLACK, Manager, Computer OperationsALGENITA SCOTT DAVIS, CounselLOUIS F. BROWN, JR., Manager, Safety and Insurance

DepartmentJOE SCROGGINS, JR., Director of PlanningMICHAEL SCORCIO, Director of Community RelationsJOE F. FLACK, County Auditor

Executive Offices1519 Capitol Avenue, Houston, Texas 77002

P.O. Box 2562, Houston, Texas 77252Telephone: (713) 226-2100

TWX: 910-881-5787

Terminal OfficesTurning Basin: (713) 670-2400Barbours Cut: (713) 470-1800

Bulk Plant Office3100 Penn City Road, Houston, Texas 77015

Telephone: (713) 453-3531

Field Office60 East 42nd Street, New York 10165

Telephone: (212) 867-2780

Official PublicationPort of Houston

Authority

Magazine StaffLEE VELA, EditorPAT STREILEIN-KIRK, Staff WriterRAY CARRINGTON, Staff PhotographerSHEILA PHILLIPS, Advertising ManagerTINA TOBIAS, Typographer

Port Commissioners

F. Bracewell M.D. Perry H.J. Middleton R. Gonzales, Jr. A. Bennett, Jr.Chairman Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner

In This IssueVikings at Aliens Landing--Authentic replica of a vikingtrade ship docks in Houston on its way around the world.Houston Hummer--Steamship owner says teamwork is the ,~key to survival. ~International Seaman’s Center--A "home away fromhome," that brings cheer and brightness to visiting seamen.Wharf 32--PHA opening new wharf designed for heavylifts and project cargoes. ~NVOCCs--Consolidation cargo companies are a growingentity at the Port of Houston. ~South American Mission--PHA representatives travel to ~South America to bring news of improvements/innovations. ~lConsular Reception--PHA honors Consular Corps with areception for cultural exchange. ~Evergreen--The maiden voyage of the M/V EVERBETTER initiates a new "round-the-world service", iiPeru--Consul General is promoting more cultural, scien-tific ties with the U.S. 2Trade Agreement--Local pipe importer discusses impact of

~U.S. steel quotas. ~ 3

P.H.A. Progress--Barbours Cut Terminal gets dredgingand highway improvements. ~Port Tidings--A page of news and views about the people ~and companies in and around the Port of Houston. ~

On The CoverThe SAGA SIGLAR, a replica of a Viking trading ship, was

crafted with instruments which are centuries old.

THE PORT OF HOUSTON MAGAZINE (ISSN 0032-4825) is published monthly by the Port Houston Authority and is distributed free to maritime, industrial and transportation interests in theUnited States and foreign countries. This publication is not copyrighted and permission is given forthe reproduction or use of any original material, provided credit is given to the Port of Houston. Ad-ditional information, extra copies or advertising rates may be obtained by writing the PORT OFHOUSTON MAGAZINE. Second class postage paid at Houston, Tx. and at additional mailing of-rices. Send address change to PORT OF HOUSTON MAGAZINE, P.O. Box 2562, Houston, Texas77252.

!

For centuries scholars have ques-tioned the Vikings’ nautical know-how,contending that Norsemen vessels onlycould sail with a tailwind and,therefore, were incapable of makinglong, difficult voyages.

Ragnar Thorseth, a 37-year-oldNorwegian explorer/adventurer andjournalist, hopes to settle the matterby sailing the Saga Siglar, an authenticreplica of a Viking trading vessel,around the world.

Turning the tide on skeptics, he hassailed the Saga Siglar as much as 50degrees into the wind, which comparesfavorably with modern sailing vessels,proving that his ancestors could havegone wherever they pleased.

Leaving Norway June 17, the55-foot vessel, with a breadth of about16 feet, crossed the North Sea andAtlantic along the path travelled byEirik the Red and son Leiv Eirikssonnearly 1,000 years ago, stopping in theShetland Islands, The Faroes,Iceland and Greenland, which wereonce Viking settlements. Navigatingthe St. Lawrence and Mississippi riversto reach the Gulf, the deep sea tradingvessel, known as a Viking Knarr,reached Houston in late Novemberand tied up at Allen’s Landing.

Speaking at a luncheon gatheringof the Houston World Trade Associa-tion, Thorseth said that not only didthe voyage prove Vikings able ship-builders and seamen, the crew, whichincluded scientists from the VikingShip Museum in Poskilde, Denmark,learned much about operating such aship and the ability of Vikings tomaintain settlements so far from home.

The Saga Siglar was modeled afterfive Viking Knarrs found off the coastof Denmark that had been filled withrocks and deliberately sunk, "probably

January 1985

The Saga Siglar stops briefly in the Turning Basinarea to allow the crew to take down the mastbefore heading up Buffalo Bayou to Allen’s Land-ing.

to keep Vikings from invading avillage in the area and doing all thefun things they were known to do,"said Thorseth, noting that the ships,the first to be found in modern times,were well preseryed by the mud.

Sailing around-the-clock, the vessel,which is constructed of pine and is car-ded by a 100-square-meter sail, aver-aged 180 nautical miles per day, tra-velling at about 12 knots.

On the voyage the crew kept busycleaning, cooking good food, reading,writing, listening to music and talkingabout sea monsters, added Thorseth,noting that the vessel takes a lot ofmanpower to operate.

A

Although he considers sailingships "simply fun," Thorseth admittedthat the voyage has not been all funand games. Between Greenland andLabrador the Saga Siglar encountereda storm, with winds gusting to 75 mphand waves averaging 30 feet.

Riding the storm for 35 hours,Thorseth said the crew discovered the

Sigurd Bjorkedal,whose family has beenbuilding seagoingvessels since at leastthe 16th century,checks the Saga Sig-lar’s measurementsusing tools that havebeen passed downfrom generation togeneration.

best way to sail a Viking ship in incle-ment weather--turn and run with thewind. Surfing 30- to 40-foot waves, theship reached speeds exceeding 15 knotsdown the breakers, he noted, andaveraged eight to 10 knots with thesail lowered. "It definitely was fine sail-ing," he said with a smile. Severaltimes waves broke over the vessel, fill-ing it with water. Although the shipwas equipped with several pumps,Thorseth maintained, "The best bailingsystem in the world is a scared sailor."

Commenting on the warm welcomereceived in Houston, Thorseth joked,"My ancestors wouldn’t have gottenthe same reception in Houston 1,000years ago." Admitting they were a lit-tle rough around the edges and wereknown for raping, plundering andburning, he reassured the group thatVikings are more civilized today."We’re not in the same businessanymore; we don’t have to do thatanymore to have a good time."

Leaving Houston December 3 for atwo-week-stay in Galveston, the SagaSiglar will stop in Florida beforeheading west. The voyage will take thevessel through the Panama Canal tothe Pacific, with stops in Australia andSingapore, across the Indian Oceanand into the Mediterranean Sea.

Noting that crossing Europe toreach Norway "is an old Viking trick,"Thorseth said he expects to be homeby mid-summer 1986.

Upon completion of the voyage,the Saga Siglar will be the only Vikingvessel in recorded history known tohave sailed around the world, notedThorseth, adding,~"We are not tryingto prove the Vikings sailed around theworld. They didn’t. They did buildships capable of sailing wherever theywanted to go and, like them, we liketo get out of the country and have alittle fun."

The Saga Siglar’s visit to Houstonwas sponsored by Bergen Bank;Baytank Houston, Inc.;Ekornes/Westnofa; E.B. Communica-tions; GECO Geophysical Company ofNorway USA, Inc.; Jahre ShippingUSA, Inc.; Hasselblad Cameras; LegoToys; Noroil Magazine; OdfjellWestfal-Larsen USA, Inc.; S&H Div-ing/Sonat Subsea Services; Tenneco,Inc.; the Westin Hotels; Conoco, Inc.;and the city of Houston. []

SHIPPING COMPANYThe only shipping company withtotal Saudi ownership.

|

General Agent: U.S. Navigation, Inc.

Gulf Agent: Biehl & Company

One Edgewater Plaza, Staten Island, NY 10305 (718) 442-8989TELEX: 12259

2825 Mangum Road, Houston, Texas 77092TWX 910-881-1710

(713) 688-7700TELEX: 794-220

6 Port of Houston Magazine

People that make the Port of Houston hum

Teamwork is the key tosurvival of trade interests

J. Daniel Culpepper and his partner Arthur Renehanestablished Gulf-Eastern Steamship and Chartering Cor-poration in 1978, in the height of Houston’s economicboom.

It wasn’t long, however, before the "bubble burst."The ocean shipping business began declining; and by1983, the industry found itself in a full-fledged recessionworldwide, with many large, established firms strugglingto stay afloat and others filing Chapter 11.

Despite the inclement economic climate, Gulf-EasternSteamship and Chartering not only managed to survive,the firm expanded, opening offices in Chicago,Charleston, Savannah, Mobile and New Orleans. Begin-ning operations with 10 employees, the firm now has 75people on its regular payroll.

COMMENTING on the firm’s success, Culpeppersaid, "Today it takes a combination of good manage-ment by owners and ship agents in order to survive.We’ve been blessed with a number of good owners whorecognize that coordination between two entities is a re-quirement in order to accomplish a task.

"Our investments have been in paper, pencils and peo-ple," he added, "and we’ve been blessed with some reallygreat people, who are responsible for the advances Gulf-Eastern has made."

A 35-year veteran of the maritime industry, Culpep-per formerly served on the board of the Houston WorldTrade Association and is currently on the boardsof the West Gulf Maritime Association and theHouston Port Bureau.

Well informed on topics of foreign trade and relatedindustries, he contended that teamwork is the key to sur-vival of international trade interests in Houston. "Wecan’t sit back and rest on our laurels," he said. "We’vegot to do some digging during the next decade to keepthe port aggressive and competitive."

CITING the Port of Rotterdam, where two-thirds ofthe imports to Northern Europe and the UnitedKingdom are handled, as an example of the two entitiesworking together, Culpepper said, "Management andwaterfront workers must work as a team; and when welearn this in the states, we will be able to build up ourports and increase exports. One only has to compare thenumber of personnel required for a specialized vessel in

Rotterdam and the United States," he added. "Manningrequirements for waterfront workers are about one-thirdof what is considered necessary in this country."

Culpepper explained, "Rotterdam workers came toterms with management because it was a matter of sur-vival for them. Europeans recognize that they must ex-port to survive. We’re still only exporting, maybe, fourto five percent of the GNP (Gross National Product)."

The fact that international interests--maritime firms,international financial institutions, consulate offices,etc.--are dispersed throughout the city also troublesCulpepper. "I would like to see a closer knit maritimecommunity. Consulates are spread out all over the city,"he noted, adding that they are a very importantelement in international trade. "In most cities, these en-tities are physically closer, which has proven very suc-cessful in promoting trade in Rotterdam and in otherareas of the world," Culpepper contended.

"Noting that members of the Houston World TradeAssociation (HWTA), in years past, have discussed theidea of locating a world trade center in the Houston area,Culpepper continued, "One of my disappointments isthat with a port the size of Houston’s, we haven’tmustarded support in the community to spearhead aworld trade tower. The key to the whole thing is thecivic community should be behind this. Can you pointto one building in downtown that you can say is an in-ternational building?" he asked, adding, "There’s notone in Houston!"

With the HWTA, we have the vehicle in place,"Culpepper concluded, "it’s just a matter of using it pro-perly." []

January 1985 7

International Seaman’s Center is a’bright spot’ at the Port of Houston

By PAT STREILEIN-KIRK

A small group, comprised of staffand volunteers from the LaPorte-Bayshore Branch of the Houston Inter-national Seaman’s Center ascended thegangplank to the M/S FOSSUM lad-den with gifts.

There would be little time foryuletide merrymaking, as theNorwegian vessel was scheduled to sailat 5 p.m. sharp, and it already wasnearly 3 p.m.

Greeted warmly by seamen as theyfiled through the narrow corridors tothe "mess," the visitors spotted an oldfriend, Chief Mate Leif Moen, whohad served as captain of the vessel onits last voyage to Houston in June.

Several members of this crew, in-cluding Moen and his wife, whotravelled with him last summer, andJohn Hansen, participated in thecenter’s celebration of its first anniver-sary last year. Franki Fetty, centerdirector, and Lou Lawlor, chairwomanof the center’s board of directors, hadbrought along snapshots of the occa-sion to share with their acquaintances.

Apparently hearing his oldfriends were aboard, Hansen, a large,burley man with curly hair and aquick smile accented by rosy, roundedcheeks, burst into the mess, and affec-tionately embraced the two ladies.

Moen invited those who had neverbeen aboard a ship--volunteers A.J.Janezic, manager of public affairs forTenneco Oil and Processing Company,who heads the center’s public relationsactivities; center volunteers CharlotteBoudeaux, Madalye Wolf and PeggyHolland, of the Bay Area Deanry ofthe Diocese Council of CatholicWomen; and two local newspaperreporters--to tour the bridge with him.

In the meantime, Chief Steward An-drea Harstad, who had guessed thenature of the group’s visit, disappearedinto the galley to whip up a coffeecake.

Gifts are donated each year by organizations, churches, and individuals for distribution to visitingseamen. Volunteers hold "gift wraping parties" to organize the distribution.

Those touring the ship returned asHarstad readied the table and invitedall to join crew members present forrefreshments before departing. Hansen,who had temporarily disappeared,returned with a gift from the crew, aSmurf doll for the center, which hepresented to Fetty.

m middle-aged woman agedgracefully by the seas she has travelledoff and on since 1952, Harstad pouredeach guest and crewman a cup of cof-fee, served them cake and seated her-self beside Fetty. Tears clouding herkind, blue eyes and speaking with athick Scandanavian accent that con-jured up memories of "I RememberMama," Harstad leaned toward Fettysaying, "Can you imagine it, spendingChristmas at sea. Just think of it, outthere all alone. We won’t haveanything from home, but there will bewhen we come up," she added, notingthat the ship would be enroute to Italyon Christmas Eve. "Nobody (crew) hasmuch spirit. You, you’re notNorwegian and you come. I thinkthat’s so wonderful," Harstad con-tinued, pausing to hug Fetty. "Whatcan we do back?"

Fetty, caught up in the emotionalexchange, squeezed Harstad’s handand replied, "That’s what Christmas isall about; you don’t have to doanything back."

On the other end of the table,crewmen Terge Jacobs and Bjorn Sorlieconversed with Reverend Dave Zim-mer, a Lutheran chaplain who, whennot on duty, volunteers his time to thecenter, and other members of thegroup. Jacobs, explaining thatNorwegians hold Christmas Eve as avery holy time, said that the crew pro-bably will celebrate with a party onChristmas Day.

The vessels and characters changeddaily, but the scenarios were similar upand down the channel during the dayspreceding Christmas. Staff, volunteersand chaplains worked long hours pro-viding a relaxing atmosphere andentertainment to seamen visiting thePort of Houston this time of year,while delivering holiday greetings toseamen, who will be away from homeor at sea on Christmas, from the manythoughtful community members whohave been soliciting, collecting anddelivering thousands of gift boxes tothe centers since last August.

Port of Houston Magazine

The gifts, containing personalhygiene items and other necessities aswell as a few surprises, are donated byorganizations, churches and in-dividuals. The Houston center receivesthe packages from all over Texas andas far away as Minnesota, according toPresbyterian Chaplain Roy Strange.Fetty said the LaPorte-Bayshore facili-ty is supported entirely by local groupsin the LaPorte area.

Strange noted that the gift-box tradi-tion began with 500 when theHouston center opened in 1971. Thisyear that center alone delivered about9,000 boxes to ships, while the branchcenter distributed about 600 to 700.

The Houston center staff also fur-nished taped music to ships dock-ing at the Turning Basin during theholiday season, including Christmas,classical and pop. Presbyterian choirsperformed on the docks and at theHouston center, singing carols on twooccasions, and Catholic women’sgroups decorated trees at both centers.

The Houston center wrapped up theholiday with the traditional Christmasservice, "Noche Buena," in the chapel,on Christmas Eve and a party thefollowing afternoon.

The branch center had a holidayparty on December 16. Fetty said thatcrewmen from ships docking at Bar-bours Cut on Christmas Day will beunited to share the holiday withLaPorte-Bayshore area families.

Christmas is a special time ofyear at both centers. However, theChristmas spirit, which is plentifulenough to last the entire year, is whatkeeps the centers afloat, with in-dividuals, community organizations,and the private sector working as a

January 1985

/

Betty Nagel, (right) director of volunteers for theHouston center, checks plans with a volunteerfrom one of the Catholic organizations.

team to provide the support needed tokeep the centers operating.

The Houston center has more than100 regular volunteers, who work atleast one day a week for three hours,and the LaPorte-Bayshore branch hasabout 45 volunteers. Five religiousdenominations provide eight full-timechaplains for the centers. Fundingcomes from individuals, organizationsand the private sector.

Last year, due to damage from Hur-ricane Alicia, the center held "Mari-time Festival ’83," a fund-raising acti-vity to help with much-needed repairs.The Houston Chapter of the PropellerClub "kicked-off" the event with ashrimp boil. Organizers felt the entireevent, which also featured ethnicdancers, food, and sporting tour-naments, was such a success that it isnow planned annually. This year’s"Maritime Festival ’84" is scheduledfor April 26 and 27. (For informa-tion about the festival or the sportingevents, call 672-0511.)

Funds also come from ships dockingat the port, which almost always

Onboard the M/V FOS-SUM, Chief Mate LeifMoen receives a giftfrom Frankie Fetty,director of the LaPortecenter, while LouLawlor, chairwoman ofthe centers board andCharlotte Boudeaux,president of the BayArea Deanry, look on.The Houston centerdistributed more than9,000 gifts to ships inport while the LaPortecenter gave out about700 boxes at the Bar-bours Cut Terminal.

voluntarily pay the requested $40 fee,providing 30 to 40 percent of thecenters’ total operating costs.

Moreover, each of the centershave libraries that supply seamen withample reading materials to while awaythe seemingly endless hours at sea, saidLucille Ferguson, volunteer librarian atthe Houston center.

While the LaPorte-Bayshore centerreceives all its reading materials fromthe local citizenry, the Houston centerreceives library materials fromgenerous area book stores, churches,and thoughtful personnel at the U.S.Postal Service, who collect magazinesreturned to the post office for thecenter, noted Ferguson. She addedthat these libraries are unique in thatthey are not lending libraries. "Theycan take as many (books andmagazines) as they can carry," saidFerguson. "We just hope they will passthem around."

The building housing the LaPorte-Bayshore facility, which was sold tothe center for $10 by the city ofLaPorte, is yet another example of thecommunity’s involvement in providinga "home away from home" for theworld’s merchant marines. The Port ofHouston Authority leases the buildingand property to the Houston centerfor one dollar per year.

The Houston centers are veryunusual in that they are non-denominational and non-political. Inforeign nations, seaman centers areoperated by a particular church orpolitical party. Therefore, access is bas-ed on a sailor’s religious preference ornationality.

The local centers are staffed primari-ly with volunteers. Paid employees in-clude Fetty; Jack Hall, manager of theHouston center; and Betty Nagel,director of volunteers in Houston.Each of the centers have a board ofdirectors that oversees operations.

Even though the Houston center isthe only seaman’s center in the worldwith a training program for chaplains,they do not "push religion" on anyone,Strange noted. Religious materials ofthe major religions of the world,however, are available in a variety oflanguages, free of charge, to seamenvisiting the center. []

\

Port Stevedoringdoes it all witha personal touch¯No job too small¯ Specializing in steel, project, heavy lift

cargos, containers, and general cargo¯ 80,000 pound fork lift capacity¯ Storage and trucking facilities available¯ Constant supervision¯ 200 Ton crane capacity

We try hard to be the best

~~ ~k/.~" o~ ~ ~ ’. Executive Office* 2315 McCarty Dr.Houston, Texas 77029-3843

--~~r (713)675-0017. TWX 910-881-5790~~,~dOrilIQq Dock Office 8123 Plummer St.

~O~g~Y7Houston, Texas 77029 ̄ (713) 675-2378

~ Independent Contractors Serving Houston, Galveston and Freeport, Texas

Port of Houston Authority openingnew Turning Basin Wharf No. 32

Wharf No. 32, the first to be built at the Port of HoustonAuthority’s Turning Basin Terminal center since 1969,became operable this month, according to Richard P. Leach,executive director of the Port Authority.

Located on the east end of the terminal, the new $10.8million wharf, with 806 lineal feet of quay and 20 acres ofpaved marshalling area, is designed for handling projectcargoes and heavy lifts.

Project cargoes can consist of various components of aparticular project, such as a petrochemical plant. These com-ponents can be staged in the expanse of the new wharfawaiting shipment.

The channel adjacent to the new dock has been dredged toa depth of 36 feet.

In addition to the completion of Wharf No. 32, the PortAuthority has utilized the recessionary slowdown to imple-ment new improvements and upgrade facilities such as therepair of Wharf No. 8, one of the oldest docks in the TurningBasin area. This wharf access and platform-type designmakes it ideal for unloading LASH barges and for heavy-liftcargoes. Repairs to the dock, by Falcon Construction Com-pany, Inc., which included new pipe piles, bulkheading and anew fender system, cost more than $1 million. []

January 1985

NVOCCs are a growing en tityat the Port of Houston

By PAT STREILEIN-KIRK

While NVOCCs (non-vesseloperating common carriers) have beenoperating on the East Coast for atleast 15 years, it is a relatively new,but growing entity in Houston’s exportshipping industry. Its growth isreflected in the NVOCC listings in thePORT OF HOUSTON MAGAZINEdirectory; the number of firms re-questing a listing under NVOCCs near-ly doubled between January 1984 andJanuary 1985.

Establishing an NVOCC in Houstonfor Econocaribe Consolidators, Inc., in1980, Leo Reichle, currently owner ofthe Houston-based NVOCC TexasCaribbean Consolidators, Inc., was apioneer of this concept here, alongwith Votainer, Inc.; KAM ContainerLine; and Aquatran, Inc. Theemergence of NVOCCs in Houstonreflects a need that was not being fill-ed, said Reichle, noting that Sea-LandServices, Inc., was the only firm herethat offered shippers LCL (less-than-container-load) service prior to 1980.

maceuticals to nuts and bolts, pipe andchemicals for a flat rate per container.

Besides consolidating LCL cargo anddelivering it to the docks for shipmentabroad, NVOCCs offer one bill oflading; arrange all transportation ser-vices required to get cargo from theshipper to its destination, includingoverland and ocean carriage and pick-up of a container for delivery directlyto its destination or to a warehouse forstripping and rerouting; coordinateCustoms clearing; furnish quickrouting and tracing of shipments; andprovide prompt settlement of damageand loss claims.

Van Ommeren, a Dutch firm withworldwide shipping and relatedtransportation interests, sent PaulRoach to Houston in 1979 to establishVotainer Consolidated Services. Roachhad convinced the firm’s top officialsthat Houston was the ideal test bed forthe LCL market in the United States.That test paid off handsomely, withVotainer expanding to 12 other U.S.cities, since it began operations here in1980.

ERIK G. WERNINK, president ofVan Ommeren USA, Inc., in Green-wich, Connecticut, attributed

"NVOs HAVE made it possible fora manufacturer to sell 200 to 300pounds of cargo abroad without pay-ing a steamship company for a wholetrailer load (full container)," he said."When shipping with an NVO,manufacturers only pay for the actualweight or space in a container,"Reichle explained. "If they go throughsteamship lines, they must pay for awhole container."

NVO’s are able to offer this serviceto shippers by consolidating cargoes in-to one shipment. They are billed bysteamship lines as FAK (Freight of allKinds), allowing them to ship anythingfrom soups, household goods and phar-

12

NVOCCs offer cargo consolidation services, delivering it to the docks for shipment abroad with one billof lading, and arrangement of all required transportation services.

Port of Houston Magazine

KAM Container Line personnel consolidatevarious cargoes into a container, utilizing max-imum space.

Votainer’s successful to his firm’s ex-perience in this area. "Although arelative newcomer to the U.S., Vo-tainer was one of the pioneer’s of theLCL consolidation concept," said Wer-nink, noting that Votainer began LCLoperations in Europe for exports to theUnited States 13 years ago. Today,Votainer has 32 offices worldwide.

Van Ommeren gave birth to Vo-tainer in the early 70s as a strategy tocounter dramatic economic fluctua-tions in the liner service and liquidbulk storage markets, the firm’sprimary business interests. "We wantto be involved in activities ruled bydifferent economic cycles," said Wer-nink. "Looking at the overall transportsector, we realized that containershipments--LCL shipments in par-ticular--were dependent upon a set ofeconomic variables different than thosegoverning the bulk commodities, likegrain and liquid bulk trades.

"In today’s market, for instance,with the U.S. dollar as strong as it is,Votainer’s European shipments to theUnited States are experiencing atremendous boom," he explained. "Butwhen the U.S. dollar weakens to thepoint of increasing American exports,Votainer’s 12 U.S. offices will be theprimary beneficiaries."

Aquatran began operating a two-man office in Houston in 1982, offer-ing LCL coasolidation service to Puer-to Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.Using direct Houston sailings, the firm,within its first year of operation, open-ed offices in Dallas, New Orleansand Los Angeles, which route freightto Aquatran’s terminal in Houston.Caribbean services were expanded toinclude over 40 ports, and additionaloffices were opened in Miami, Oaklandand San Juan.

WILLIAM M. HIGGINS, Aqua-tran director, attributes his firm’sgrowth to "being in the right place atthe right time...and plenty of hardwork!

"Sailings direct from Houston meanless inland costs," said Higgins, "which,in turn, means less overall costs forwestern and mid-western shippers.Reduced handling of cargo also meansreduced potential for freight damage,"he added.

The movement of goods from cityto city--Oakland to Los Angeles, LosAngeles and Dallas to Houston andHouston and New Orleans toMiami--caused a "snowball effect,"Higgins continued, increasingAquatran’s inland transportation

system and making the firm’s entranceinto the European and South Africanmarkets "a fairly simple and logicalstep."

Using a similar philosophy to movecargo from the East Coast, the firmcontinued to expand and currently of-fers service from 48 U.S. states to 75foreign ports, most recently addingAustralian and Far Eastern destina-tions to its service list.

Both shippers and freight forwardersuse NVOCC services, although somefreight forwarding firms recently havegotten into the NVO businessthemselves. Reichle, whose firm movesabout 135,000 pounds of cargo mon-thly to destinations in Puerto Rico andthe Virgin Islands, noted that about 60percent of his clients are manufac-turers and the other 40 percent arefreight forwarders. "We can really helpout shippers in a number of areas," hesaid, citing Customs clearing andtransportation coordination services of-feted by NVOCCs." In the case offreight forwarders, Reichle added, "Wedo away with their headaches." []

Paul Roach, who heads Votainer’s Houstonoperation, inspects cargo being readied for ship-ment.

January 1985 13

PACKAGED

Whether your shipments are containerized,RO-RO, project cargo or even bulk, our proficientteam can handle it. With over 3,500 ft. of private dockalong deep water berthing keys, we can manage anyvessel that navigates the ship channel. Equipmentincluding nine cranes and a 500 ton capacity RO-ROramp provides unlimited cargo transfer capability.

Perfect project marshalling yards (supported bydockside warehousing and over 50 acres of storage),custom crating and bagging facilities, dockside railand truck access all combine to offer complete con-trol through one single office and managementgroup. That’s efficiency.

/

1606 Clinton DriveGalena Park, Texas 77547

(713) 672-8385

Jacintoport(713) 452-4591

SHIPPERS STEVEOORING COMPANY

14 Port of Houston Magazine

South American trademission is a success

Director of Trade Development for the Port of HoustonAuthority, Armando S. Waterland, and Latin AmericanRepresentative, Misael Breton, recently travelled to SouthAmerica with news of improvements and innovations at thePort of Houston Authority. The trip was also utilized to in-troduce Breton as the new Latin American representativefor the port to major Brazilian and Argentine maritimetransportation companies.

The Nautilus Agencia Maritima, agents of LloydBrasileiro, the largest shipping line in Brazil, hosted a recep-tion honoring Port of Houston representatives in Sao Paulo.More than two hundred maritime executives attended theaffair where Waterland presented a plaque to Rubens daSilva, president of Nautilus in appreciation for a longbusiness relationship.

Other stops on the mission included, Santos, Rio deJaneiro, Brazil, and Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Alfredo Serra Moura, Eureka Advertising Agency; Nercio de Lima Azevedo, ex-ecutive director of Comind; Waterland; Thales Robin Silva, director of Nautilus

At a reception honoring the Port of Houston Authority were: MisaelBreton, Latin American representative for the Port of Houston Authori-ty; Carlos Alberto R. Boueri, Lloyd Brasileiro, Santos; Armando S.Waterland, director of Trade Development, Port Authority; and Rubensda Silva, president of Nautilus.

Visiting the Port of Santos, Brazil, number one ranked port in LatinAmerica were: Azevedo; Roy S. Higgins, vice president, Delta Line,Santos; and Waterland.

Thales Robin Silva; Rubens da Silva; Waterland

During a visit to the Lloyd Brasileiro headquarters in Rio de Janerio,Waterland (right) discusses changes at the Port of Houston with Presi-dent Roberto Arieira.

Another stop was at the headquarters of A. Bottacchi, S.A. in Buenos Aires. Pic-tured here are: Breton; Angel M. Bottacchi, president of the firm; and Waterland.

January 1985

Also on the itinerary was a stop at the headquarters of Delta Line inBuenos Aires, meeting with (from left): Salvador (Tony) Bruno, LatinAmerican Region representative for Delta Line; Oswaldo Celso deQueiroz Guimaraes, manager, Delta Line in Rio; Waterland; and Ad-miral Joao R.L. Aboim, senior vice president, South America-EastCoast Delta Line.

15

Port of Houston Authority hostsreception for Consular Corps

More than 45 foreign countrieswere represented at a reception heldrecently by the Port of HoustonAuthority for an evening of culturaland business exchange.

Houston, known as an internationalcity, has the second largest ConsularCorps in the United States with 55foreign countries represented.

Guests at the reception, which washeld at the Petroleum Club, includedrepresentatives from the City ofHouston, various Chambers of Com-merce, the International Seaman’sCenter, Harris County and other in-ternational organizations.

Helen Shepard; Ursala Ponce; Mario Tapia Ponce, Consul General of Mexico; Alice Pratt, Inter-national Institute of Education; Sabir M.Amawi, Honorary Consul of the Hashemite Kingdom ofJordan; and Port Commissioner Rey Gonzales, Jr.

Nam Park, Consul General of South Korea; James Tompkins, president of the World TradeAssociation; Paul Hedemann; Houston Mayor Kathy Whitmire; and Young Hyun Park.

Port Commissioner Howard Middleton; Councilman Jim Westmoreland; Mrs.Westmoreland; June Glazener; and Port Commissioner Archie Bennett, Jr.

Fouad Yossef, Consul General of the Arab Republic of Egypt; SisterRachel Smith, International Seamen’s Center; and Rachadi Iskandar,Consul General of the Republic of Indonesia

Javier Jimenez-Ugarte, Consul Generat of Spain; Mrs. Midani; and Ayman Midani,Honorary Consul of the Syrian Arab Republic

16

Mauricio Avila R., Consul General of Colombia and Mrs. Avila

Port of Houston Magazine

South American trademission is a success

Director of Trade Development for the Port of HoustonAuthority, Armando S. Waterland, and Latin AmericanRepresentative, Misael Breton, recently travelled to SouthAmerica with news of improvements and innovations at thePort of Houston Authority. The trip was also utilized to in-troduce Breton as the new Latin American representativefor the port to major Brazilian and Argentine maritimetransportation companies.

The Nautilus Agencia Maritima, agents of LloydBrasileiro, the largest shipping line in Brazil, hosted a recep-tion honoring Port of Houston representatives in Sao Paulo.More than two hundred maritime executives attended theaffair where Waterland presented a plaque to Rubens daSilva, president of Nautilus in appreciation for a longbusiness relationship.

Other stops on the mission included, Santos, Rio deJaneiro, Brazil, and Buenos Aires, Argentina.

~~%~~

Alfredo Serra Moura, Eureka Advertising Agency; Nercio de Lima Azevedo, ex-ecutive director of Comind; Waterland; Thales Robin Silva, director of Nautilus

At a reception honoring the Port of Houston Authority were: MisaelBreton, Latin American representative for the Port of Houston Authori-ty; Carlos Alberto R. Boueri, Lloyd Brasileiro, Santos; Armando S.Waterland, director of Trade Development, Port Authority; and Rubensda Silva, president of Nautilus.

Visiting the Port of Santos, Brazil, number one ranked port in LatinAmerica were: Azevedo; Roy S. Higgins, vice president, Delta Line,Santos; and Waterland.

Thales Robin Silva; Rubens da Silva; Waterland

During a visit to the Lloyd Brasileiro headquarters in Rio de Janerio,Waterland (right) discusses changes at the Port of Houston with Presi-dent Roberto Arieira.

Another stop was at the headquarters of A. Bottacchi, S.A. in Buenos Aires. Pic-tured here are: Breton; Angel M. Bottacchi, president of the firm; and Waterland.

January 1985

Also on the itinerary was a stop at the headquarters of Delta Line inBuenos Aires, meeting with (from left): Salvador (Tony) Bruno, LatinAmerican Region representative for Delta Line; Oswaldo Celso deQueiroz Guimaraes, manager, Delta Line in Rio; Waterland; and Ad-miral Joao R.L. Aboim, senior vice president, South America-EastCoast Delta Line.

15

Container Strength.Cooper/T. Smith keeps containerized cargo

shipments on the move to countries around the world.We supported the move to container shipping fromthe beginning. When you think container stevedoring,th~ strength. C~per/T.,h~ ~oo~, ~n~th. Smith

440 Portu,a}, Plaza, 1717 E. l*~op. Houston, 7i,.~zcs 7702971.:{/072-5663 TP(¢X 910 881 2614.

18 Port of Houston Magazine